At the end of a year the situation of Mr. Ralph Spencer was this， he had won the respect of the community， his shoestore was flourishing， and he and Annabel were engaged to be married in two weeks. Mr. Adams， the typical， ploddingplodding adj.沉重缓慢的， 单调乏味的， country banker， approved of Spencer. Annabels pride in him almost equalled her affection. He was as much at home in the family of Mr. Adams and that of Annabels married sister as if he were already a member.
一年后，拉尔夫·斯潘塞先生的情况是这样的，他赢得了当地人士的尊敬，他的鞋店很发达，他和安娜贝尔已经决定在两星期后结婚。亚当斯先生是个典型的，勤恳的乡间银行家，他很器重斯潘塞。安娜贝尔非但爱他，并且为他骄傲。他在亚当斯家和安娜贝尔的已经出嫁的姐姐家里都很受欢迎，仿佛他已是他们家的成员了。
One day Jimmy sat down in his room and wrote this letter， which he mailed to the safe address of one of his old friends in St. Louis：
一天，吉米在他的房间里写下了如下的一封信，寄往他在圣路易斯的一个老朋友的可靠的地址：
Dear Old Pal：
I want you to be at Sullivans place， in Little Rock， next Wednesday night， at nine oclock. I want you to wind up some little matters for me. And， also， I want to make you a present of my kit of tools. I know youll be glad to get them—you couldnt duplicateduplicate adj.复制的， 副的， 两重的， 两倍的， 完全相同n.复制品， 副本 vt.复写， 复制， 使加倍， 使成双 the lot for a thousand dollars. Say， Billy， Ive quit the old business—a year ago. Ive got a nice store. Im making an honest living， and Im going to marry the finest girl on earth two weeks from now. Its the only life， Billy—the straight one. I wouldnt touch a dollar of another mans money now for a million. After I get married Im going to sell out and go West， where there wont be so much danger of having old scores brought up against me. I tell you， Billy， shes an angel. She believes in me， and I wouldnt do another crooked thing for the whole world. Be sure to be at Sullys， for I must see you. Ill bring along the tools with me.
Your old friend，
Jimmy.
亲爱的老朋友：
我希望你在下星期三晚上九点钟到小石城沙利文那里去。我想请你帮我料理一些小事。同时我想把我的那套工具送给你。我知道你一定乐于接受的——复制一套的话，花一千元都不够。喂，比利，我已经不干那一行啦——一年前歇手的。我开了一家很好的店铺。如今我老老实实地过活，比利——正直的生活。现在即使给我一百万，我也不会去碰人家的一块钱了。结婚后，我打算把我的铺子盘掉，到西部去，那里被翻旧账的危险比较少，我告诉你，比利，她简直是个天使。她相信我，我怎么也不会再干不光明的事了，千万到沙利文那里去，我非见你不可。工具我随身带去。
你的老朋友
吉米
On the Monday night after Jimmy wrote this letter， Ben Price jogged unobtrusively into Elmore in a livery buggybuggy adj.多虫的， 臭虫成灾的， <俚>神经病的 n.<美>童车， <俚>尤指旧汽车， 双轮单座的轻马车. He lounged about town in his quiet way until he found out what he wanted to know. From the drugstore across the street from Spencers shoestore he got a good look at Ralph D. Spencer.
吉米发出这封信之后的星期一晚上，本·普赖斯乘了一辆租来的马车悄悄地到了艾尔摩尔。他不声不响地在镇上闲逛，终于打听到他要知道的事情。他在斯潘塞鞋店对面的药房里看清了拉尔夫·迪·斯潘塞。
“Going to marry the bankers daughter are you， Jimmy？” said Ben to himself， softly. “Well， I dont know！”
“你快同银行老板的女儿结婚了吗，吉米？”本轻轻地自言自语说，“嘿，我还不知道呢！”
The next morning Jimmy took breakfast at the Adamses. He was going to Little Rock that day to order his weddingsuit and buy something nice for Annabel. That would be the first time he had left town since he came to Elmore. It had been more than a year now since those last professional “jobs”， and he thought he could safely venture out.
第二天早上，吉米在亚当斯家里吃早饭。他那天要到小石城去订购结婚礼服，再替安娜贝尔买些好东西。那是他到艾尔摩尔后的第一次出门。自从他干了那些专业“工作”以来，已经过去一年多了，他认为出门一次不会有什么问题。
After breakfast quite a family party went downtown together—Mr. Adams， Annabel， Jimmy， and Annabels married sister with her two little girls， aged five and nine. They came by the hotel where Jimmy still boarded， and he ran up to his room and brought along his suit case. Then they went on to the bank. There stood Jimmys horse and buggy and Dolph Gibson， who was going to drive him over to the railroad station.
早饭后，家里的人浩浩荡荡地一起到商业区去——亚当斯先生、安娜贝尔、吉米安娜贝尔已出嫁的姐姐和她的两个女儿，一个5岁，一个9岁。他们路过吉米仍旧寄住的旅馆，吉米上楼到他的房间里去拿手提箱。之后他们便去银行。吉米的马车停在那里，等一会儿由多尔夫·吉普森赶车送他去火车站。
All went inside the high， carved oak railings into the bankingroom—Jimmy included， for Mr. Adamss future soninlaw was welcome anywhere. The clerks were pleased to be greeted by the goodlooking， agreeable young man who was going to marry Miss Annabel. Jimmy set his suitcase down. Annabel， whose heart was bubbling with happiness and lively youth， put on Jimmys hat， and picked up the suitcase. “Wouldnt I make a nice drummer？” said Annabel. “My！ Ralph， how heavy it is？ Feels like it was full of gold bricks.”
大伙儿走进银行营业厅的雕花橡木的高栅栏里，吉米也进去了，因为亚当斯未来的女婿是到处都受欢迎的，职员们都乐于接近那位将同安娜贝尔小姐结婚的，漂亮可亲的年轻人。吉米放下手提箱。安娜贝尔充满了幸福感和青春活泼，她戴上了吉米的帽子，拎起手提箱。“我像不像一个旅行推销员？”安娜贝尔说，“哎呀！拉尔夫，多么沉呀！里面好像装满了金砖。”
“Lot of nickelplated shoehorns in there，” said Jimmy， coolly， “that Im going to return. Thought Id save express charges by taking them up. Im getting awfully economical.”
“装了许多包镍的鞋楦，”吉米淡淡地说，“我准备还给别人。我自己带着，可以省掉行李费。我近来太节俭了。”