It was a freezing day, a few years ago, when I stumbled on(偶然发现) a wallet in the street. There was no identification(身份证明) inside. Just three dollars, and a crumpled(揉皱的) letter that looked as if it had been carried around for years.
The only thing legible(可辨认的) on the torn envelope was the return address. I opened the letter and saw that it had been written in 1924——almost 60 years ago. I read it carefully, hoping to find some clue to the identity of the wallet’s owner.
It was a “Dear John” letter((女给男的)绝交信). The writer, in a delicate
It was a beautiful letter. But there was no way, beyond the name Michael, to identify the owner. Perhaps if I called information the operator could find the phone number for the address shown on the envelope.
“Operator, this is an unusual request(不同寻常的询问). I’m trying to find the owner of a wallet I found. Is there any way you could tell me the phone number for an address that was on a letter in the wallet?”
The operator gave me her supervisor(主管上级), who said there was a phone listed at the address, but that she could not give me the number. However, she would call and explain the situation. Then, if the party wanted to talk, she would connect me. I waited a minute and she came back on the line. “I have a woman who will speak with you.”
? I asked the woman if she knew a Hannah.?
“Oh, of course! We bought this house from Hannah’s family thirty years ago.”?
“Would you know where they could be located now?” I asked.?
“Hannah had to place her mother in a nursing home(养老院) years ago. Maybe the home could help you track down(寻找…踪迹) the daughter.”?
The woman gave me the name of the nursing home. I called and found out that Hannah’s mother had died. The woman I spoke with gave me an address where she thought Hannah could be reached.
I phoned. The woman who answered explained that Hannah herself was now living in a nursing home. She gave me the number. I called and was told, “Yes, Hannah is with us.”?
I asked if I could stop by to see her. It was almost 10 p.m. The director said Hannah might be asleep. “But if you want to take a chance, maybe she’s in the day room(活动室) watching television.”
The director and a guard greeted me at the door of the nursing home. We went up to the third floor and saw the nurse, who told us that Hannah was indeed watching TV.?
We entered the day room. Hannah was a sweet, silver-haired old- timer(老人) with a warm smile and friendly eyes. I told her
We both laughed. The director then left us alone. “Yes, Michael Goldstein was his name. If you find him, tell him I still think of him often. I never did marry,” she said, smiling through tears that welled up(涌起) in her eyes. “I guess no one ever matched up to Michael...”
I thanked Hannah, said good-by and took the elevator to the first floor. As I stood at the door, the guard asked, “Was the old lady able to help you?”
? I told him she had given me a lead(提示).“ At least I have a last name. But I probably won’t pursue it further for a while.” I explained that I had spent almost the whole day trying to find the wallet’s owner.
While we talked, I pulled out the brown-leather case with its red- lanyard lacing(镶着红短花边的黄皮钱包) and showed it to the guard. He looked at it closely and said, “Hey, I’d know that anywhere. That’s Mr. Goldstein’s. He’s always losing it. I found it in the hall at least three times.”
“Who’s Mr. Goldstein?” I asked. “He’s one of the old-timers on the eighth floor. That’s Mike Goldstein’s wallet, for sure.He goes out for a walk quite often.”
I thanked the guard and ran back to the director’s office to tell him what the guard had said. He accompanied(陪伴) me to the eighth floor. I prayed that Mr. Goldstein would be up(没睡).
“I think he’s still in the day room,” the nurse said. “He likes to read at night...a darling old man.”
We went to the only room that had lights on, and there was a man reading a book. The director asked him if he had lost his wallet.? Michael Goldstein looked up, felt his back pocket and then said, “Goodness, it is missing.”
“This kind gentleman found a wallet. Could it be yours?”
The second he saw it, he smiled with relief(如释重负). “Yes,” he said, “that’s it. Must have dropped it this afternoon. I want to give you a reward.”
“ Oh, no thank you,” I said. “But I have to tell you something. I read the letter in the hope of finding out who owned the wallet.”
The smile on his face disappeared. “You read that letter?”
“Not only did I read it, I think I know where Hannah is.”
He grew pale. “Hannah? You know where she is? How is she? Is she still as pretty as she was?”
I hesitated.
“Please tell me!” Michael urged(催促着). “She’s fine, and just as pretty as when you knew her.”“Could you tell me where she is? I want to call her tomorrow.”
He grabbed(抓住) my hand and said, “You know something? When that letter came, my life ended. I never married. I guess I’ve always loved her.” “Michael,” I said. “Come with me.” The three of us took the elevator to the third floor. We walked toward the day room where Hannah was sitting, still watching TV. The director went over to her.?
“Hannah,” he said softly. “Do you know this man?” Michael and I stood waiting in the doorway.She adjusted her glasses, looked for a moment, but didn’t say a word. “Hannah, it’s Michael. Michael Goldstein. Do you remember?” “Michael? Michael? It’s you!”
He walked slowly to her side. She stood and they embraced(拥抱). Then the two of them sat on a couch(长沙发), held hands and started to talk. The director and I walked out, both of us crying.
“See how the good Lord works,” I said philosophically(富有哲理地). “If it’s meant to be. it will be(天意如此就该如此).”? Three weeks later, I got a call from the director who asked. “Can you break away(抽空) on Sunday to attend a wedding?”? He didn’t wait for an answer. “Yup(=yes), Michael and Hannah are going to tie the knot(喜结良缘)!”
It was a lovely wedding, with all the people at the nursing home joining in the celebration. Hannah wore a beige(米色) dress and looked beautiful. Michael wore a dark blue suit and stood tall. The home gave them their own room, and if you ever wanted to see a 76- year-old bride(新娘) and a 78-year old groom(新郎) acting like two teen-agers, you had to see this couple.
A perfect ending for a love affair that had lasted nearly 60 years.
相关单词：stumbled
stumbled解释：v.（不顺畅地）说( stumble的过去式和过去分词 )；跌跌撞撞地走；绊脚；（说话、演奏等）出错
stumbled例句：
I stumbled and sprained my ankle. 我摔了一跤，把脚脖子扭了。
The child stumbled and fell. 孩子绊了一下，摔倒了。
相关单词：identity
identity解释：n.身份，本体，特征；同一(性)，一致
identity例句：
He never revealed his identity.他从未暴露过自己的身份。
He showed his identity card and went in.他把工作证亮了一下就进去了。
相关单词：delicate
delicate解释：adj.巧妙的，敏感的；易损的，娇嫩的
delicate例句：
Be careful with those wine cups — they are very delicate.当心那些酒杯—它们很容易碎。
The delicate handicraft works will not bear rough handling.精致的手工艺品经不起粗鲁的摆弄。
相关单词：recipient
recipient解释：a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器
recipient例句：
Please check that you have a valid email certificate for each recipient. 请检查是否对每个接收者都有有效的电子邮件证书。
Colombia is the biggest U . S aid recipient in Latin America. 哥伦比亚是美国在拉丁美洲最大的援助对象。
相关单词：operator
operator解释：n.（机器、设备等的）操作员；电话接线员
operator例句：
He is a computer operator.他是个电脑操作员。
The telephone operator connected us.话务员给我们接通了电话。
相关单词：spoke
spoke解释：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
spoke例句：
They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
相关单词：finding
finding解释：n.发现，发现物；调查的结果
finding例句：
The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。
相关单词：pursue
pursue解释：vt.继续，从事；追赶，追踪；追求
pursue例句：
He began to pursue an easy and comfortable life.他开始追求安逸舒适的生活。
This is the path that we shall continue to pursue.这是我们要继续走的道路。
相关单词：closely
closely解释：adv.紧密地；严密地，密切地
closely例句：
We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。
相关单词：missing
missing解释：adj.遗失的，缺少的，失踪的
missing例句：
Check the tools and see if anything is missing.检点一下工具，看有无丢失。
All the others are here;he's the only one missing.别人都来了，就短他一个。
相关单词：toward
toward解释：prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝
toward例句：
Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。
相关单词：softly
softly解释：adv.柔和地，静静地，温柔地
softly例句：
He speaks too softly for her to hear.他讲话声音太轻，她听不见。
She breathed her advice softly.她低声劝告。
相关单词：doorway
doorway解释：n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径
doorway例句：
They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。
相关单词：lord
lord解释：n.上帝，主；主人，长官；君主，贵族
lord例句：
I know the Lord will look after him.我知道上帝会眷顾他的。
How good of the Lord not to level it beyond repair!上帝多么仁慈啊，竟没有让这所房子损毁得不可收拾！
相关单词：acting
acting解释：n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的
acting例句：
Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。
