“I must strike out for some new place,” he told himself, and reached Middletown on a Wednesday afternoon, and put up at a hotel on one of the side streets.
Middletown is a place of about twenty thousand inhabitants, and the young book agent soon took several orders which were very encouraging.
One evening he was at the depot2, inquiring about trains to Goshen, when a train from Port Jervis rolled in. A number of passengers alighted and got on, and he watched the scene, which was an animated3 one.
Many of the windows of the cars were open, and as the train moved away from the station he looked at the people sitting in the seats. In the smoker4 was a man whom he recognized.
“Gabe Flecker!” he murmured, and looked again to make certain that he was not mistaken. “It is that rascal5, I am sure! I ought to stop him!”
Frank did not know what to do, and before he could make up his mind the train was out of sight, on its way to New York. Our hero scratched his head in perplexity.
“If it was really Gabe Flecker I ought to have him arrested. But if I telegraph ahead and it is all a mistake what will I do then?” And as he could not answer the latter question, he determined6 to do nothing.
In the meantime, totally unconscious of the fact that he had been recognized, Gabe Flecker sat back in his seat enjoying an Havana cigar. As the reader already knows he was one of that large class of men, who, having no ostensible7 means of support, are compelled to live “by their wits.”
Funds were growing low with Gabe Flecker. The money he had raised upon Sinclair Basswood’s autograph was practically gone and so far no new scheme for raising more had materialized.
He had spent all of the funds in “having a good time,” as he called it. Board bills remained unpaid8, and why will be told in the pages to follow.
He was now stopping at a very fine private boarding house in Goshen, kept by a Mrs. Larkspur. He had come there with two trunks, which he had picked up at a bargain sale, and which contained only a few suits of old clothing of little or no value.
“I wish the best room in the house,” he had said, on introducing himself, and Mrs. Larkspur, impressed by his manner, had allowed him to have the second floor front, with board, at ten dollars per week. Gabe Flecker had now occupied the room for two weeks. As he had not yet given the landlady9 a cent of money she was beginning to grow anxious.
He had had several things sent to the house, for which she had paid, so he really owed her twenty-four dollars all told.
“I will present him with the bill to-night,” Mrs. Larkspur told herself, and wrote out the bill in due form.
“Good-evening, Mrs. Larkspur, a beautiful evening,” said Gabe Flecker, as he came into the house in the brisk fashion he could assume when necessary.
“Yes, it is a fine evening, Mr. Flecker,” answered the landlady.
“Never saw a finer day in my life. I hope you haven’t kept the table waiting for me?”
“Yes, all of the others have finished eating.”
“Too bad! Really, I’ll have to be more prompt in the future.”
“Oh, I don’t mind a little delay.”
“It isn’t fair on such a hard-working woman as yourself, Mrs. Larkspur. But, to tell the truth, I could not help it. I had to close up a land deal this afternoon, or else lose a commission amounting to three hundred and twenty-five dollars.” Gabe Flecker now pretended to be a real-estate agent, although he had never handled a foot of land in his life.
Mrs. Larkspur was impressed, and as Gabe Flecker seemed to be tired out she resolved to let the matter of his board bill rest until morning.
“I mustn’t let him know I am too anxious for my money,” she reasoned. “If I do that, he may go elsewhere. Perhaps he’ll pay up of his own accord when he gets that commission he mentioned.”
Bright and early on the following morning Frank went to Goshen to see if he could take orders for any books in that thriving town. He visited several stores and then came to the corner upon which Mrs. Larkspur’s boarding house was located.
“Perhaps I can sell a set of famous novels in there,” he thought, and ascending10 the stone steps, rang the bell.
“What is it?” asked a new servant girl, who came to the door.
“Is Mrs. Larkspur in?” he asked, having seen the name on the door plate.
“Yes, sir. Please step in the reception room and I’ll call her,” answered the girl.
Frank entered the room indicated and sat down. In the meantime the girl, thinking Mrs. Larkspur had gone to the kitchen, hurried off in that direction.
Now, as it happened, the landlady had caught Gabe Flecker in the hallway a moment before, on his way out. She had presented her bill and intimated pretty strongly that she would like to have it paid without delay.
“Very well, I’ll pay it, madam,” said the swindler. “I will go upstairs and get the money. Wait a moment till I bring it down, if you please.”
“Certainly, sir,” said Mrs. Larkspur, much pleased with her boarder’s readiness, and she waited in the parlor11 for him to come down again.
A few minutes later Gabe Flecker came rushing down into the parlor with an excited manner and a flushed face.
“Goodness, Mr. Gibson, what is the matter?” questioned the alarmed landlady. To her he had introduced himself as Ralph Gibson, from Rochester.
“Matter? Matter enough, madam! I had laid aside fifty dollars in one of my trunks only yesterday, and to-day it is gone—every dollar of it is gone!”
“Is it possible!” ejaculated Mrs. Larkspur, in dismay.
“Yes, madam, and what makes matters worse, there can be no doubt but what the money was stolen!”
“Stolen—in my house! Oh, Mr. Gibson, don’t say that!”
“But I do say it!” came loftily from Gabe Flecker. “Would you like to know what proof I have?”
“Yes,” was the apprehensive12 answer.
“Here, madam, here. Do you see that?”
Gabe Flecker exhibited a small key attached to a piece of black tape.
“That, madam, I found on the carpet, just in front of my trunk. It is undoubtedly13 the instrument with which the thief unlocked my trunk. In his, or her, haste to retire with the spoils, it was, I presume, accidentally dropped.”
“I hope, Mr. Gibson, you don’t—don’t suspect that anybody living in my house is a—a—thief?”
“Madam,” was the emphatic14 reply, “I do. Why not? The money has been stolen. Here is this key. It is very plain, to me.”
“This is dreadful, Mr. Gibson! I cannot believe it!”
“Why, don’t you believe that I lost the money?” demanded the sharper.
“I don’t mean that. I mean I cannot believe that anybody in my house would be a thief.”
“Humph!”
“If this—this gets out in public it will ruin me!” moaned the landlady, who had never had anything go wrong before.
“That is not my affair, Mrs. Larkspur. Still,” Gabe Flecker’s voice took on a softer tone. “I do not wish to make trouble for you, madam.” He paused as if deliberating. “Receipt my bill and give me ten dollars, and I’ll say nothing about it.”
“But I shall say a good deal about it, Mr. Flecker,” came a voice from the doorway16, and Frank stepped into the room. From the reception room he had overheard every word that had been said.
“Yes. And you are caught in the act this time, Mr. Flecker.”
“It means that this man is a swindler, madam,” answered Frank.
“A swindler!”
“It is false!” cried Gabe Flecker. “I am an honest man, and my name is Ralph Gibson. This fellow, whoever he may be, is entirely19 mistaken.”
“Where did you come from?” asked Mrs. Larkspur of Frank.
“I came here to try to sell some books, and the girl told me to wait in the reception room. While waiting, I heard what passed between you and this rascal. I’ve met this man before, and I know all about him. He is a swindler and I can prove it.”
“Then you—you don’t think he lost that money he mentioned?”
“Not a dollar of it.”
“It is true,” howled Gabe Flecker, but at the same time he looked for some means of escaping from the room.
“The first time I met him, he swindled a lady named Mrs. Farley out of a night’s lodging20. He told her he had lost ten dollars which he had placed on the mantelpiece.”
“It’s false,” stormed Gabe Flecker, but looked much disconcerted.
“The next time I ran across him he had obtained the autograph of an ex-mayor named Sinclair Basswood. He told Mr. Basswood he wanted the autograph to place in a valuable collection, but instead he turned the autograph into the signature on a check for sixty-five dollars. Mr. Basswood offered fifty dollars reward for the capture of the rascal. I’m going to win that reward if I can.”
“Are you?” sneered21 Gabe Flecker. “Not much!” And leaping at Frank he hurled22 him aside and ran for the front door.
For the moment, our hero was taken off his guard, while Mrs. Larkspur let out a loud scream which brought all the servants in the house to the scene.
But Frank was quick to recover, and picking up a sea shell which lay handy, he hurled it at Gabe Flecker’s head. His aim was true, and the swindler was caught in the ear, and let out a cry of pain. Before he could unfasten the front door Frank had him by the arm.
“Stop, or it will be the worse for you, Gabe Flecker,” he said, earnestly, and raised his fist to strike.
By this time a man who had come to the back door to sell vegetables appeared, followed by two girls. The man caught Flecker by the other arm.
“Let go of me!” cried the swindler. “I tell you it is all a mistake. If you have me arrested I’ll prove that I am innocent, and have you locked up for false imprisonment23.”
“Mrs. Larkspur, have you a telephone in the house?” asked Frank.
“Yes.”
“Yes, madam.”
“Then I’ll send in the call,” said the landlady, and did so at once.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
canvassed
|
|
| v.（在政治方面）游说( canvass的过去式和过去分词 )；调查（如选举前选民的）意见；为讨论而提出（意见等）；详细检查 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
depot
|
|
| n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
animated
|
|
| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
smoker
|
|
| n.吸烟者，吸烟车厢，吸烟室 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
rascal
|
|
| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
determined
|
|
| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
ostensible
|
|
| adj.(指理由)表面的，假装的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
unpaid
|
|
| adj.未付款的，无报酬的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
landlady
|
|
| n.女房东，女地主 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
ascending
|
|
| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
parlor
|
|
| n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
apprehensive
|
|
| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
undoubtedly
|
|
| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
emphatic
|
|
| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
wrung
|
|
| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
doorway
|
|
| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
stammered
|
|
| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
faltered
|
|
| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
entirely
|
|
| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
lodging
|
|
| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
sneered
|
|
| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
hurled
|
|
| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
imprisonment
|
|
| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
kindly
|
|
| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |