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Mr. Carter1 spoke2, “I think your grandfather will be glad to help. I can go to Greenfield and tell him the whole story.”
He looked at his watch and got up quickly. “Good-by, children, and the best of luck.”
In one minute he was gone.
Benny said, “Mystery men work fast, don’t they?”
“There’s just one thing wrong,” Henry said. “Aunt Jane didn’t want Grandfather to come to her ranch3. Maybe she will be angry if he comes to help us.”
“Well, maybe she will be good and glad!” said Mr. Pond, laughing. “She ought to be thankful if he will come. She won’t like it when people begin to go across her land.”
The children were quiet all the way home. They were wondering how to tell Aunt Jane.
“Let’s not worry,” said Violet4 at last. “Things always work out all right for us.”
But even Violet was in for a surprise.
Watch met them at the door, barking and wagging5 his tail. Maggie was smiling in the kitchen. Aunt Jane was laughing at them from the front room! She was sitting in her long chair, all dressed. The children had never seen her in a dress before.
“Dear Aunt Jane!” cried Violet. “You are up and dressed! I was never so glad in my life.” She bent6 over and kissed the little old lady.
Aunt Jane was surprised at the kiss. But she was very pleased.
“I will bring the kitchen table in here,” said Henry.
“Why not eat on the table that is in here?”
“But that is your very best table,” said Jessie.
“It is your table, remember,” said Aunt Jane. “I’d like to eat on it, if you want to use it.”
A happy family sat down to supper that night.
“Now, tell me everything that happened in Stony7 Creek,” said Aunt Jane.
The children took turns. They told her everything. They told her what a fine man the Mystery Man was. They passed quickly over the three tough men, because they did not want to frighten her.
“They caught them anyway,” said Benny, “So no more trouble from them.”
At last, everything had been told except one thing—Grandfather.
“About these strangers,” said Benny. “Mr. Carter says this place won’t be quiet any more. Everyone will come to see the uranium. And maybe some will take away rocks.”
Aunt Jane nodded. “What does he think we ought to do?”
“He says we can’t take care of it ourselves,” began Henry. “We must have help from some man who can do things in a big way and who has money to have a mine dug8.”
Aunt Jane said slowly, “I know one man who can do it. My brother, James.”
For a minute the children could not speak. Then Jessie cried, “Oh, he could, Aunt Jane!”
“And now I wonder if he would,” said Aunt Jane, “after the way I’ve treated him.”
“I’m sure he would,” said Jessie excitedly.
“Well, I hope so,” said her aunt. “I could never stand hundreds of people running all over my ranch—your ranch. I’ll send your grandfather a night letter.”
“If you will write a night letter,” said Henry, “I’ll take it to Tom Young’s house and have him send it tonight.”
“You care a lot for your grandfather, don’t you?” asked the old lady, with a sharp look.
“And we care a lot for you, too,” said Henry.
“Get me some paper at once, Henry,” said Aunt Jane, “before I change my mind.”
The children were very quiet while their aunt wrote the night letter. They were afraid every minute that she would change her mind.
“Listen to this,” she said at last. “‘Will you take over all business of the uranium fields, now owned by your grandchildren9? For once I am glad to have you for a boss. The children and Watch send love. Jane.’”
“Perfect!” said Henry.
Next morning, right after breakfast, a telegram10 came for Aunt Jane.
She read it aloud, “‘I shall be glad to take over this business. You do not have to see me. Decide how much land you want to keep for yourself and we will build a fence11 around it. I will send a guard for the house. James Alden.’”
“A guard for this house!” cried Benny. “Isn’t this exciting!”
Jessie called, “Look! Here’s a car already!”
The car was full of telephone men. One of them asked Aunt Jane very politely where she wanted the telephones.
“Telephones?” asked Benny. “Are you going to put in two?”
“We have to put in four,” he said. “I guess you folks12 don’t know what you are in for.”
“No, I guess we don’t,” said Henry. “I think I had better go to town and telephone Grandfather now. I may not have a chance later.”
Henry left with Watch.
How wonderful it was to talk with Grandfather!
“Now, listen carefully,” Mr. Alden said, “Your aunt’s ranch must always be kept a pleasant place for her to live. So, when you have time, let her decide where the fence should go. Then she could always do anything she wanted with the ranch itself. Do you understand?”
“I think so. You mean we still might want to run the ranch?”
“Exactly.”
Henry noticed that his grandfather still called the ranch “hers.” He also knew that he must get right at the fence. When his grandfather said, “When you have time,” he meant right away.
Henry went back to the ranch and told his aunt what Mr. Alden had said.
“Grandfather wants us to decide where that fence shall go.”
“I know already,” said the little lady. “Here is a plan of the ranch. I have marked where I want the fence to go.”
Aunt Jane listened. “Here comes another car,” she said.
“Poor Aunt Jane!” said Jessie. “You’ll never get any rest.”
“That’s Grandfather for you,” said Benny.
The men were sent by Mr. Alden to put up the fence. Henry was glad that his aunt had the plan ready in time.
Jessie asked, “Do you want Henry to carry you to bed, Aunt Jane?”
“No. I want him to help me to the kitchen window, so I can see the cars drive up. I want to see everything.”
Henry took her to a big easy chair by the kitchen window.
“Doesn’t Grandfather work fast?” asked Jessie.
“He always did,” said her aunt. “Once he worked too fast for me. But not now. Here comes another car!”
“I just can’t believe it,” said Violet, “we’ll never get any work done.”
Benny came in to tell the news. His face was red with excitement.
“The guards are here!” he shouted. “They will stop people from knocking on our door all the time and asking us about the uranium. They say we will get tired of it. But I wouldn’t, would you, Aunt Jane?”
“I’m not tired of it yet,” said Aunt Jane.
收听单词发音 |
1
carter
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| n.运货马车夫，赶大车的人；卡车司机 | |
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2
spoke
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| 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 | |
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3
ranch
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| n.大牧场，大农场 | |
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4
violet
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| adj.紫色的；n.紫罗兰 | |
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5
wagging
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| adj.（左右）摆动，摇摆，摇动v.（使）摇动，摇摆( wag的现在分词 ) | |
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6
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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7
stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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8
dug
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| n.动物的乳房[乳头]v.挖，掘( dig的过去式和过去分词 )；（如用铲、锨或推土机等）挖掘；挖得；寻找 | |
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9
grandchildren
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| n.孙子；孙（女），外孙（女）( grandchild的名词复数 ) | |
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10
telegram
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| n.电报；vt.用电报发送(打电报) | |
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11
fence
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| n.围墙，剑术；v.用篱笆围住，练习剑术，防护；[计算机]栅栏 | |
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12
folks
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| n.人们；父母；亲人；家属；人们( folk的名词复数 )；亲属；大伙儿；民间音乐 | |
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