CHAPTER XXVII. MR. TRIPP IS DISAPPOINTED.

 Silas Tripp returned home full of the news he had heard in New York.

 

"Just as I thought," he said to himself, "Chester Rand ought never to have left Wyncombe. He ain't calc'lated to succeed in the city. He'd orter have stayed in my store. In two or three years he might have been earnin' four or five dollars a week, and he could have boarded at home. It costs a sight to live in the city. I ain't sure that I could afford it myself."

 

Mr. Tripp decided¹ to offer Chester his old place at two dollars and a half a week. Abel Wood was again in his employ, but he didn't like him as well as Chester.

 

The latter he had always found reliable, while Abel was rather apt to forget what Silas told him. Once he had stopped in the street and played ball, losing ten or fifteen minutes in that way. Mr. Tripp was obliged to confess that he never had a more satisfactory boy than Chester.

 

The store closed at nine, and Silas, instead of going into the house, walked over to Mrs. Rand's cottage.

 

She was rather surprised when she saw who her visitor was.

 

"Good-evening, Mr. Tripp," she said, politely. "Won't you come in?"

 

"Thank you, widder. It's rather late to call, but I thought you might like to hear about York, seein' Chester is there."

 

"Have you been to New York to-day?"

 

"Yes; I went up on a little business."

 

"Did you see Chester?"

 

"No, I didn't see him," answered Silas, significantly.

 

"Did you hear anything of him?" Mrs. Rand naturally asked.

 

Mr. Tripp coughed.

 

"Well, yes, I heered somethin' about him."

 

"Is he—sick?" asked the mother, anxiously, made apprehensive² by his tone.

 

"Not that I know of. Hain't he writ³ anything special to you?"

 

"I had a letter yesterday, but there was nothing special in it."

 

"I suppose he didn't say nothin' about his place?"

 

"Yes; he likes it very much."

 

"I don't like to say it, widder, but he's deceivin' you. I saw his employer myself, and he said that he had to discharge Chester."

 

Somehow Mrs. Rand did not seem so much disturbed by this intelligence as the storekeeper thought she would be.

 

"Oh, you mean the real estate office," she said.

 

"Yes; I was treated quite handsome by Mr. Mullins, the bookkeeper, who is runnin' the business while Mr. Fairchild is away. He says Chester wasn't spry enough, that he wasn't wide awake enough to work in the city."

 

Mrs. Rand actually smiled.

 

"So that is what he said," she returned. "I can tell you why Chester was discharged. Mr. Mullins wanted to give the place to his nephew."

 

"Mebbe so," answered Silas, dubiously⁴. "Anyhow, it's unfortunate for Chester to lose his place. I feel for you, Mrs. Rand, as I always liked Chester myself, and I came here to-night to say that I'm ready to take him back into the store, and give him two dollars and a half a week. He suits me."

 

Mr. Tripp leaned back in the rocking-chair and looked as if he had made a very handsome proposal.

 

"I see, Mr. Tripp," said Mrs. Rand, smiling, "that you think Chester is out of a position."

 

"So he is. Wasn't he discharged? I know from what Mr. Mullins said he won't take him back."

 

"Chester would not be willing to go back. He has a new and better place."

 

"You don't say!" ejaculated Mr. Tripp, surprised and, it must be confessed, disappointed. "What sort of a place is it?"

 

"He is working for a New York paper or magazine."

 

"Sho! Does he get as much pay as he did at the other place?"

 

"Considerably⁵ more," Mrs. Rand answered, with satisfaction.

 

"More'n five dollars a week?"

 

"Yes; he offers to send me five dollars a week, but I can get along without assistance, since Miss Dolby pays me so liberally."

 

"Well, I am surprised. Chester is very lucky. Mebbe it won't last," he continued, hopefully.

 

"It seems likely to be permanent."

 

"Well, I guess I must be goin'. If he should lose his place, tell him I will take him back any time."

 

"I don't think he would be satisfied to come back to Wyncombe after working in New York."

 

Silas Tripp returned to his house rather disappointed. He had felt so sure of securing Chester's services, and now his old boy seemed to be quite out of his reach.

 

"Offered to send his mother five dollars a week!" he soliloquized. "Then he must be makin' as much as ten in his new place. Mr. Mullins didn't seem to know about it. I wonder what he can be doin' to get such a high salary."

 

1 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。

2 apprehensive   

adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的

参考例句：

• She was deeply apprehensive about her future.她对未来感到非常担心。
• He was rather apprehensive of failure.他相当害怕失败。

3 writ   

n.命令状，书面命令

参考例句：

• This is a copy of a writ I received this morning.这是今早我收到的书面命令副本。
• You shouldn't treat the newspapers as if they were Holy Writ. 你不应该把报上说的话奉若神明。

4 dubiously   

adv.可疑地，怀疑地

参考例句：

• "What does he have to do?" queried Chin dubiously. “他有什么心事？”琴向觉民问道，她的脸上现出疑惑不解的神情。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）
• He walked out fast, leaving the head waiter staring dubiously at the flimsy blue paper. 他很快地走出去，撇下侍者头儿半信半疑地瞪着这张薄薄的蓝纸。 来自辞典例句

5 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。