CHAPTER XXXVIII. GERALD SELLS HIS PATRIMONY.

 “Mr. Sandford, do you think you can spare me for a short time?” asked Gerald, as he entered the presence of his employer.

Mr. Sandford looked surprised.

“This is a busy season,” he said. “Still if you have a good reason for wishing to be absent——”

“I have a good reason,” answered Gerald. “I own some land in Gulchville, Colorado—eighty-five acres—and a rich syndicate formed in Chicago wants to buy it.”

“That is a very good reason,” said the merchant. “How much do they offer?”

“No definite offer has been made, but my tenant¹ thinks they will be willing to pay me five thousand dollars.”

“Excellent. I was not aware that my youngest clerk was a man of property. Go by all means and make the best bargain you can.”

Gerald lost no time. He took the afternoon[289] train to Kansas City, and thence went partly by cars and partly by stage to his old home in Gulchville. When he descended² from the stage he saw at once a familiar face and figure. They belonged to Jake Amsden, who advanced to meet him with an eager welcome.

“Glad to see you, Gerald! How you’ve grown!” and Amsden grasped his hand as if they had always been the closest of friends.

“Thank you, Mr. Amsden,” said Gerald, smiling. “I didn’t imagine you would be so glad to meet me.”

“I’ve been longin’ to see you, my boy. It’s been very lonesome without you. And where is the Englishman you went away with?”

“He’s gone back to England. There was sickness in the family.”

“Is he coming back here?”

“I don’t know.”

“So you are comin’ back here to live?”

“No; I think not. I have a situation with a large firm in St. Louis. I am only here on a vacation.”

“That reminds me, Gerald. If you’ve got five minutes to spare I would like to talk with you on business.”

“I can give you five minutes, Mr. Amsden.”

[290]

“It’s about that place your father left you. It isn’t worth much, but I’ve been thinkin’ I’d like to settle down in a home of my own, and that place about suits me.”

“But,” said Gerald, who saw Amsden’s drift, “I would not like to turn Tom Carter out of his home.”

“No need of it, Gerald. I’d get him to board me, and I’d pay him somethin’, besides giving him his rent free.”

“Suppose I wait and consult Mr. Carter about it.”

This proposal did not suit Amsden, who knew that in that case Gerald would hear about the land speculation³, and then his plans would fail utterly⁴.

“Don’t wait for that, Gerald! Let’s fix the matter on the spot.”

“What do you propose to pay me for the property, Mr. Amsden?”

Jake Amsden closed one eye and assumed a contemplative look.

“I don’t know but I’d be willin’ to give you five hundred dollars, Gerald. That’s a good deal of money.”

“Have you got that sum of money in cash, Mr. Amsden?”

[291]

“Well, not exactly, but I’ll give you my note indorsed by a reliable party.”

“I would wish to know the name of the party.”

“Bradley Wentworth, of Seneca, Illinois. You know him as the man that was visitin’ you when your father died.”

“And you think he would indorse your note?”

“I know he would. He feels very friendly to me, Mr. Wentworth does.”

“And you offer me five hundred dollars?”

“Yes; and say twenty-five more for interest. Come now, what do you say?”

“I say no, Mr. Amsden. I have a letter in my pocket offering me a thousand dollars for the property.”

“Who is it from?” asked Amsden, making a grammatical mistake that plenty of better educated persons also make.

“Bradley Wentworth!”

“Oh!” exclaimed Amsden in chagrin⁵. “He promised to leave the matter in my hands.”

“So you were bidding for him?”

“Well, partly for him and partly for myself.”

“And you really think you have offered me a fair price?”

“Yea; you can’t get as much anywhere else.”

[292]

“I’ll take three days to consider it, Mr. Amsden.”

In less than three days Gerald had sold his land for six thousand dollars, reserving twenty acres for himself. He allowed John Carter to remove his cabin to this tract⁶, and at the end of a week set out on his return, with a Chicago check for six thousand dollars in his pocket. This he deposited in St. Louis, and with it made a purchase of good dividend-paying bank stock.

1 tenant   

n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用

参考例句：

• The tenant was dispossessed for not paying his rent.那名房客因未付房租而被赶走。
• The tenant is responsible for all repairs to the building.租户负责对房屋的所有修理。

2 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

3 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

4 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

5 chagrin   

n.懊恼；气愤；委屈

参考例句：

• His increasingly visible chagrin sets up a vicious circle.他的明显的不满引起了一种恶性循环。
• Much to his chagrin,he did not win the race.使他大为懊恼的是他赛跑没获胜。

6 tract   

n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林)

参考例句：

• He owns a large tract of forest.他拥有一大片森林。
• He wrote a tract on this subject.他曾对此写了一篇短文。