CHAPTER XXI. A NEW PLACE.

The house of Tower, Douglas & Co. occupied a very high position in New York, and was known by reputation all over the country. The firm was liberal and considerate, and there were plenty of boys and young men who sought to enter their establishment.

Rich men sometimes offered the services of their sons, but Mr. Tower was never willing to accept them.

"A boy who works for nothing," he said, "is worth only what he receives. He loses his self-respect, and has no ambition to rise."

Generally, however, the wages paid to beginners were small, not over three or four dollars a week.

Of course it was impossible for Scott to live on such pay. Justin Wood was a relative of Mrs. Tower, and being personally liked by her husband, was the better able to secure favors.

[Pg 177]

When he obtained Scott's engagement he said: "Now as to the rate of compensation, Mr. Tower; how much are you willing to pay my young friend?"

"We usually pay three dollars a week. We will stretch a point and make it four in the case of young Walton."

"I want you to pay him ten dollars a week."

Mr. Tower looked amazed.

"Impossible!" he exclaimed. "You must be crazy."

"The boy is wholly dependent on what he earns."

"That may be; but I am under no obligation to support him."

"True," said Justin Wood, smiling, "but you may charge the extra six dollars to me."

"That will make a difference; but suppose our other employees find it out; then there will be dissatisfaction."

"Then let him understand that he is only paid ten dollars as a special favor to me, and that the arrangement must be kept strictly¹ secret."

"That will do; but suppose he does not meet our expectations?"

"He will. You need be under no apprehensions².[Pg 178] I am something of a judge of boys, and I can assure you that he has a talent for business."

"I will take your word for it until I have a chance to judge for myself."

When Scott was informed that he would receive ten dollars a week he was delighted, and thanked Mr. Tower warmly.

"I am afraid I can't earn that sum, sir," he said.

"I know you can't," said the merchant, "but Mr. Wood is a cousin of my wife, and it is on his account that I pay you so liberal a salary. I expect you to work zealously³ so that you may deserve it."

"Thank you, sir; I will."

Scott spoke⁴ confidently, and Mr. Tower was pleased with his modest self-assurance.

"I don't think Justin is deceived in the boy," he said to himself. "At any rate, I will give him a fair chance."

Six months later, when Justin Wood called and asked how Scott was progressing, Mr. Tower said: "He is a born salesman. He is quick, shrewd, intelligent, and above all, he inspires confidence in customers. We will hereafter pay him ten dollars a week on our own account, and will not ask you[Pg 179] to reimburse⁵ us. But we will not raise him above that till the end of the year."

"That is perfectly⁶ satisfactory. I have only one favor to ask."

"What is that?"

"Send him on the road as soon as you consider him competent. I think he will make a successful drummer."

"That is my intention. Some of my salesmen can never go outside the store. Young Walton will make a good record outside."

Scott had been with the new firm for a month, when Seth Lawton returned from Chicago. He was much pleased at Scott's success, but understood very well that he was indebted for it to the friendly offices of Justin Wood.

"Do your best, Scott," he said. "You are at the bottom of the ladder, but you must climb. Your future depends on yourself. Do you ever see anything of Loammi?"

"I have met him two or three times. He seems surprised, and I think a little disappointed, at my success."

"Does he know how much you receive?"

"No; I promised to keep that a secret. But he knows that I live in a comfortable boarding house[Pg 180] on Lexington Avenue, and have a good room. If he knew I was paid ten dollars a week he would want to borrow money. His father has reduced his allowance to fifty cents a week, and he complains that he might as well be a newsboy. 'Don't you think the old man is mean?' he asked me yesterday."

"And what did you reply?"

"I told him that I didn't care to criticise⁷ his father."

"Good! I see you are discreet⁸. What is Ezra going to do with his son? Will he train him up to business?"

"Loammi says he is going to Columbia College, or perhaps to Yale."

"He will never get there. He won't study hard enough."

"So I think, Cousin Seth. I wish I had the chance."

"Would you really like to go to college, Scott?" asked Seth Lawton, thoughtfully.

"No, I think not as I am at present situated⁹. I could not enter before I am eighteen, and by that time I shall be well advanced in the knowledge of business."

"I think you are right, but I advise you to study,[Pg 181] and read instructive books in your leisure hours."

"I am doing that, Cousin Seth, and I am thinking soon of taking a commercial course in some business college."

"Do so, and I will pay the bill for tuition."

"I can afford to pay that myself, cousin. You are too generous. That is what keeps you poor."

Seth Lawton smiled.

"Oh, I am not so unselfish as you suppose," he said. "I make enough to live comfortably."

"Yes, Cousin Seth, but you ought to be saving up money. You are no longer a young man."

"I should think not, at fifty-five."

"And suppose you get sick, how are you to live?"

"Don't you think Ezra Little would take care of me?"

Scott laughed.

"I am afraid not," he answered; "but you have another relative who would be glad to help you."

"Meaning yourself."

"Yes."

"Good boy!" said Seth, and he looked moved. "Yes, I think you would be willing to help me if I were in need, but at present you have only enough for yourself."

[Pg 182]

"I am saving a little money, cousin."

"What! Out of ten dollars a week?"

"Yes; ten dollars a week is quite a liberal salary."

"You are right. It will do you no harm to be economical. By the way, has Ezra Little never returned to you the forty dollars you placed in his hands?"

"No."

"You should ask him for it."

"I would rather not," said Scott, shrinking.

"But it is rightfully yours. He has no excuse for keeping it."

"I don't think I would like to speak to him on the subject," said Scott, thoughtfully.

"Then I will."

In fact, Mr. Lawton lost no time in doing as he proposed. He called at Ezra Little's house and broached¹⁰ the subject.

"Ezra," he said, "I understand that you have forty dollars belonging to Scott."

"I don't look upon it in that light," said Mr. Little. "I gave the boy a place in my store."

"And all you gave him was his board."

"True; but that was more than he earned."

"I don't agree with you. It strikes me, Ezra,[Pg 183] that it is small business to take the boy's small capital and appropriate it to your own use."

Ezra Little looked incensed¹¹.

"Mr. Lawton," he said, "it strikes me that your interference is impertinent."

"On the contrary, as Scott has no one else to speak up for him, I consider that, as his near relative, it is my duty to do it."

"If you had attended to your own affairs, instead of meddling¹² with others, you would not be in danger of going to the poorhouse, as you are at present."

"Am I?" asked Seth, looking amused. "You seem to know a good deal about my affairs."

"I don't suppose you have a hundred dollars in the world. If you should be in need you mustn't expect me to help you."

"I shall not. You are pretty safe on that score, Ezra."

"I see you are poor and proud. However, I am glad to hear it."

"Then suppose we return to Scott's money. Are you prepared to give it back?"

"No, I am not."

"I don't think it will do you any good. Robbing the orphan——"

[Pg 184]

"Mr. Lawton, I will not submit to such insinuations. If Scott should lose his position, as he is likely to do if he is guided by your advice, I will help him out of the money in my hands."

"Very well; I will hold you to that. However, I don't think he is likely to be placed in that predicament."

"How much does he receive from Tower, Douglas & Co.?"

"More than you paid him. However, I will not occupy any more of your time. If you become ashamed of your meanness, you can let me know."

"Seth Lawton, I won't stand any more of your impertinence. You appear to forget who I am."

"I am not likely to forget who and what you are, Ezra. Good-evening!"

"The beggar!" soliloquized the merchant. "He need never expect any favors from me. He will yet repent¹³ his impertinence."

1 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。

2 apprehensions   

疑惧

参考例句：

• He stood in a mixture of desire and apprehensions. 他怀着渴望和恐惧交加的心情伫立着。
• But subsequent cases have removed many of these apprehensions. 然而，随后的案例又消除了许多类似的忧虑。

3 zealously   

adv.热心地；热情地；积极地；狂热地

参考例句：

• Of course the more unpleasant a duty was, the more zealously Miss Glover performed it. 格洛弗小姐越是对她的职责不满意，她越是去积极执行它。 来自辞典例句
• A lawyer should represent a client zealously within the bounds of the law. 律师应在法律范围内热忱为当事人代理。 来自口语例句

4 spoke   

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。

5 reimburse   

v.补偿，付还

参考例句：

• We'll reimburse you for your travelling expenses.我们将付还你旅费。
• The funds are supposed to reimburse policyholders in the event of insurer failure.这项基金将在保险公司不能偿付的情况下对投保人进行赔付。

6 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

7 criticise   

v.批评，评论；非难

参考例句：

• Right and left have much cause to criticise government.左翼和右翼有很多理由批评政府。
• It is not your place to criticise or suggest improvements!提出批评或给予改进建议并不是你的责任！

8 discreet   

adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的

参考例句：

• He is very discreet in giving his opinions.发表意见他十分慎重。
• It wasn't discreet of you to ring me up at the office.你打电话到我办公室真是太鲁莽了。

9 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

10 broached   

v.谈起( broach的过去式和过去分词 )；打开并开始用；用凿子扩大（或修光）；（在桶上）钻孔取液体

参考例句：

• She broached the subject of a picnic to her mother. 她向母亲提起野餐的问题。 来自辞典例句
• He broached the subject to the stranger. 他对陌生人提起那话题。 来自辞典例句

11 incensed   

盛怒的

参考例句：

• The decision incensed the workforce. 这个决定激怒了劳工大众。
• They were incensed at the decision. 他们被这个决定激怒了。

12 meddling   

v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He denounced all "meddling" attempts to promote a negotiation. 他斥责了一切“干预”促成谈判的企图。 来自辞典例句
• They liked this field because it was never visited by meddling strangers. 她们喜欢这块田野，因为好事的陌生人从来不到那里去。 来自辞典例句

13 repent   

v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔

参考例句：

• He has nothing to repent of.他没有什么要懊悔的。
• Remission of sins is promised to those who repent.悔罪者可得到赦免。