Chapter 8 A Marked Man

 At last, so Luke verily believed, he stood face to face with the man who had deceived his dying father, and defrauded¹ his mother and himself of a sum which would wholly change their positions and prospects². But he wanted to know positively³, and he could not think of a way to acquire this knowledge.

 

Meanwhile the gentleman noticed the boy's scrutiny⁴, and it did not please him.

 

"Well, boy!" he said gruffly, "you seem determined⁵ to know me again. You stare hard enough. Let me tell you this is not good manners."

 

"Excuse me," said Luke, "but your face looked familiar to me. I thought I had seen you before."

 

"Very likely you have. I come to Chicago frequently, and generally stop at the Sherman House."

 

"Probably that explains it," said Luke. "Are you not Mr. Thomas, of St. Louis?"

 

The gentleman laughed.

 

"You will have to try again," he said. "I am Mr. Browning, of Milwaukee. Thomas is my first name."

 

"Browning!" thought Luke, disappointed. "Evidently I am on the wrong track. And yet he answers father's description exactly."

 

"I don't know anyone in Milwaukee," he said aloud.

 

"Then it appears we can't claim acquaintance."

 

The gentleman took his paper and turned down Randolph Street toward State.

 

"Strange!" he soliloquized, "that boy's interest in my personal appearance. I wonder if there can be a St. Louis man who resembles me. If so, he can't be a very good-looking man. This miserable⁶ wart⁷ ought to be enough to distinguish me from anyone else."

 

He paused a minute, and then a new thought came into his mind.

 

"There is something familiar in that boy's face. I wonder who he can be. I will buy my evening papers of him, and take that opportunity to inquire."

 

Meanwhile Luke, to satisfy a doubt in his mind, entered the hotel, and, going up to the office, looked over the list of arrivals. He had to turn back a couple of pages and found this entry:

 

"THOMAS BROWNING, Milwaukee."

 

"His name is Browning, and he does come from Milwaukee," he said to himself. "I thought, perhaps, he might have given me a false name, though he could have no reason for doing so."

 

Luke felt that he must look farther for the man who had betrayed his father's confidence.

 

"I didn't think there could be two men of such a peculiar⁸ appearance," he reflected. "Surely there can't be three. If I meet another who answers the description I shall be convinced that he is the man I am after."

 

In the afternoon the same man approached Luke, as he stood on his accustomed corner.

 

"You may give me the _Mail_ and _Journal_," he said.

 

"Yes, sir; here they are. Three cents."

 

"I believe you are the boy who recognized me, or thought you did, this morning."

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"If you ever run across this Mr. Thomas, of St. Louis, present him my compliments, will you?"

 

"Yes, sir," answered Luke, with a smile.

 

"By the way, what is your name?"

 

"Luke Walton."

 

The gentleman started.

 

"Luke Walton!" he repeated, slowly, eying the newsboy with a still closer scrutiny.

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"It's a new name to me. Can't your father find a better business for you than selling papers?"

 

"My father is dead, sir."

 

"Dead!" repeated Browning, slowly. "That is un fortunate for you. How long has he been dead?"

 

"About two years."

 

"What did he die of?"

 

"I don't know, sir, exactly. He died away from home--in California."

 

There was a strange look, difficult to read, on the gentleman's face.

 

"That is a long way off," he said. "I have always thought I should like to visit California. When my business will permit I will take a trip out that way."

 

Here was another difference between Mr. Browning and the man of whom Luke's father had written. The stranger had never been in California.

 

Browning handed Luke a silver quarter in payment for the papers.

 

"Never mind about the change," he said, with a wave of his hand.

 

"Thank you, sir. You are very kind."

 

"This must be the son of my old California friend," Browning said to himself. "Can he have heard of the money intrusted to me? I don't think it possible, for I left Walton on the verge⁹ of death. That money has made my fortune. I invested it in land which has more than quadrupled in value. Old women say that honesty pays," he added, with a sneer¹⁰; "but it is nonsense. In this case dishonesty has paid me richly. If the boy has heard anything, it is lucky that I changed my name to Browning out of deference¹¹ to my wife's aunt, in return for a beggarly three thousand dollars. I have made it up to ten thousand dollars by judicious¹² investment. My young newsboy acquaintance will find it hard to identify me with the Thomas Butler who took charge of his father's money."

 

If Browning had been possessed¹³ of a conscience it might have troubled him when he was brought face to face with one of the sufferers from his crime; but he was a hard, selfish man, to whom his own interests were of supreme¹⁴ importance.

 

But something happened within an hour which gave him a feeling of anxiety.

 

He was just coming out of the Chicago post-office, at the corner of Adams and Clark Streets, when a hand was laid upon his shoulder.

 

"How are you, Butler?" said a tall man, wearing a Mexican sombrero. "I haven't set eyes upon you since we were together at Gold Gulch¹⁵, in California."

 

Browning looked about him apprehensively¹⁶. Fortunately he was some distance from the corner where Luke Walton was selling papers.

 

"I am well, thank you," he said.

 

"Are you living in Chicago?"

 

"No; I live in Wisconsin."

 

"Have you seen anything of the man you used to be with so much--Walton?"

 

"No; he died."

 

"Did he, indeed? Well, I am sorry to hear that. He was a good fellow. Did he leave anything?"

 

"I am afraid not."

 

"I thought he struck it rich."

 

"So he did; but he lost all he made."

 

"How was that?"

 

"Poor investments, I fancy."

 

"I remember he told me one day that he had scraped together seven or eight thousand dollars."

 

Browning shrugged¹⁷ his shoulders. "I think that was a mistake," he said. "Walton liked to put his best foot foremost."

 

"You think, then, he misrepresented?"

 

"I think he would have found it hard to find the sum you mention."

 

"You surprise me, Butler. I always looked upon Walton as a singularly reliable man."

 

"So he was--in most things. But let me correct you on one point. You call me Butler?"

 

"Isn't that your name?"

 

"It was, but I had a reason--a good, substantial, pecuniary¹⁸ reason--for changing it. I am now Thomas Browning."

 

"Say you so? Are you engaged this evening?"

 

"Yes, unfortunately."

 

"I was about to invite you to some theater."

 

"Another time--thanks."

 

"I must steer¹⁹ clear of that man," thought Browning. "I won't meet him again, if I can help it." 

1 defrauded   

v.诈取，骗取( defraud的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He defrauded his employers of thousands of dollars. 他诈取了他的雇主一大笔钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He defrauded them of their money. 他骗走了他们的钱。 来自辞典例句

2 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

3 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

4 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

5 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。

6 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

7 wart   

n.疣，肉赘；瑕疵

参考例句：

• What does the medicaments with remedial acuteness wet best wart have?治疗尖锐湿疣最好的药物有什么？
• Flat wart is generally superficial,or sometimes a slight itching.扁平疣一般是不痛不痒的，或偶有轻微痒感。

8 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

9 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

10 sneer   

v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语

参考例句：

• He said with a sneer.他的话中带有嘲笑之意。
• You may sneer,but a lot of people like this kind of music.你可以嗤之以鼻，但很多人喜欢这种音乐。

11 deference   

n.尊重，顺从；敬意

参考例句：

• Do you treat your parents and teachers with deference?你对父母师长尊敬吗？
• The major defect of their work was deference to authority.他们的主要缺陷是趋从权威。

12 judicious   

adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的

参考例句：

• We should listen to the judicious opinion of that old man.我们应该听取那位老人明智的意见。
• A judicious parent encourages his children to make their own decisions.贤明的父亲鼓励儿女自作抉择。

13 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。

14 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

15 gulch   

n.深谷，峡谷

参考例句：

• The trail ducks into a narrow gulch.这条羊肠小道突然下到一个狭窄的峡谷里。
• This is a picture of California Gulch.这是加利福尼亚峡谷的图片。

16 apprehensively   

adv.担心地

参考例句：

• He glanced a trifle apprehensively towards the crowded ballroom. 他敏捷地朝挤满了人的舞厅瞟了一眼。 来自辞典例句
• Then it passed, leaving everything in a state of suspense, even the willow branches waiting apprehensively. 一阵这样的风过去，一切都不知怎好似的，连柳树都惊疑不定的等着点什么。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

17 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》

18 pecuniary   

adj.金钱的；金钱上的

参考例句：

• She denies obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception.她否认通过欺骗手段获得经济利益。
• She is so independent that she refused all pecuniary aid.她很独立，所以拒绝一切金钱上的资助。

19 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。