About ten minutes before the arrival of the detective Fred woke up. He generally awoke earlier, but his long ride of the day before had fatigued1 him more than usual. It was natural for him to glance over to the opposite bed, occupied by his traveling companion. He was surprised to find it empty.
"He must have got up early," thought Fred. "I wonder if he has gone for good."
This seemed likely, for the stranger's valise had disappeared also.
"I wonder he didn't wake me up and bid me good-by," thought the train boy.
Then a momentary2 suspicion led him to search for the hundred dollars in gold which he had carefully concealed3 in his inside vest pocket. If that were taken, he would be in a quandary4, for there would be little chance of his being able to make up the loss to his friend, the Western miner.
He found, to his relief, that the gold had not been touched, and he reproached himself for the injustice5 he had in his thoughts, done his late room-mate.
"Well," soliloquized Fred, as he lazily got out of bed and drew on his clothes, "I am not sorry to have the room alone. If I could have a friend from home with me I should like it, but I don't care for the company of a stranger."
Fred reflected that he had all the day to himself. He could hear the roar of the famous cataract6, which he had not yet seen on account of his late arrival the night before, and he determined7 to go there immediately after breakfast, or even before breakfast if he found that it was quite near. He went to the window and looked out, but it was not in sight.
"I may as well put on a clean shirt," thought Fred, and he went to the table to open the bundle which he had brought from Jersey8 City. He had just unfastened the string when a quick, imperative9 knock was heard at the door of his room.
"Come in!" said Fred, with some surprise.
He turned his face to the door, and his wonder increased as it opened and he saw the clerk and a stranger standing10 on the threshold. They entered the room and closed the door behind them.
"What is the matter?" asked the train boy. "Has anything happened?"
"When did your room-mate leave?" asked the detective, not answering his question.
"I don't know; I only just woke up."
"Did you rest well?"
"That's a very queer question to ask me," thought Fred. "Yes," he answered, "I rested very well."
The detective and the clerk exchanged glances. This statement did not accord with what Fred's room-mate had said down-stairs.
"The bed was very comfortable," added Fred by way of compliment to the house.
"I am glad you found it so," said the detective dryly.
"Did you come upstairs to ask how I rested?' asked Fred, with a smile.
"You are sharp, my young friend," said the detective, "and I think I may say wonderfully cool under the circumstances."
"Under what circumstances?" asked Fred, his attention drawn11 to the last part of the detective's speech.
"There was a burglary committed yesterday afternoon in Elmira," said the detective, fastening his eyes keenly on the face of the train boy.
"Was there?" asked Fred, not seeing in what way this information was likely to affect him. "I thought most burglaries were committed in the night."
"They are, generally, but this was an exception. There was no one in the house except old Mr. Carver, who is quite hard of hearing. The burglary probably took place about five o'clock, and the burglar is supposed to have taken the 5:51 train from Elmira."
"Why, that is the train I was on," said Fred in surprise.
"By a curious coincidence," said the detective with a queer smile, "it was by your train that the burglar probably traveled."
His tone was so significant that Fred asked quickly, "What do you mean?"
"I mean, my young friend," said the detective, "that you are suspected to know something of this affair."
"If you are a detective," retorted Fred, "I don think much of your sharpness. I have never been in Elmira in my life."
"Probably not," said Ferguson, the detective, with a provoking smile.
"I passed through there yesterday on my way from New York. With that exception, I never saw the place."
"That may be true," said the detective cautiously, "or it may not. I will take the liberty of examining your luggage to see if I can find any of the stolen articles."
"You are welcome to do it," said Fred.
"Bring it out then. Where have you put it--under the bed?"
"All the luggage I have is in this bundle," said the train boy. "You can open that if you think it will do you any good."
"You are sure you have no valise?"
Ferguson, who, like most of his class, was suspicious, peeped under each bed, but found nothing to reward his search. Somewhat disappointed, he went to the table and opened the newspaper bundle. He did so listlessly, not really expecting to find anything, but as he unrolled Fred's shirt there was a triumphant12 look in his eyes when he uncovered the gold watch and chain.
"Just as I thought," he said, with a nod to the clerk.
"It appears to be a watch and chain," answered Ferguson coolly. "Possibly you can tell me how it came there."
"You do not claim it as yours, then?"
"Certainly not. I never saw it before in my life."
"Is this shirt yours?"
"Yes."
"You brought it with you?"
"Yes."
"Let me open the watch. Do you see this inscription16?"
Fred and the clerk approached, and on the inside of the case read the name, "Philo Carver, Elmira, 1865."
"You see? This is one of the articles stolen from Mr. Carver's house yesterday afternoon. It is a little odd that this young man in whose bundle I find it cannot explain its presence."
"You may believe me or not," said Fred desperately17, "but it is true all the same. I know nothing of this watch or chain, and I never saw either before. Can you tell me what other articles were taken by the burglar?"
"Some government bonds, and a small sum of bank bills."
"Then you had better search for them also here: I will help you all I can."
"Well, you are a cool hand."
"No; I am innocent, that is all."
"It is pretty clear you have nothing else with you, or you wouldn't be so willing. However, I consider it my duty to do as you suggest."
He hunted under the mattresses18, and finally examined Fred's pockets. At last he felt in the inside vest pocket and drew out the gold coins.
"Ha, we have something here!" he exclaimed.
"Yes," answered Fred, "but those happen to belong to me."
"Where did you get them?"
"From a friend in New York. He intrusted them to me to use if I needed. Meanwhile I was to put them in the savings19 bank."
"Not a very likely story," said the detective suspiciously.
"Likely or not, it is a true story. Does this man Carver claim to have lost any gold coins?"
"No."
"I thought not."
"However, we come back to the inquiry--where did you get the watch?"
"The man who slept in the room with me must have left it here to throw suspicion on me," said Fred, with sudden inspiration.
"That is possible," said the clerk, who was favorably impressed by Fred's manner.
"We must not jump at conclusions," said the detective warily20. "I shall feel justified21 in detaining the boy after what I have found."
"No; it will answer the purpose if you are locked up in this room--for the present."
"Then," said Fred, turning to the clerk, "I shall be much obliged if you will send me up some breakfast."
"It shall be done."
Within half an hour Fred was discussing a beefsteak and fried potatoes with hearty23 enjoyment24. It takes a good deal to spoil the appetite of a healthy boy of seventeen.
点击收听单词发音
1 fatigued | |
adj. 疲乏的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 momentary | |
adj.片刻的,瞬息的;短暂的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 concealed | |
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 quandary | |
n.困惑,进迟两难之境 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 injustice | |
n.非正义,不公正,不公平,侵犯(别人的)权利 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 cataract | |
n.大瀑布,奔流,洪水,白内障 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 jersey | |
n.运动衫 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 imperative | |
n.命令,需要;规则;祈使语气;adj.强制的;紧急的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 triumphant | |
adj.胜利的,成功的;狂欢的,喜悦的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 gasped | |
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 dire | |
adj.可怕的,悲惨的,阴惨的,极端的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15 amazement | |
n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16 inscription | |
n.(尤指石块上的)刻印文字,铭文,碑文 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17 desperately | |
adv.极度渴望地,绝望地,孤注一掷地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18 mattresses | |
褥垫,床垫( mattress的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19 savings | |
n.存款,储蓄 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20 warily | |
adv.留心地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21 justified | |
a.正当的,有理的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22 nervously | |
adv.神情激动地,不安地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
23 hearty | |
adj.热情友好的;衷心的;尽情的,纵情的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
24 enjoyment | |
n.乐趣;享有;享用 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |