Conclusion

 Felicie reflected over Harold's dishonest suggestion, and concluded to adopt it. She meant to charge Harold with the second robbery, and to brazen¹ it out if necessary. Accordingly, one day she stole into Mrs. Merton's sitting room, and with the keys supplied by Harold succeeded in opening the drawer. Inside, greatly to her surprise, she saw the identical pocketbook which it had been understood was taken at the time of the first robbery. She was holding it in her hand, when a slight noise led her to look up swiftly.

 

To her dismay she saw the old lady, whom she had supposed out of the house, regarding her sternly.

 

"What does this mean, Felicie?" demanded Mrs. Merton.

 

"I--I found these keys and was trying them to see if any of them had been used at the time your money was stolen."

 

"Do you know who took my money on that occasion?" continued the old lady.

 

"Yes, I do," answered Felicie, swiftly deciding to tell the truth.

 

"Who was it?"

 

"Your nephew Harold," answered Felicie, glibly².

 

"You know this?"

 

"I saw him open the drawer. I was looking through a crack of the door."

 

"And you never told me of this?"

 

"I didn't want to expose him. He begged me not to do so."

 

"That is singular. He warned me yesterday that he suspected you of being the thief, and that he had reason to think you were planning a second robbery."

 

"He did?" said Felicie, with flashing eyes.

 

"Yes; what have you to say to it?"

 

"That he put me up to it, and gave me these keys to help me in doing it. Of course, he expected to share the money."

 

This last statement was untrue, but Felicie was determined³ to be revenged upon her treacherous⁴ ally.

 

"And you accepted?"

 

"Yes," said Felicie, seeing no way of escape. "I am poor, and thought you wouldn't miss the money."

 

"My nephew accused Luke Walton of being the thief."

 

"It is untrue. He wanted to divert suspicion from himself. Besides, he hates Luke."

 

"Do you?"

 

"No; I think him much better than Harold."

 

"So do I. Where did my nephew get his gold watch?"

 

"It was bought with the money he stole from the drawer."

 

"So I supposed. Well, Felicie, you can go, but I think you had better hand me that bunch of keys."

 

"Shall you report me to Mrs. Tracy?"

 

"I have not decided⁵. For the present we will both keep this matter secret."

 

Luke's absence was, of course, noticed by Mrs. Tracy.

 

"Have you discharged Luke Walton?" she asked, hopefully. "I observe he has not come here for the last two or three days."

 

"He has gone out of the city--on business."

 

"I am surprised that you should trust that boy to such an extent."

 

At this moment a telegraph messenger rang the bell, and a telegram was brought up to Mrs. Merton.

 

It ran thus:

 

To MRS. MERTON, ---- Prairie Avenue, Chicago:

 

I have recovered all my mother's money with interest. Mr. Powell is also successful. Will return this evening.

 

LUKE WALTON,

 

 

 

"Read it if you like, Louisa," said the old lady, smiling with satisfaction.

 

"What does it mean?"

 

"That Luke has recovered over ten thousand dollars, of which his mother had been defrauded⁶. It was Warner who put him on the track of the man who wrongfully held the money."

 

"Indeed!" said Mrs. Tracy, spitefully. "Then the least he can do is to return the money he took from you."

 

"He never took any, Louisa."

 

"Who did, then?"

 

"Your son, Harold."

 

"Who has been telling lies about my poor boy?" exclaimed Mrs. Tracy, angrily.

 

"A person who saw him unlocking the drawer."

 

"Has Luke Walton been telling falsehoods about my son?"

 

"No; it was quite another person. I have other proof also, and have known for some time who the real thief was. If Harold claims that I have done him injustice⁷, send him to me."

 

After an interview with Harold, Mrs. Tracy was obliged to believe, much against her will, that he was the guilty one and not the boy she so much detested⁸. This did not prepossess her any more in favor of Luke Walton, whom she regarded as the rival and enemy of her son.

 

It was a joyful⁹ coming home for Luke. He removed at once to a nice neighborhood, and ceased to be a Chicago newsboy. He did not lose the friendship of Mrs. Merton, who is understood to have put him down for a large legacy¹⁰ in her will, and still employs him to transact¹¹ much of her business. Next year she proposes to establish her nephew, Warner Powell, and Luke in a commission business, under the style of

 

POWELL & WALTON

 

she furnishing the capital.

 

The house on Prairie Avenue is closed. Mrs. Tracy is married again, to a man whose intemperate¹² habits promise her little happiness. Harold seems unwilling¹³ to settle down to business, but has developed a taste for dress and the amusements of a young man about town. He thinks he will eventually be provided for by Mrs. Merton, but in this he will be mistaken, as she has decided to leave much the larger part of her wealth to charitable institutions after remembering her nephew, Warner Powell, handsomely.

 

Ambrose Kean never repeated the mistake he had made. Still more, by diligent¹⁴ economy he saved up the sum advanced him by Mrs. Merton, and he offered it to her. She accepted it, but returned it many times over to his mother. Her patronage¹⁵ brought him another advantage; it led his employer to increase his salary, which is now double that which he formerly¹⁶ received.

 

Felicie lost her position, but speedily secured another, where it is to be hoped she will be more circumspect¹⁷ in her conduct.

 

Thomas Browning, after all, lost the nomination¹⁸ which he craved--and much of his wealth is gone. He dabbled¹⁹ in foolish speculation²⁰, and is now comparatively a poor man. Through the agency of Jack²¹ King, the story of his breach²² of trust was whispered about, and the sham²³ philanthropist is better understood and less respected by his fellow-citizens.

 

His nephew, Stephen Webb, has been obliged to buckle²⁴ down to hard work at ten dollars a week, and feels that his path is indeed thorny²⁵.

 

Luke Walton is not puffed²⁶ up by his unexpected and remarkable²⁷ success. He never fails to recognize kindly²⁸, and help, if there is need, the old associates of his humbler days, and never tries to conceal²⁹ the fact that he was once a Chicago newsboy.

1 brazen   

adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的

参考例句：

• The brazen woman laughed loudly at the judge who sentenced her.那无耻的女子冲着给她判刑的法官高声大笑。
• Some people prefer to brazen a thing out rather than admit defeat.有的人不愿承认失败，而是宁肯厚着脸皮干下去。

2 glibly   

adv.流利地，流畅地；满口

参考例句：

• He glibly professed his ignorance of the affair. 他口口声声表白不知道这件事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He put ashes on his head, apologized profusely, but then went glibly about his business. 他表示忏悔，满口道歉，但接着又故态复萌了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 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。

4 treacherous   

adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的

参考例句：

• The surface water made the road treacherous for drivers.路面的积水对驾车者构成危险。
• The frozen snow was treacherous to walk on.在冻雪上行走有潜在危险。

5 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。

6 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

7 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

8 detested   

v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They detested each other on sight. 他们互相看着就不顺眼。
• The freethinker hated the formalist; the lover of liberty detested the disciplinarian. 自由思想者总是不喜欢拘泥形式者，爱好自由者总是憎恶清规戒律者。 来自辞典例句

9 joyful   

adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的

参考例句：

• She was joyful of her good result of the scientific experiments.她为自己的科学实验取得好成果而高兴。
• They were singing and dancing to celebrate this joyful occasion.他们唱着、跳着庆祝这令人欢乐的时刻。

10 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

11 transact   

v.处理；做交易；谈判

参考例句：

• I will transact my business by letter.我会写信去洽谈业务。
• I have been obliged to see him；there was business to transact.我不得不见他，有些事物要处理。

12 intemperate   

adj.无节制的，放纵的

参考例句：

• Many people felt threatened by Arther's forceful,sometimes intemperate style.很多人都觉得阿瑟的强硬的、有时过激的作风咄咄逼人。
• The style was hurried,the tone intemperate.匆促的笔调，放纵的语气。

13 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

14 diligent   

adj.勤勉的，勤奋的

参考例句：

• He is the more diligent of the two boys.他是这两个男孩中较用功的一个。
• She is diligent and keeps herself busy all the time.她真勤快，一会儿也不闲着。

15 patronage   

n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场

参考例句：

• Though it was not yet noon,there was considerable patronage.虽然时间未到中午，店中已有许多顾客惠顾。
• I am sorry to say that my patronage ends with this.很抱歉，我的赞助只能到此为止。

16 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

17 circumspect   

adj.慎重的，谨慎的

参考例句：

• She is very circumspect when dealing with strangers.她与陌生人打交道时十分谨慎。
• He was very circumspect in his financial affairs.他对于自己的财务十分细心。

18 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

19 dabbled   

v.涉猎( dabble的过去式和过去分词 )；涉足；浅尝；少量投资

参考例句：

• He dabbled in business. 他搞过一点生意。 来自辞典例句
• His vesture was dabbled in blood. 他穿的衣服上溅满了鲜血。 来自辞典例句

20 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

21 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

22 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

23 sham   

n./adj.假冒(的)，虚伪(的)

参考例句：

• They cunningly played the game of sham peace.他们狡滑地玩弄假和平的把戏。
• His love was a mere sham.他的爱情是虚假的。

24 buckle   

n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲

参考例句：

• The two ends buckle at the back.带子两端在背后扣起来。
• She found it hard to buckle down.她很难专心做一件事情。

25 thorny   

adj.多刺的，棘手的

参考例句：

• The young captain is pondering over a thorny problem.年轻的上尉正在思考一个棘手的问题。
• The boys argued over the thorny points in the lesson.孩子们辩论功课中的难点。

26 puffed   

adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧

参考例句：

• He lit a cigarette and puffed at it furiously. 他点燃了一支香烟，狂吸了几口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He felt grown-up, puffed up with self-importance. 他觉得长大了，便自以为了不起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

28 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

29 conceal   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽

参考例句：

• He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。
• He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。