英文短篇故事（纽约）472 He Paid His Debt

As a youth, Cal was a bully and a thief. One time, he stole a man's wallet. The man grabbed him. Cal punched the man hard. Cal ran, but the police caught him. A judge sentenced Cal to two years in jail. He was released after only six weeks. Ten years later, Cal was rich and famous. His victim phoned him. The victim said, "Ten years ago, you stole my wallet. Then you punched me in the face. I lost all the vision in my left eye. Back then, you were poor. Now you're rich. I think you owe me a lot of money." Cal said, "I don't owe you squat. You shouldn't have grabbed me. You tried to be a hero. Because of you, I spent six weeks behind iron bars. I'll never forget my time in that cell. I paid my debt to society, and society includes you."