A STRANGER IN NEW YORK.
It was not often that Silas Tripp went to New York. The expense was a
consideration, and again he found it difficult to leave his business.
But he had received a circular from an investment company in Wall
Street, offering ten per cent. interest for any money he might have to
invest. High interest always attracts men who love money, and it so
happened that Silas had five hundred dollars invested. The difference
between six and ten per cent. interest on this sum would make twenty
dollars annually, besides a contingent share in extra profits promised
in the circular, and on the whole he thought it would pay him to make
the journey.
He went at once to the office of Messrs. Gripp & Co., on his arrival in
the city. He found the financial agents occupying handsome offices,
well furnished and covered with a thick Turkey carpet. Everything
betokened prosperity, and Mr. Tripp was dazzled. The result was that he
made the investment and laid away in his old-fashioned wallet five new
bonds, assuring a dividend of ten per cent.
“I calc’late it’s safe,” he said to Mr. Gripp, a stout man with a
florid face, expensively dressed and sporting a large and showy diamond
ring.
“Assuredly, my dear sir,” said Gripp, with suavity. “I congratulate
you, Mr. Tripp, on making an unusually profitable investment. I venture
to say that within the year, besides the regular dividend, there will
be an extra dividend of five per cent., making fifteen per cent. in
all. It is a pity you had not more invested.”
“Mebby I’ll bring you in some more bimeby,” said Mr. Tripp, cautiously.
“I trust you will, for your own sake. To us it is not important, as we
have plenty of capital offered. Indeed, we have had to limit
investments to five thousand dollars for each person. Why, a
millionaire, whose name would be very familiar to you if I could
venture to mention it, came here last week and wanted to invest fifty
thousand dollars in our bonds, but I firmly refused to take more than
five thousand.”
“I don’t see why you should,” said Silas, puzzled.
“I will tell you why. We wish to give a chance to smaller investors,
like yourself, for instance. Rich men have plenty of ways in which to
invest their money to advantage, while you probably don’t know where to
get over six per cent.”
“No; I never got more’n that.”
“I dare say you have considerable invested at that small interest.”
“Well, mebbe.”
“Think how much it would be for your advantage to get four per cent.
more.”
“To be sure, sartin! Well, I’ll think of it, Mr. Gripp. Mebbe I’ll come
and see you ag’in soon.”
Mr. Gripp smiled to himself. He saw that the bait was likely to prove
effective.
“Well, good-by, Mr. Gripp. You’ll send me any information about the
bonds?”
“Yes, Mr. Tripp, with pleasure. Whenever you are in the city, even if
you have no business with us, make our office your home. Whenever you
have any letters to write, we will furnish you a desk and all
facilities.”
“Thank you, Mr. Gripp; you’re very obleeging.”
So the old man went out, feeling very complacent over his new
investment, and much pleased with the handsome way he was treated by
Mr. Gripp.
“Lemme see,” he reflected. “I’ve got five thousand dollars invested. At
ten per cent. it would amount to five hundred dollars, and with an
extra dividend of two hundred and fifty dollars more. I’ll have to
think it over. All seems safe and square, and Mr. Gripp is a real
gentleman.”
Silas Tripp looked at his watch. It was only half-past ten. How should
he occupy his spare time?
“I guess I’ll go and see Chester Rand,” he said. “His mother told me
where he was working. Perhaps he’ll know of some cheap place where I
can get dinner. The last time I was in the city it cost me forty cents.
That’s a terrible price.”
Mr. Tripp knew the location of Mr. Fairchild’s office, and after some
inquiry he found his way there. He felt so much like a stranger in the
big city that he anticipated with pleasure seeing a familiar face.
Perhaps Chester would invite him out to lunch, and Mr. Tripp, in his
frugality, would not have declined the offer even of an office boy, as
long as it would save him expense.
Felix Gordon was just leaving the office on an errand.
“Is that Mr. Fairchild’s office?” inquired Silas.
“Yes,” answered Felix, with rather a disdainful glance at Silas Tripp’s
rusty garments.
“Much obleeged to ye,” said Silas.
He entered the office and glanced about, expecting to see Chester.
David Mullins came forward, and with some show of civility greeted the
old country merchant. Though he was not naturally polite, he knew that
the size of a man’s purse could not always be judged from the cut or
quality of his garments, and he was just as ready to make money out of
Silas as out of any fashionably dressed customer.
“Is Mr. Fairchild in?” asked Silas.
“No; Mr. Fairchild is out West. I am Mr. Mullins, his bookkeeper, and
represent him.”
“Just so! Have you a boy workin’ for you named Chester—Chester Rand?”
“Are you a friend of his?” asked the bookkeeper.
“Well, yes. I come from Wyncombe, where he lives, and I know his folks.
I was told he was workin’ here.”
“Yes, he was working here,” answered Mullins, emphasizing the past
tense.
“Isn’t he here now?” demanded Silas, with surprise.
“No.”
“How’s that?”
“It’s rather a delicate matter, as you are a friend of his, but some
days since I was obliged to discharge him.”
“You don’t say!” ejaculated Silas, in manifest surprise.
“I am sorry to say it.”
“But what was the matter? What did he do?”
“Well, as to that, he did nothing very serious, but he wasted time when
he was sent out on an errand, and I felt that it was injurious to the
interests of Mr. Fairchild to retain him.”
“He used to be spry enough when he worked for me.”
“When he worked for you?”
“Yes. I keep a store out in Wyncombe, and he was in my employ most a
year. I used to think him quite a lively boy.”
“I dare say he would do very well in a country store, but in the city
we want boys to be active and wide awake. I don’t want to say anything
against him. He was perfectly honest, so far as I know.”
“Has he got another place?”
“I don’t think he has. It is difficult for a boy to get a place in this
city—that is, a good place, and he wouldn’t be likely to refer any
employer to me.”
“I’m afraid he’ll be put to it to live, for his mother was poor. How
much wages did you pay him?”
“Five dollars a week.”
“That’s pretty high pay.”
“So it is, and we expect a first-class boy for that.”
“Have you got a better boy in his place?”
“Yes; I have taken in a cousin of mine who knows my ways and satisfies
me.”
“Was it the boy I saw just after I came in—a dark-complexioned boy
with black hair?”
“Yes, that is Felix.”
“And you find him better than Chester?”
“Yes.”
Silas Tripp did not make any comments, but he had not been very
favorably impressed by the little he had seen of Chester’s successor.
“Mebbe Chester isn’t adapted to the city,” Silas said.
“I think you are right. It would be better for him to go back into your
store, but country boys fancy they must come to the city and become
city business men.”
“That’s so. Mebbe I wouldn’t succeed in the city myself, though I’m
doin’ a tidy business in Wyncombe. I’d like to see Chester. Can you
tell me where he lives?”
“No, I haven’t his address.”
“I wonder he hasn’t gone back home. Mebbe he hasn’t got the money.”
“I presume you are correct in your conjecture.”
“His mother hasn’t said anything to me about Chester bein’ out of work.
I’m surprised at that.”
“Perhaps he did not like to tell her.”
“Very like, very like! I’m really sorry to hear Chester ain’t done no
better.”
“He isn’t quite up to our mark, but I dare say he will do very well in
the country or in some small business.”
“Are you doin’ a large business? You don’t seem to have much stock
here.”
“My dear sir, we can’t get brownstone houses and country villas into an
office like this.”
“Is that what you sell?”
“Yes; I sold a fifty-thousand-dollar house this morning up on
Forty-fifth Street, and yesterday I sold a summer hotel for forty
thousand dollars. Our commission in each case would be several hundred
dollars.”
“Sho! Well, you be doin’ a good business. Can you tell where I can get
a good dinner moderate?”
Felix came in at this moment.
“Felix,” said his cousin, “you may keep the office while I go out to
lunch. Mr. —— You didn’t tell me your name.”
“Silas Tripp.”
“Mr. Tripp, it will give me pleasure if you will go out and take lunch
with me.”
“Well, I am sure you’re very polite,” said Silas, pleased to think he
would be saved expense; “I’m much obliged.”
So the two went out together. Mullins continued to say considerable
that was derogatory to Chester, and left Mr. Tripp under the impression
that he was a failure so far as New York business was concerned.