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CHAPTER VI. ROBERT RAMSAY.
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 Mrs. Rand was as much amazed as Chester himself at his success as an artist.
 
"How long were you in making the drawing?" she asked.
 
"Twenty minutes."
 
"And you received ten dollars. It doesn't seem possible."
 
"I wish I could work twenty minutes every week at that rate," laughed Chester. "It would pay me better than working for Silas Tripp."
 
"Perhaps you can get some more work of the same kind?"
 
"I shall send two more sketches2 to Mr. Conrad in a day or two. I shall take pains and do my best."
 
Two days later Chester sent on the sketches, and then set about trying to find a job of some kind in the village. He heard of only one.
 
An elderly farmer, Job Dexter, offered him a dollar a week and board if he would work for him. He would have eight cows to milk morning and night, the care of the barn, and a multitude of "chores" to attend to.
 
"How much will you give me if I board at home, Mr. Dexter?" asked Chester.
 
"I must have you in the house. I can't have you trapesing home when you ought to be at work."
 
"Then I don't think I can come, Mr. Dexter. A dollar a week wouldn't pay me."
 
"A dollar a week and board is good pay for a boy," said the farmer.
 
"It may be for some boys, but not for me."
 
Chester reflected that if he worked all day at the farmer's he could not do any artistic3 work, and so would lose much more than he made. The sketch1 sold by Mr. Conrad brought him in as much as he would receive in ten weeks from Farmer Dexter.
 
"Wyncombe people don't seem very liberal, mother," said Chester. "I thought Mr. Tripp pretty close, but Job Dexter beats him."
 
In the meantime he met Abel Wood carrying groceries to a family in the village.
 
"Have you got a place yet, Chester?" he asked.
 
"No; but I have a chance of one."
 
"Where?"
 
"At Farmer Dexter's."
 
"Don't you go! I worked for him once."
 
"How did you like it?"
 
"It almost killed me. I had to get up at half past four, work till seven in the evening, and all for a dollar a week and board."
 
"Was the board good?" inquired Chester, curiously4.
 
"It was the poorest livin' I ever had. Mrs. Dexter don't know much about cookin'. We had baked beans for dinner three times a week, because they were cheap, and what was left was put on for breakfast the next mornin'."
 
"I like baked beans."
 
"You wouldn't like them as Mrs. Dexter cooked them, and you wouldn't want them for six meals a week."
 
"No, I don't think I should," said Chester, smiling. "How do you get along with Silas Tripp?"
 
"He's always scoldin'; he says I am not half as smart as you."
 
"I am much obliged to Mr. Tripp for his favorable opinion, but he didn't think enough of me to give me decent pay."
 
"He's awful mean. He's talkin' of reducin' me to two dollars a week. He says business is very poor, and he isn't makin' any money."
 
"I wish you and I were making half as much as he."
 
"There's one thing I don't understand, Chester. You ain't workin', yet you seem to have money."
 
"How do you know I have?"
 
"Mr. Tripp says you came into the store three or four days ago and changed a five-dollar bill."
 
"Yes; Mr. Tripp seemed anxious to know where I got it."
 
"You didn't use to have five-dollar bills, Chester, when you were at work."
 
"This five-dollar bill dropped down the chimney one fine morning," said Chester, laughing.
 
"I wish one would drop down my chimney. But I must be gettin' along, or old Tripp will give me hail Columbia when I get back."
 
About nine o'clock that evening, as Chester was returning from a lecture in the church, he was accosted5 by a rough-looking fellow having very much the appearance of a tramp, who seemed somewhat under the influence of liquor.
 
"I say, boss," said the tramp, "can't you give a poor man a quarter to help him along?"
 
"Are you out of work?" asked Chester, staying his step.
 
"Yes; times is hard and work is scarce. I haven't earned anything for a month."
 
"Where do you come from?"
 
"From Pittsburg," answered the tramp, with some hesitation6.
 
"What do you work at when you are employed?"
 
"I am a machinist. Is there any chance in that line here?"
 
"Not in Wyncombe."
 
"That's what I thought. How about that quarter?"
 
"I am out of work myself and quarters are scarce with me."
 
"That's what you all say! There's small show for a good, industrious7 man."
 
Chester thought to himself that if the stranger was a good, industrious man he was unfortunate in his appearance.
 
"I have sympathy for all who are out of work," he said. "Mother and I are poor. When I did work I only got three dollars a week."
 
"Where did you work?"
 
"In Mr. Tripp's store, in the center of the village."
 
"I know. It's a two-story building, ain't it, with a piazza8?"
 
"Yes."
 
"Has the old fellow got money?"
 
"Oh, yes; Silas Tripp is rich."
 
"So? He didn't pay you much wages, though."
 
"No; he feels poor. I dare say he feels poorer than I do."
 
"Such men ought not to have money," growled9 the tramp. "They're keepin' it out of the hands of honest men. What sort of a lookin' man is this man Tripp? Is he as big as me?"
 
"Oh, no, he is a thin, dried-up, little man, who looks as if he hadn't had a full meal of victuals10 in his life."
 
"What time does he shut up shop?"
 
"About this time," answered Chester, rather puzzled by the tramp's persistence11 in asking questions.
 
"What's your name?"
 
"Chester Rand."
 
"Can't you give me a quarter? I'm awful hungry. I ain't had a bit to eat since yesterday."
 
"I have no money to give you, but if you will come to our house I'll give you some supper."
 
"Where do you live?"
 
"About five minutes' walk."
 
"Go ahead, then; I'm with you."
 
Mrs. Rand looked up with surprise when the door opened and Chester entered, followed by an ill-looking tramp, whose clothes were redolent of tobacco, and his breath of whisky.
 
"Mother," said Chester, "this man tells me that he hasn't had anything to eat since yesterday."
 
"No more I haven't," spoke12 up the tramp, in a hoarse13 voice.
 
"He asked for some money. I could not give him that, but I told him we would give him some supper."
 
"Of course we will," said Mrs. Rand, in a tone of sympathy. She did not admire the appearance of her late visitor, but her heart was alive to the appeal of a hungry man.
 
"Sit down, sir," she said, "and I'll make some hot tea, and that with some bread and butter and cold meat will refresh you."
 
"Thank you, ma'am, I ain't overpartial to tea, and my doctor tells me I need whisky. You don't happen to have any whisky in the house, do you?"
 
"This is a temperance house," said Chester, "we never keep whisky."
 
"Well, maybe I can get along with the tea," sighed the tramp, in evident disappointment.
 
"You look strong and healthy," observed Mrs. Rand.
 
"I ain't, ma'am. Looks is very deceiving. I've got a weakness here," and he touched the pit of his stomach, "that calls for strengthenin' drink. But I'll be glad of the victuals."
 
When the table was spread with an extemporized14 supper, the unsavory visitor sat down, and did full justice to it. He even drank the tea, though he made up a face and called it "slops."
 
"Where did you come from, sir?" asked Mrs. Rand.
 
"From Chicago, ma'am."
 
"Were you at work there? What is your business?"
 
"I'm a blacksmith, ma'am."
 
"I thought you were a machinist and came from Pittsburg," interrupted Chester, in surprise.
 
"I came here by way of Pittsburg," answered the tramp, coughing. "I am machinist, too."
 
"His stories don't seem to hang together," thought Chester.
 
After supper the tramp, who said his name was Robert Ramsay, took out his pipe and began to smoke. If it had not been a cold evening, Mrs. Rand, who disliked tobacco, would have asked him to smoke out of doors, but as it was she tolerated it.
 
Both Chester and his mother feared that their unwelcome visitor would ask to stay all night, and they would not have felt safe with him in the house, but about a quarter past ten he got up and said he must be moving.
 
"Good-night, and good luck to you!" said Chester.
 
"Same to you!" returned the tramp.
 
"I wonder where he's going," thought Chester.
 
But when the next morning came he heard news that answered this question.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 sketch UEyyG     
n.草图;梗概;素描;v.素描;概述
参考例句:
  • My sister often goes into the country to sketch. 我姐姐常到乡间去写生。
  • I will send you a slight sketch of the house.我将给你寄去房屋的草图。
2 sketches 8d492ee1b1a5d72e6468fd0914f4a701     
n.草图( sketch的名词复数 );素描;速写;梗概
参考例句:
  • The artist is making sketches for his next painting. 画家正为他的下一幅作品画素描。
  • You have to admit that these sketches are true to life. 你得承认这些素描很逼真。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 artistic IeWyG     
adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的
参考例句:
  • The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
  • These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。
4 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地
参考例句:
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
5 accosted 4ebfcbae6e0701af7bf7522dbf7f39bb     
v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 );跟…搭讪;(乞丐等)上前向…乞讨;(妓女等)勾搭
参考例句:
  • She was accosted in the street by a complete stranger. 在街上,一个完全陌生的人贸然走到她跟前搭讪。
  • His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him. 他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 hesitation tdsz5     
n.犹豫,踌躇
参考例句:
  • After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天,他终于直说了。
  • There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。
7 industrious a7Axr     
adj.勤劳的,刻苦的,奋发的
参考例句:
  • If the tiller is industrious,the farmland is productive.人勤地不懒。
  • She was an industrious and willing worker.她是个勤劳肯干的员工。
8 piazza UNVx1     
n.广场;走廊
参考例句:
  • Siena's main piazza was one of the sights of Italy.锡耶纳的主要广场是意大利的名胜之一。
  • They walked out of the cafeteria,and across the piazzadj.他们走出自助餐厅,穿过广场。
9 growled 65a0c9cac661e85023a63631d6dab8a3     
v.(动物)发狺狺声, (雷)作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 );低声咆哮着说
参考例句:
  • \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道:“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 victuals reszxF     
n.食物;食品
参考例句:
  • A plateful of coarse broken victuals was set before him.一盘粗劣的剩余饭食放到了他的面前。
  • There are no more victuals for the pig.猪没有吃的啦。
11 persistence hSLzh     
n.坚持,持续,存留
参考例句:
  • The persistence of a cough in his daughter puzzled him.他女儿持续的咳嗽把他难住了。
  • He achieved success through dogged persistence.他靠着坚持不懈取得了成功。
12 spoke XryyC     
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
参考例句:
  • 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。
13 hoarse 5dqzA     
adj.嘶哑的,沙哑的
参考例句:
  • He asked me a question in a hoarse voice.他用嘶哑的声音问了我一个问题。
  • He was too excited and roared himself hoarse.他过于激动,嗓子都喊哑了。
14 extemporized 8414f7e0227d27a99842db733b3447cf     
v.即兴创作,即席演奏( extemporize的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He completely departed from the text and extemporized in a very energetic fashion. 他完全脱稿,慷慨激昂地进行即席演说。 来自辞典例句
  • The president extemporized a speech after the working dinner. 总裁即席发表了一篇工作餐后演说。 来自互联网


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