Chapter 30 An Unexpected Proposal

 Three months later, when Andy entered the office one morning, he found Mr. Crawford in a thoughtful mood.

 

"I wish you were older, Andy," he began, abruptly¹.

 

"Why, sir?"

 

"Because I have a commission I could then intrust to you."

 

"Then I am too young for it now?"

 

"I am afraid so. And yet--but I will tell you what it is, and see if you consider yourself equal to it. How old are you now?"

 

"Seventeen, sir."

 

"I will explain myself. I am intimately acquainted with the men who are engineering the Northern Pacific Railroad, and I have reliable advices that work will at once be resumed on it, and probably the road will be completed in less than a year."

 

"I suppose this will raise the price of our land in Tacoma?"

 

"Precisely². Still, I think it will not be advisable to sell for some time to come. My object is rather to buy more land."

 

"I should think it would be a good idea."

 

"The time to buy is now, before the public learn of the probable early completion of the railroad. If I could spare the time from my business I would go out there at once."

 

"I should think it would pay, Mr. Crawford."

 

"Doubtless it would, but I cannot arrange to leave now. I expect to have some large transactions in real estate during the next two or three months."

 

"I see the difficulty, sir."

 

"I will come to the point. Do you think you could go to Tacoma, look carefully over the ground, and secure desirable lots for me?"

 

"I think I could, sir, under instructions from you."

 

"That is what I had in view when I said I wished you were older."

 

"You could, at any rate, rely upon my faithfully carrying out your instructions."

 

"I am sure of that, and I also have considerable confidence in your good judgment⁴. At any rate, I will take the risk. What day is to-day?"

 

"Thursday."

 

"Make preparations to start on Monday. Can you do so?"

 

"Yes, sir."

 

Andy felt a thrill of delight at the prospect⁵ held out to him. He had always felt a strong desire to see the great West, but had realized that he should probably have to wait a good many years before his wish was gratified. It had been a dream, but now his dream bade fair to become actuality.

 

"I will prepare a general letter of instructions and make such suggestions as may occur to me," continued Mr. Crawford. "I will excuse you from office work for the balance of the week, in order that you may make the necessary preparations."

 

As the Northern Pacific road was not completed, it was decided⁶ that Andy should go to San Francisco by the Union Pacific and Central Pacific roads, and take steamer thence to Puget Sound.

 

"You can stay in San Francisco three days," said Mr. Crawford, considerately. "It will give you a chance to rest and see the city."

 

On Monday Andy started on his long journey. He wrote a brief letter to his mother, as follows:

 

"DEAR MOTHER: I am going West on some business for Mr. Crawford. I will write you on the way. You are at liberty to tell this to any one in Arden, but I don't care to have the extent of my journey known. You may think I am young for such a trip, but I have no fears. The business is important, but it is simple, and I hope to carry it through successfully.

 

In haste, your loving son,

 

ANDY."

 

 

However, Mrs. Grant was not the first one to hear of Andy's trip. It so happened that at the station Andy met Conrad Carter, who had just come into the city for a day.

 

"How do you happen to be here?" asked Conrad, in surprise.

 

"I am leaving the city."

 

"I suppose you are discharged and going home," remarked Conrad, loftily.

 

"No; I am going on some business for my employer."

 

"How far do you go?"

 

"My first stop will be Chicago."

 

Conrad was amazed.

 

"Is this straight?" he asked.

 

"Yes."

 

"You are going on business for the firm?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Mr. Crawford must be a fool."

 

"Why?"

 

"To send an ignorant country boy to Chicago."

 

Andy smiled.

 

"Mr. Crawford has succeeded very well in business, and I don't think he is a fool."

 

"He must be infatuated with you."

 

"If he is, that is lucky for me."

 

"How long do you expect to be away?"

 

"I can't say; I can't tell how long it will take me to transact³ my business."

 

"I wish pa would let me go to Chicago," said Conrad, enviously⁷. "You are a poor boy, and yet you travel more than I."

 

"Your time will come, Conrad."

 

"Has your employer given you much money to travel with?"

 

"I am to draw on him for what I want."

 

"Say, won't you write me a letter from Chicago? I wish I had known you were going; I would have asked pa to let me go with you."

 

Andy was amused at Conrad's change of front. He knew very well that Conrad was no more his friend than before, but that his notions were strictly⁸ selfish. However, he promised to write to him if he could get time, and made the promise in good faith.

 

"I wish Valentine were going with me," he thought; "but I should not enjoy Conrad's company."

 

Andy's journey to Chicago was uneventful. About two hours before the train arrived a tall man left his seat on the opposite side of the car and seated himself beside Andy.

 

"Good-morning," he began. "I suppose, like me, you propose to stop in Chicago?"

 

"For about twenty-four hours," answered Andy.

 

"And then you go on further?"

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"How far?"

 

"I cannot tell you definitely," answered Andy, who thought it wise to be on his guard.

 

"Could you oblige me with small bills for a ten? I am owing a dollar to the porter."

 

Andy took out a large-sized wallet from an inner pocket and opened it. It contained about fifty dollars in bills of different denominations⁹.

 

"I am afraid I cannot accommodate you," he said, "unless two five-dollar bills will answer your purpose."

 

"I am afraid it won't help me."

 

"I am sorry," said Andy, politely.

 

He did not observe the covetous¹⁰ glance of the stranger as he noted¹¹ the large wallet and its contents. It occurred to him afterward¹² that his companion had not produced the bill he wished changed.

 

"Oh, well," said the stranger, carelessly, "it doesn't matter. I can get the bill changed at the depot¹³. Are you traveling on business?" he inquired.

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"So am I. I represent the firm of Arnold & Constable¹⁴, in New York. Doubtless you have heard of them."

 

"Oh, yes. They are well known."

 

"I have been in their employ for five years. Before that I worked for Claflin."

 

"Indeed!"

 

"You do not mention the name of your firm."

 

"No, I am traveling on private business for the head of the firm."

 

"Ah, yes. I don't wish to be inquisitive¹⁵. You do right to keep the business to yourself."

 

"You see, it is not my business."

 

"Just so! You are young for a business agent."

 

"That is true, but I am growing older every day."

 

"Exactly so! Good joke!"

 

Andy's companion laughed quite heartily¹⁶, rather to the surprise of his young acquaintance.

 

"I am very glad to have met you. You see, I am very social, and can't stand being alone. By the way, where do you stop in Chicago?"

 

"At the Sherman House."

 

"Good hotel! I have stopped there often. Still, there is nothing as homelike as a private house. I have a friend living in the city who keeps a first-class boarding house and only charges transient guests a dollar and a quarter a day. I wish you could be induced to go there with me. At the hotel you will have to pay three or four dollars."

 

Now, Andy was naturally economical, and thought it would be praiseworthy to save money for Mr. Crawford. He inquired the location of the boarding house, and imprudently decided to act on his companion's proposal. 

1 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

2 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

3 transact   

v.处理；做交易；谈判

参考例句：

• I will transact my business by letter.我会写信去洽谈业务。
• I have been obliged to see him；there was business to transact.我不得不见他，有些事物要处理。

4 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

5 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 enviously   

adv.满怀嫉妒地

参考例句：

• Yet again, they were looking for their way home blindly, enviously. 然而，它们又一次盲目地、忌妒地寻找着归途。 来自辞典例句
• Tanya thought enviously, he must go a long way south. 坦妮亚歆羡不置，心里在想，他准是去那遥远的南方的。 来自辞典例句

8 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

9 denominations   

n.宗派( denomination的名词复数 )；教派；面额；名称

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• The service was attended by Christians of all denominations. 这次礼拜仪式各教派的基督徒都参加了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 covetous   

adj.贪婪的，贪心的

参考例句：

• She is envious of Jane's good looks and covetous of her car.她既忌妒简的美貌又垂涎她的汽车。
• He raised his head,with a look of unrestrained greed in his covetous eyes.他抬起头来，贪婪的眼光露出馋涎欲滴的神情。

11 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

12 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

13 depot   

n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站

参考例句：

• The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。
• They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

14 constable   

n.(英国)警察，警官

参考例句：

• The constable conducted the suspect to the police station.警官把嫌疑犯带到派出所。
• The constable kept his temper,and would not be provoked.那警察压制着自己的怒气，不肯冒起火来。

15 inquisitive   

adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的

参考例句：

• Children are usually inquisitive.小孩通常很好问。
• A pat answer is not going to satisfy an inquisitive audience.陈腔烂调的答案不能满足好奇的听众。

16 heartily   

adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很

参考例句：

• He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
• The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。