CHAPTER XV. — SAM IS FOUND OUT.

 Henry was not a little disturbed at the disappearance¹ of his bank-book. He felt confident that he had laid it away in his trunk, and in that case it must have been stolen. But who possessed² a key to the trunk? Could it be Sam? Henry recalled Sam's application for a loan, and he feared that it was really he. He determined³ to make inquiries⁴ as soon as his roommate came home.

 

He had scarcely formed this determination when Sam entered.

 

"You are home early, Henry," he said.

 

"No; it is you who are late."

 

"I didn't get out quite as soon as usual."

 

"I wonder whether he has missed the bankbook," thought Sam. "If he'd only go out, I'd put it back where I took it from."

 

Sam was soon informed as to the bank-book being missed.

 

"I can't find my bank-book anywhere, Sam," said Henry, looking searchingly at his companion.

 

"Can't you? Where did you put it?" asked Sam, trying to look unconcerned.

 

"In my trunk."

 

"Then it must be there now."

 

"It is not. I have looked carefully."

 

"Then, you didn't put it there. You must be mistaken."

 

"No, I am not."

 

"You may have dropped it out of your pocket on the way from the bank."

 

"No; I remember distinctly putting it in my trunk."

 

Sam shrugged⁵ his shoulders.

 

"I suppose you know best; but if you put it there, it must be there now."

 

"Unless it has been taken from my trunk," said Henry, significantly.

 

"Just so," said Sam, readily. "Perhaps the landlady⁶ has taken it, or Bridget, the chambermaid."

 

"I don't think they have."

 

"Will you lose the money if you don't find the book?"

 

"No; I can report my loss at the bank, and they will give me a new one."

 

"Then you're all right."

 

"I don't like the idea of my book being taken. The same one who took the old book may take the new one."

 

"Well, I haven't got any bank-book to worry about," said Sam. "Are you going out to supper?"

 

"Yes. Then, you don't know anything about my book?"

 

"I! Of course not!" answered Sam. "What should I know of it?"

 

"I don't know. Come, then, we'll go to supper."

 

Sam saw that he was suspected, and he knew that he deserved it, but he did not want Henry to ascertain⁷ definitely that such was the fact, He wanted to return the book as soon as he could without observation, but for this he must wait a while.

 

When supper was over, they took a walk of half an hour, and then Henry started to return to his room.

 

"I'll stay out a little longer," said Sam.

 

"Are you going to the theater?" asked Henry.

 

"Not unless you lend me the money," said Sam. "I'm hard up myself."

 

"You generally are."

 

"Of course I am. How can I help it on such a mean salary?"

 

"I don't know what to think," said Henry to himself. "If Sam has the book he hasn't drawn⁸ any money on it, or he would go to the theater. Perhaps he is innocent."

 

Sam stayed out late. He did not go to the theater, being, as he said, short of money, but he lounged away the evening in billiard saloons, and it was a quarter past eleven before he got back to his room. When he entered Henry was fast asleep. Sam congratulated himself upon this. He felt that now was his chance to return the book. He might have replaced it in the trunk, but as Henry had thoroughly⁹ searched it, he would at once suspect that it bad been replaced. Besides, Henry might wake up, and detect him in the act.

 

After some consideration, Sam put it into Henry's inside coat pocket, and then, undressing himself, went to bed.

 

"I've got clear of it now," he thought, "and whatever Henry suspects, he can't prove anything."

 

The next morning, as Henry was dressing¹⁰, he chanced to put his hand in his coat pocket, and drew out the book.

 

"What's that?" asked Sam, who had been watching him.

 

"It's my savings-bank book," answered Henry.

 

"Where did you find it?"

 

"In my pocket."

 

"Then, you didn't put it in your trunk, after all?"

 

"Yes, I did."

 

"That's foolish. If you had, it wouldn't have got into your pocket."

 

Henry did not reply, but, examining the book, discovered to his satisfaction that no money had been withdrawn¹¹.

 

"You see you were wrong," said Sam.

 

"At any rate, I am glad to get the book back again," said Henry, quietly.

 

"I wonder if he suspects anything," thought Sam.

 

Henry did suspect, but he was determined to verify his suspicions before saying a word on the subject.

 

During the day he managed to get away from the store long enough to visit the savings-bank. He went at once to the desk where payments were made, and, showing his book, asked the clerk if he remembered whether any one had presented it the day before.

 

"Yes," was the answer. "A friend of yours wanted to draw out some money on your account; but of course we did not pay it without your order."

 

"I am glad you didn't."

 

"Then you did not send the boy who presented it?"

 

"No."

 

"I thought it might be so."

 

"How much did he want to draw?"

 

"Twenty dollars."

 

Henry looked serious. This certainly looked bad for Sam. He did not like to think that a boy to whom he had always been kind would so abuse his confidence.

 

"I shall take better care of my book in future," he said. "The boy had no authority from me to draw money."

 

"We saw that the signature was not correct, and refused to honor the draft."

 

Henry made a deposit of two dollars, increasing the amount to twenty-eight dollars, and then left the bank. On his way back to the store, he made up his mind that he would no longer room with Sam. Even if he increased his expenses, he could not consent to have for a roommate one who had made an attempt to defraud¹² him.

 

1 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

2 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

3 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

4 inquiries   

n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。
• I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 landlady   

n.女房东，女地主

参考例句：

• I heard my landlady creeping stealthily up to my door.我听到我的女房东偷偷地来到我的门前。
• The landlady came over to serve me.女店主过来接待我。

7 ascertain   

vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清

参考例句：

• It's difficult to ascertain the coal deposits.煤储量很难探明。
• We must ascertain the responsibility in light of different situtations.我们必须根据不同情况判定责任。

8 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

9 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

10 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

11 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

12 defraud   

vt.欺骗，欺诈

参考例句：

• He passed himself off as the managing director to defraud the bank.他假冒总经理的名义诈骗银行。
• He is implicated in the scheme to defraud the government.他卷入了这起欺骗政府的阴谋。