He spent the evening with Miss Manning, who was scarcely less troubled than himself at the loss of Rose. The lonely seamstress had found a great solace2 and comfort in the society of the little girl, and her heart had been drawn3 to her. She missed her sweet face, and the thousand questions which Rose was in the habit of asking as they sat together through the long day, which didn't seem half so long now as formerly4, when she was alone.
When Rufus entered the little room, the first object his eyes rested upon was the little reading-book from which Rose had been in the habit of getting her daily lessons. "When will she read in it again?" he thought, with a pang5.
"She was getting along so well in her reading," said Miss Manning, who divined his thoughts. "It's such a pity she should be taken away just at this time."
"I'll have her back, Miss Manning, you may depend upon it," said Rufus, energetically. "If she's anywhere in the city I'll find her."
"The city is a large place, Rufus," said the seamstress, a little despondently6.
"That's true, but I shan't have to look all over it. Mr. Martin isn't very likely to be found in Fifth Avenue, unless he's better off than he used to be. He's somewhere in the lower part of the city, on the east side, and that's where I'll look. 'Twouldn't be much use lookin' over the arrivals at the Astor House, or St. Nicholas."
"That's true," said Miss Manning, smiling faintly.
There was reason in what the newsboy said; but, as we know, he was mistaken in one point,—Mr. Martin was not in the lower part of the city, on the east side, but in Brooklyn, but it was only the accident of his having found work there, which had caused him to remove across the river.
"Where shall you look first?" asked Miss Manning.
"I shall go to Leonard Street, where we used to live."
"Do you think your stepfather lives there now?"
"No; but perhaps I can find out there where he does live."
Rufus went round to the Lodging7 House at the usual time. On getting up in the morning, instead of going to the paper offices as usual, he went round to Leonard Street. His anxiety to gain, if possible, some tidings about Rose would not permit him to delay unnecessarily.
Just in front of his old home he saw a slatternly looking woman, one of the inmates8 of the tenement9 house. She recognized the newsboy at once.
"Where did you come from?" she asked. "I haven't seen you for a long time."
"No, I'm living in another place now. Have you seen anything of Mr. Martin, lately?"
"Aint you living with him now?"
"No, I've left him. I suppose he isn't in the old room."
"No, he went away some weeks ago. The agent was awful mad because he lost his rent."
"Then he hasn't been back since?"
"I haven't seen him. Maybe some of the rest in the house may know where he is. Are you going to live with him again?"
"No," said the newsboy; "I'd rather take care of myself."
"And how's that little sister of yours?"
"He's carried her off. That's why I'm tryin' to find him. If it wasn't for that I wouldn't trouble myself."
"You don't say so? Well, that's a pity. He isn't fit to take care of her. I hope you'll find her."
"Thank you, Mrs. Simpson. I guess I'll go upstairs and ask some of the rest."
Rough and Ready ascended10 the stairs, and called upon some of his old acquaintances, with inquiries11 of a similar character. But he got no information likely to be of service to him. Martin had not been seen near his old lodgings12 since the day when he had disappeared, leaving his rent unpaid13.
"Where shall I go next?" thought the newsboy, irresolutely14.
This was a question more easily asked than answered. He realized that to seek for Rose in the great city, among many thousands of houses, was something like seeking a needle in a haystack.
"I'll go and get my papers," he decided15, "and while I am selling them, perhaps I may think of where to go next. It'll be a hard job; but I'm bound to find Rose if she's in the city."
That she was in the city he did not entertain a doubt. Otherwise, he might have felt less sanguine16 of ultimate success.
"You're late this morning, aint you?" asked Ben Gibson, a boot-black, who generally stood at the corner of Nassau Street and Printing-House Square. "Overslept yourself, didn't you?"
"No," said the newsboy; "but I had an errand to do before I began."
"Get paid for it?"
"Not unless I pay myself. It was an errand of my own."
"I can't afford to work for myself," said Ben. "A chap asked me, yesterday, why I didn't black my own shoes. I axed him who was to pay me for doin' it. Blackin' costs money, and I can't afford to work for nothin'."
Ben's shoes certainly looked as if no blacking had ever been permitted to soil their virgin18 purity. Indeed, it is rather a remarkable19 circumstance that though the boot-blacks generally have at least three-fourths of their time unoccupied, and sometimes remain idle for hours at a time, it never occurs to them (so far, at least, as the writer's observation extends) to use a little of their time and blacking in improving the condition of their own shoes or boots, when they happen to have any. Whether this is owing to a spirit of economy, or to the same cause which hinders a physician from swallowing his own pills, it is not easy to say. The newsboys, on the contrary, occasionally indulge in the luxury of clean shoes.
"Your shoes don't look as if they'd been blacked lately," said Rough and Ready.
"No more they haven't. They can't stand such rough treatment. It would be too much for their delicate constitutions."
This was not improbable, since the shoes in question appeared to be on their last legs, if such an expression may be allowed.
"I like to have my shoes look neat," said Rufus.
"Don't you want a shine?" asked Ben, with a professional air.
"Can't afford it. Maybe I will, though, if you'll trade."
"As how?"
"Shine my shoes, and I'll give you a 'Sun.'"
"Anything in the 'Sun' this mornin'?"
"Full account of a great murder out in Buffalo," said the newsboy, in his professional tone.
"Well, I don't know but I'll do it," said Ben. "Only if a gent comes along what wants a shine, you must let me off long enough to do the job. I'll finish yours afterwards."
"All right."
Ben got out his brush, and, getting on his knees, began operations.
"Seems to me, young man, you're rather particular about your appearance for a newsboy," said a gentleman, who came up just as Ben was giving the finishing touch to the first shoe.
"Oh," said Ben, speaking for his customer, "he only sells papers for amoosement. He's a young chap of fortune, and is first cousin to the King of Mulberry Street."
"Indeed! I think I must purchase a paper then. You may give me the 'Herald.'"
"Here it is, sir."
"Do you also black boots for amusement?" addressing Ben.
"Well," said Ben, "it may be a very amoosin' occupation for some, but I find it rather wearin' to the knees of my pantaloons. It sort of unfits me for genteel society."
"Then why don't you select some other business?"
"'Cause I can't make up my mind whether I'd rather be a lawyer or a banker. While I'm decidin' I may as well black boots."
"You're an original, I see."
"Thank you for the compliment;" and Ben rose from his knees, having made the newsboy's second shoe shine like a mirror. "Now, mister, if you'd like to have your boots shined up by a gentleman in reduced circumstances, I'm ready for the job."
"Well, perhaps I may as well. So you're in reduced circumstances, my lad?"
"Yes, sir; my aristocratic relatives have disowned me since I took to blackin' boots, just like they did Ferdinand Montressor, in the great play at the Old Bowery, when he lost his fortun' and went to tending bar for a livin'."
"I suppose Ferdinand came out right in the end, didn't he?"
"Yes, sir; owing to the death of fifteen of his nearest relations, who got blown up in a steamboat explosion, he became the owner of Montressor Castle, and a big pile of money besides, and lived happy forever after."
"Well, my lad, perhaps you'll be lucky too."
"Maybe you're meanin' to give me a quarter for blackin' your boots," said Ben, shrewdly.
"No, I wasn't intending to do it; but, as you're a gentleman in reduced circumstances, I don't know but I will."
"Thank you, sir," said Ben, pocketing the money with satisfaction. "Any time you want your boots blacked, just call on me, and I'll give you the bulliest shine you ever saw."
"All right, good-morning! When you get into your castle, I'll come and see you."
"Thank you, sir. I hope you'll live long enough to do it."
"That's wishing me a long life, I take it," said the gentleman, smiling.
"You're in luck, Ben," said the newsboy.
"That's so. He's what I call a gentleman."
"Lucky for you he isn't in reduced circumstances like me. Here's your 'Sun.' When I get rich I'll pay you better."
Ben began to spell out the news in the 'Sun,' with some difficulty, for his education was limited, and Rufus continued to cry his papers.
At the end of half an hour, happening to have his face turned towards the corner of Nassau Street, he made a sudden start as he saw the familiar figure of Martin, his stepfather, just turning into the Square.
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1
devotedly
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| 专心地； 恩爱地； 忠实地； 一心一意地 | |
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solace
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| n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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4
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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6
despondently
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| adv.沮丧地，意志消沉地 | |
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7
lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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tenement
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| n.公寓；房屋 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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12
lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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13
unpaid
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| adj.未付款的，无报酬的 | |
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14
irresolutely
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| adv.优柔寡断地 | |
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15
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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16
sanguine
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| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
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17
ply
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| v.(搬运工等)等候顾客，弯曲 | |
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18
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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19
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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dubiously
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| adv.可疑地，怀疑地 | |
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21
wholesale
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| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
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22
herald
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| vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎 | |
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