CHAPTER XXXVI. CLOSE OF THE CIRCUS.

 Days and weeks flew swiftly by. September gave place to October, and the circus season neared its close. Already the performers were casting about for employment during the long, dull winter that must elapse before the next season.

 

"What are your plans, Kit¹?" asked Antonio Vincenti, who in private called his young associate by his real name.

 

"I don't know yet, Antonio. I may go to school."

 

"Have you saved money enough to keep you through the winter?"

 

"Yes; I have four hundred dollars in the wagon²."

 

This is the expression made use of to indicate "in the hands of the treasurer³."

 

"You've done better than my brother or I. We must work during the winter."

 

"Have you any chance yet?"

 

"Yes; we can go to work in a dime⁴ museum in Philadelphia for a month, and afterwards we will go[Pg 180] to Chicago, where we were last winter. I could get a chance for you, too."

 

"Thank you, but I don't care to work in that way at present. If I went anywhere I would go to Havana, where I am offered a profitable engagement."

 

"Has Mr. Barlow said anything to you about next season?"

 

"Yes; but I shall make no engagement in advance. Something may happen which will keep me at home."

 

"Oh, you'll be coming round in the spring. You'll have the circus fever like all the rest of us."

 

Kit smiled and shook his head.

 

"I haven't been in the business long enough to get so much attached to it as you are," he said. "But at any rate, I shall come round to see my old friends."

 

The last circus performance was given in Albany, and the winter quarters were to be at a town twenty miles distant. Kit went through his acts with his usual success, and when he took off his circus costume, it was with a feeling that it might be the last time he would wear it.

 

The breaking up was not to take place till the next day, and he was preparing to spend the night in some Albany hotel.

 

He had taken off his tights, as has been said, and put on his street dress, when a tall man, with a frank, good humored expression, stepped up to him.

 

"Are you Christopher Watson?" he asked.

 

"Yes," answered Kit, in surprise, for he had no recollection of having met the stranger before.

 

"Of course you don't know me, but I was a school-fellow and intimate friend of your father."

 

"Then," said Kit, cordially, "I must take you by the hand. All my father's friends are my friends."

 

The face of the stranger lighted up.[Pg 181]

 

"That's the way to talk," he said. "I see you are like your father. Shake hands again."

 

"But how did you know I was with Barlow's circus?" asked Kit, puzzled.

 

"Your uncle told me."

 

"Have you seen him lately?" asked Kit, quickly.

 

"No; I saw him about three months ago at Smyrna."

 

"What did he tell you about me?"

 

"He said you were a wayward lad, and preferred traveling with a circus to following an honest business."

 

"I am afraid you have got a wrong idea of me, then."

 

"Bless you, I knew your uncle before you were born. He is not at all like your father. One was as open as the day, the other was cunning, selfish, and foxy."

 

"I see you understand my Uncle Stephen as well as I do."

 

"I ought to."

 

"Were you surprised to hear that I was traveling with a circus?"

 

"Well, I was; but your uncle told me one thing that surprised me more. He said that your father left nothing."

 

"That surprised me, too; but I have got some light on the subject and I feel in need of a friend and adviser⁵."

 

"Then if you'll take Henry Miller⁶ for want of a better, I don't believe you'll regret it."

 

"I shall be glad to accept your kind offer, Mr. Miller. Now that you mention your name, I remember it very well. My father often spoke⁷ of you."

 

"Did he so?" said the stranger, evidently much[Pg 182] gratified. "I am glad to hear it. Of all my school companions, your father was the one I liked best. And now, before we go any further, I want to tell you two things. First, I should have hunted you up sooner, but business called me to California, where I have considerable property. Next, having learned that you were left destitute⁸, I decided⁹ to do something for the son of my old friend. So I took a hundred shares of stock in a new mine, which had just been put on the market when I reached 'Frisco, and I said to myself: 'That is for Kit Watson.' Well, it was a lucky investment. The shares cost me five dollars apiece, and just before I left California I sold them for fifty dollars apiece. What do you say to that?"

 

"Is it possible mining shares rise in value so fast?" asked Kit in amazement¹⁰.

 

"Well, sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't. Often it's the other way, and I don't advise you or anybody else that knows nothing about it to speculate in mining shares. It is a risky¹¹ thing, and you are more apt to lose than to win. However, this turned out O. K., and you are worth five thousand dollars to-day, my boy."

 

"I don't know how to thank you, Mr. Miller," said Kit. "I can't seem to realize it."

 

"You needn't thank me at all. I did it for your father's sake, but now that I know you I am glad to do it for your own. When we get to New York I advise you to salt it down in government bonds, or in some other good reliable stock."

 

"I shall be glad to follow your advice, Mr. Miller."

 

"Then I'll invest all but five hundred dollars, for you may want to use that. What sort of a season have you had?"[Pg 183]

 

"I've saved up four hundred dollars," said Kit proudly.

 

"You don't say so! You must have got pretty good pay."

 

"Twenty-five dollars a week."

 

"Your uncle said you probably got two or three dollars a week."

 

"He probably thought so. He has no idea I have been so well paid. I chose to keep it from him."

 

"You said you wanted to ask my advice about something."

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"Why not come round to the Delavan and take a room? I am staying there, and I will tell the clerk to pick you out a room next to mine."

 

"I will do so. I intended to stay at some hotel to night. This is the last night of the circus. To-morrow we close up, and separate. I shall draw my money and bid good-by to my circus friends."

 

"I am glad of that. We will keep together. I have neither chick nor child, Kit, and if you'll accept me as your guardian¹² I'll do the best I can for you. But perhaps you prefer to go back to your uncle."

 

Kit shook his head.

 

"I should never do that," he said, "especially after what I have learned during my trip."

 

"Let it keep till to-morrow, for we are both tired. Now get ready and we'll go to the Delavan."

 

Kit was assigned a nice room next to Mr. Miller, where he passed a comfortable night.

 

The next day he revealed to his new friend the discoveries he had made in his uncle's old home in Pennsylvania—his uncle's poverty up to the time of his brother's death, and the evident falseness of his claim[Pg 184] to have lent him large sums of money, in payment of which he had coolly appropriated his entire estate.

 

His late friend listened to this story in amazement.

 

"I knew Stephen Watson to be unprincipled," he said, "but I didn't think him as bad as that. He has swindled you shamefully¹³."

 

"Just my idea, Mr. Miller."

 

"While he has carefully feathered his own nest. This wrong must be righted."

 

"It was my intention to find some good lawyer, and ask his advice."

 

"We'll do it, Kit. But, first of all, I'll go with you to this town in Pennsylvania, and obtain the necessary testimony¹⁴ sworn to before a justice. Then we'll find a good lawyer, and move on the enemy's works."

 

"I will be guided by your advice entirely¹⁵, Mr. Miller."

 

"It will be a satisfaction to me to get even with your uncle. To swindle his own nephew in this barefaced¹⁶ manner! We'll bring him up with a short turn, Kit!"

 

The next day Kit and his new friend left Albany.

1 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

2 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

3 treasurer   

n.司库，财务主管

参考例句：

• Mr. Smith was succeeded by Mrs.Jones as treasurer.琼斯夫人继史密斯先生任会计。
• The treasurer was arrested for trying to manipulate the company's financial records.财务主管由于试图窜改公司财政帐目而被拘留。

4 dime   

n.（指美国、加拿大的钱币）一角

参考例句：

• A dime is a tenth of a dollar.一角银币是十分之一美元。
• The liberty torch is on the back of the dime.自由火炬在一角硬币的反面。

5 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

6 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 destitute   

adj.缺乏的；穷困的

参考例句：

• They were destitute of necessaries of life.他们缺少生活必需品。
• They are destitute of common sense.他们缺乏常识。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

11 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

12 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

13 shamefully   

可耻地； 丢脸地； 不体面地； 羞耻地

参考例句：

• He misused his dog shamefully. 他可耻地虐待自己的狗。
• They have served me shamefully for a long time. 长期以来，他们待我很坏。

14 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

15 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

16 barefaced   

adj.厚颜无耻的，公然的

参考例句：

• It's barefaced robbery asking such a high price for that old bicycle!那辆旧自行车要价如此之高真是无耻的敲诈。
• What barefaced cheek!真是厚颜无耻！