While in this state of mind he happened one day to be in the store at noon, and alone. Nichols, the head clerk, wished to go to dinner, and was only waiting for Walter to get back from an errand.
"I'll take your place till he gets back, Mr. Nichols," said Joshua, with extraordinary kindness for him.
Illustration
"Much obliged, Joshua," said the salesman.[Pg 147] "I'll do as much for you another time. I don't think you'll have long to wait."
"You'd better hurry off," said Joshua. "I'd just as lief wait as not."
"I never knew him so accommodating before," thought Nichols, with a feeling of surprise.
He seized his hat and hurried away.
No sooner had he gone than Joshua, after following him to the door, and looking carefully up and down the street, walked behind the counter with a hasty step, and opened the money-drawer.
There was a small pile of bills in one compartment3, and in the other a collection of currency. He took the bills into his hand, and looked over them. His hands trembled a little, for he contemplated4 a dishonest act. Unable to obtain the money in any other way, he meant to borrow (that was what he called it) five dollars from the money-drawer, and expend5 it in a lottery ticket.
Singling out a five-dollar bill from the pile, he thrust it into his vest-pocket. He had scarcely done so when he was startled by hearing the door open. He made a guilty jump, but perceived, to his relief,[Pg 148] that it was a woman not living in the village, but probably in some adjoining town.
"What can I show you, ma'am?" he asked, in a flurried manner, for he could not help thinking of what he had in his vest-pocket.
"I should like to look at some of your shawls," said the woman.
Joshua knew very little about his father's stock. He did know, however, where the shawls were kept, and going to that portion of the shelves, pulled down half a dozen and showed them to his customer.
"Are they all wool?" she asked, critically examining one of them.
"Yes," answered Joshua, confidently, though he had not the slightest knowledge on the subject.
"What is the price of this one?" asked the customer, indicating the one she had in her hand.
"Five dollars," answered Joshua, with some hesitation6. He knew nothing of the price, but guessed that this would be about right.
"And you say it is all wool?"
"Certainly, ma'am."
[Pg 149]
"I guess I'll take it. Will you wrap it up for me?"
This Joshua did awkwardly enough, and the customer departed, much pleased with her bargain, as she had a right to be, for the real price of the shawl was nine dollars, but, thanks to Joshua's ignorance, she had been able to save four.
Joshua looked at the five-dollar bill he had just received, and a new idea occurred to him. He replaced in the drawer the bill he had originally taken from it, and substituted that just received.
"I won't say anything about having sold a shawl," he said, "and father'll never know that one has been sold. At any rate, not till I get money enough to replace the bill I have taken."
"How much is it?" asked the young customer.
"Ten cents."
"Mother told me it wouldn't be but six."
"Very well, if that is all you expect to pay, you shall have it for that."
[Pg 150]
"Thank you, sir;" and the little girl departed with her purchase.
Joshua now hurriedly folded up the shawls and replaced them on the shelves. He had just finished the task when Walter entered.
"Are you tending store?" he said, in surprise.
"Yes," said Joshua. "Nichols got tired waiting for you, so I told him I'd stay till you got back."
"I had some distance to go, and that detained me. Did you have any customers?"
"Yes, I just sold a spool of cotton to a little girl."
"I met her a little way up the road, holding the spool in her hand."
"Well," said Joshua, "I guess I'll go, now you've got back."
He went across the street to his father's house, and, going up into his own room, locked the door, not wishing to be interrupted. Then, opening his desk, he took out a sheet of paper, and wrote a note to the address given in his lottery circular, requesting the parties to send him by return of mail a lottery ticket. He added, shrewdly as he thought,[Pg 151] "If this ticket draws a prize, I will keep on buying; but if it don't I shall get discouraged and stop."
"I guess that'll fetch 'em," thought Joshua. He folded up the paper, and, inclosing the bill, directed it.
The next thing to do was to mail it.
Now this seemed a very simple thing, but it really occasioned considerable trouble. The postmaster in a small village can generally identify many of the correspondents who send letters through his office by their handwriting. He knew Joshua's, and such a letter as this would attract his attention and set him to gossiping. Considering the circumstances under which he obtained the money, this was hardly desirable, and Joshua therefore decided10, though unwillingly11, on account of the trouble, to walk to the next post-office, a distance of three miles, and post his letter there.
He came downstairs with his letter in his pocket. "Where are you going, Joshua?" asked his mother.
"Going out to walk," said Joshua, shortly.
[Pg 152]
"I wanted to send a little bundle to Mr. Faulkner's, but that is too far off."
"I'll carry it," said Joshua.
Mrs. Drummond was astonished at this unusual spirit of accommodation, for Joshua was, in general, far from obliging. The truth was, however, that, though Mr. Faulkner lived over a mile and a quarter distant, it was on his way to the post-office.
"Thank you, Joshua," said Mrs. Drummond. "I was afraid you wouldn't be willing to go so far."
"I feel just like taking a long walk to-day, mother."
"Here is the bundle. I will bake a little pie for you while you are gone."
So things seemed to be working very smoothly12 for Joshua, and he set out on his three-mile walk in very good spirits. His walk he knew would make him hungry, and the pie which his mother promised him would be very acceptable on his return.
Arrived in front of Mr. Faulkner's, he saw Frank Faulkner, a boy of twelve, playing outside.
"Frank," called out Joshua, "here's a bundle I want you to carry into the house. Tell your folks my mother sent it."
[Pg 153]
"All right," said Frank, and he carried it in.
Joshua proceeded on his way, and finally reached the post-office.
"Give me a three-cent postage-stamp," he said to the postmaster.
This was speedily affixed13 to the letter, and, after resting a short time, he set out on his walk homeward.
Reaching the house of Mr. Faulkner, he was hailed by Frank, who was still playing outside.
"Where have you been, Joshua?"
Joshua was not desirous of having it known where he had been, and he answered, in the surly manner characteristic of him, "What business is that of yours?"
"Where did you learn manners?" asked Frank, who was a sturdy scion14 of Young America, and quite disposed to stand up for his rights.
"Next time you come along this way, you may take in your own bundles," retorted Frank.
[Pg 154]
"If I had a stick, I'd give you something you wouldn't like."
"You'd have to catch me first," said Frank.
Joshua's temper, which was none of the sweetest, was by this time roused, and he started in pursuit of Frank, but the younger boy dodged17 so adroitly18 as to baffle his pursuit. In attempting to catch him, indeed, Joshua stubbed his toe violently against a projecting root, and measured his length by the roadside.
"Who's down, I wonder?" asked Frank, scrambling19 over the fence, where he felt safe.
"I'll wring20 your neck some time, you young imp9!" exclaimed Joshua, gathering21 himself up slowly and painfully, and shaking his fist vindictively22 at Frank.
"I'll wait till you're ready," returned Frank. "I'm in no hurry."
At length Joshua reached home, feeling tired and provoked, but congratulating himself that he had taken the first step towards the grand prize which loomed23 in dazzling prospect24 before his eyes.
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收听单词发音
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1
lottery
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| n.抽彩；碰运气的事，难于算计的事 | |
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2
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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3
compartment
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| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 | |
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4
contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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5
expend
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| vt.花费，消费，消耗 | |
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6
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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7
spool
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| n.（缠录音带等的）卷盘（轴）；v.把…绕在卷轴上 | |
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8
spools
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| n.（绕线、铁线、照相软片等的）管( spool的名词复数 )；络纱；纺纱机；绕圈轴工人v.把…绕到线轴上（或从线轴上绕下来）( spool的第三人称单数 )；假脱机（输出或输入） | |
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9
imp
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| n.顽童 | |
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10
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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11
unwillingly
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| adv.不情愿地 | |
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12
smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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13
affixed
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| adj.[医]附着的，附着的v.附加( affix的过去式和过去分词 )；粘贴；加以；盖（印章） | |
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14
scion
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| n.嫩芽，子孙 | |
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15
impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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16
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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17
dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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18
adroitly
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| adv.熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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19
scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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20
wring
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| n.扭绞；v.拧，绞出，扭 | |
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21
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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22
vindictively
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| adv.恶毒地；报复地 | |
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23
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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24
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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