爱的力量

One day Jimmy sat down in his room and wrote this letter which he sent to the address of one his old friends:

一天，基米坐在他的房里，给一个好友写了这样一封信： “Dear Old Chap,

I want you to be at Brown’s Cafe, in Little Rock, next Wednesday night at nine o’clock. I want you to do something for me. And, also, I want to make you a present of my tools. I know you’ll be glad to get them—you couldn’t get such a set for a thousand dollars. Say, Billy, I gave up the old business—a year ago. I’ve got a nice store. I’m making an honest living, and in two weeks I’m going to marry the finest girl on earth. It’s the only life, Billy, the straight one. I wouldn`t’ touch a dollar of another man’s money now for a million. After I get married I’m going to sell my store and go west, where there won’t be so much danger of meeting people who knew me before. I tell you, Billy, she’s an angel. She believes in me and I would never do another crooked thing for the whole world. Do come to Brown’s, for I must see you. I’ll bring the tools with me.

Your old friend, Jimmy.”

“亲爱的老伙计：

下周三晚上9点，希望你到小石城波浪咖啡馆来。我有事相托。同时，我将把我的工具送给你。我知道，你得到它们会很高兴的——你花1000美元也买不到这一套东西。听我说，比利。我已经在一年前金盆洗手。我开了一家非常出色的商店。我现在过的是正直清白的生活，两周内我要和世界上最好的姑娘结婚。这才是真正的生活，比利，这才是正直的人生。现在我已经对别人的东西秋毫不犯。结婚后，我打算将店卖掉，移居西部，在那里可以更安全些，不致碰到那些知道我过去底细的人。我对你说，比利，她真是一个天使。她信任我，而我无论如何也不能再走邪路了。务必到波浪咖啡馆来。我必须见你。我将随身带来那些工具。

你的好友

基米”

On the Monday night after Jimmy wrote this letter, Ben Price, the detective, arrived in Elmore. He walked about the town quietly until he found out what he wanted to know. From the drugstore across the street from Spencer’s shoe-store he got a good look at Ralph D. Spencer.

星期一晚上，也正是在基米写完这封信之后，本·普莱斯侦探来到了爱尔摩。他悄悄地走遍了整个镇子，直到他搞清了他想要知道的种种情况。他从斯宾塞鞋店对面马路的一家杂货店中，详细地观察了拉尔夫·斯宾塞的一举一动。