CHAPTER XIII. A CASH BOY'S TROUBLES.

The next day Mr. Little asked: "Did you take that suit to my tailor for alterations¹, Scott?"

"Thank you, sir," said Scott, coloring, "but I think I will get along for the present with the suit I am wearing."

"What does that mean?" demanded Ezra Little, quickly.

"I don't care to wear Loammi's clothes."

"Oh, you are proud, are you?" sneered² Mr. Little.

"If it were necessary I would do so, but I think I am entitled to a new suit."

"On what do you base your claim?"

"On the money which I handed you, Mr. Little," replied Scott.

"We will not discuss this question," said Ezra Little, coldly. "I have already told you that this money will be needed to pay your expenses."

[Pg 108]

Scott did not reply.

"Well, what have you to say to that?"

"Nothing, sir."

"You have no just cause of complaint. I have offered you a suit which, when altered, would be almost as good as new. If you change your mind about accepting it, you may let me know."

"Very well, sir."

On Thursday evening Scott made a call at Seth Lawton's boarding house.

"I am glad to see you, Scott," said Mr. Lawton, cordially. "But you look sober."

"I feel so, Cousin Seth."

"Why is that? Anything unpleasant happened?"

"I applied³ to Mr. Little for a new suit. He declined to buy me one, but said I could have an old suit of Loammi's altered over for me."

"Didn't you mention the money you had placed in his hands?"

"Yes, but he said I was not earning my board, and this would make up the deficit⁴."

Seth Lawton rose from his chair and paced the room. It was his habit to do so when he was disturbed.

"I didn't think Ezra Little would be so mean,[Pg 109] though I knew he was far from liberal. What did you say to his proposal?"

"I declined it. Loammi is not as large as I am, and, besides, I don't feel like wearing his second-hand⁵ clothes when Mr. Little has money of mine in his possession."

"What do you think of his claim that your services do not pay for your board?"

"Judging from what I have found out about the pay of other salesmen, I think that I earn more than my board."

"I think so, too. So you are to have no new suit?"

"No, sir."

"Perhaps you will be luckier than you imagine. You must remember that I am your relative as well as Ezra Little. I will buy you a suit."

"But, Cousin Seth, I don't want to put you to that expense. You will need all your money yourself."

Seth Lawton smiled.

"I will promise not to put myself to any inconvenience," he said. "Will that satisfy you? Will you now refuse a favor at my hands, Scott, my boy?"

"I would rather receive a favor from you than[Pg 110] from Mr. Little, if you really feel that you can afford it."

"You need not be apprehensive⁶ on that score. At what time do you go out to lunch?"

"At twelve o'clock."

"I will call at that time to-morrow, and we will manage to get time to stop at a tailor's and leave your measure."

"But, Cousin Seth, a ready-made suit will answer."

"As this is the first present I have given you, I will make it a good one. Probably we can find a tailor near your store."

"Yes; Mr. Little's tailor has a shop only three blocks away. Here is his card."

"The very thing."

When the suit was finished Scott put it on at once, and left his old one to be cleaned and repaired.

It was hardly to be supposed that it would escape the observation of Loammi and his father. As a matter of fact, it was handsomer than any his cousin wore.

"Where did you get that suit?" asked Loammi, in amazement⁷.

"It was a present," answered Scott.

[Pg 111]

"From whom?"

"Cousin Seth."

Loammi was not slow in carrying the news to his father.

"Pa," he said, "see the new suit Mr. Lawton has given Scott."

Mr. Little put on his glasses and closely examined his young relative.

"Did you ask Mr. Lawton to buy you a suit?" he asked, abruptly⁸.

"No, sir. I did not wish him to go to such an expense."

"It must have cost at least twenty-five dollars."

"I think it cost twenty-eight."

"Seth is a fool. He is probably poor, and could not afford such an extravagant⁹ outlay¹⁰."

"He told me he could afford it, and I had to take his word."

"It is better than my best suit, pa," complained Loammi.

"You shall have as good a one when you need it. It is only three weeks since I bought you a suit."

"Was it a ready-made suit?" asked Loammi of Scott.

[Pg 112]

"No; it was made to order by the tailor your father mentioned to me."

"You will soon get it shabby wearing it every day."

"I don't intend to do so. I left my old suit to be cleaned and repaired."

"Well, you are provided for, for the present, thanks to Seth Lawton's folly¹¹. I don't wonder he is poor if that is the way he manages. Do you know if he has got work yet?"

"He told me part of his time was occupied."

"I suppose he has got a little job to do at bookkeeping. Possibly it will pay him twenty-five dollars. On the strength of that he has bought you a suit at twenty-eight dollars. Seth always was a fool. When he finds himself in need, it won't do him any good to apply to me."

It was clear that Mr. Lawton had not raised himself in the estimation of his rich relatives by his kindness to Scott.

Among the cash boys who worked in the store was a pleasant-faced boy, named William Mead¹². He was two years younger than Scott, but the latter had taken special notice of him, and without knowing much of him, had come to feel an interest in him.

[Pg 113]

Usually Willie, as he was called, was bright and cheerful, but one day he appeared with a sad countenance¹³.

"What is the matter, Willie?" asked Scott, when the two boys went out together at the noon hour.

Scott bought his lunch at a neighboring restaurant, but the cash boy brought his with him from home.

"I don't like to annoy you with my troubles."

"But they won't annoy me. Please think of me as a friend."

"Then I will tell you. I have a brother three years older than I am, who earns six dollars a week. He has been sick for two weeks, and my mother misses his wages. You know I only get two dollars and a half a week."

"That is very small."

"Some of the stores pay more, but Mr. Little never pays more than that to a cash boy. Next week our rent comes due, and as we have a strict landlord, I am afraid he will put us out when he finds mother is not ready with the rent."

"I am sorry for you, Willie," said Scott, in a tone of sympathy. "Have you no friend you can call upon for a loan?"

[Pg 114]

"Our friends are as poor as ourselves."

"When does your rent come due?"

"Next Saturday."

"I will think whether I can do anything for you, I will see you again to-morrow."

"But you are poor yourself. Mr. Little's son was at the store one day, and I overheard him telling one of the salesmen that you were a poor relation."

"He is not likely to let me forget that. I am not sure that I can do anything for you, Willie, but if I can I will."

"You have already done me good by speaking kindly¹⁴ to me."

"Come in to lunch with me, Willie. A cup of coffee will do you good."

That evening Scott had arranged to call on Mr. Lawton. He decided¹⁵ to tell him of the young cash boy's troubles. Seth Lawton's face showed his sympathy.

"It is really a hard case," he said. "We must see if we can't do something for your friend."

"I hope you don't think I was hinting this to you, Cousin Seth."

"I don't, but still you won't object to my doing something for the boy."

[Pg 115]

"Mr. Little says you are foolishly generous, and this is why you keep poor."

"He will never make himself poor by his generosity¹⁶. If you have the boy's address we will call upon him."

1 alterations   

n.改动( alteration的名词复数 )；更改；变化；改变

参考例句：

• Any alterations should be written in neatly to the left side. 改动部分应书写清晰，插在正文的左侧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code. 基因突变是指DNA 密码的改变。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 sneered   

讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。
• It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。

3 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

4 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

5 second-hand   

adj.用过的，旧的，二手的

参考例句：

• I got this book by chance at a second-hand bookshop.我赶巧在一家旧书店里买到这本书。
• They will put all these second-hand goods up for sale.他们将把这些旧货全部公开出售。

6 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。

7 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

8 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。

9 extravagant   

adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的

参考例句：

• They tried to please him with fulsome compliments and extravagant gifts.他们想用溢美之词和奢华的礼品来取悦他。
• He is extravagant in behaviour.他行为放肆。

10 outlay   

n.费用，经费，支出；v.花费

参考例句：

• There was very little outlay on new machinery.添置新机器的开支微乎其微。
• The outlay seems to bear no relation to the object aimed at.这费用似乎和预期目的完全不相称。

11 folly   

n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话

参考例句：

• Learn wisdom by the folly of others.从别人的愚蠢行动中学到智慧。
• Events proved the folly of such calculations.事情的进展证明了这种估计是愚蠢的。

12 mead   

n.蜂蜜酒

参考例句：

• He gave me a cup of mead.他给我倒了杯蜂蜜酒。
• He drank some mead at supper.晚饭时他喝了一些蜂蜜酒。

13 countenance   

n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同

参考例句：

• At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
• I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

14 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

15 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。

16 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。