ce to his nephew."

"Mebbe so," answered Silas, dubiously. "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?"

"Considerably 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."

CHAPTER XXVIII.

PROF. NUGENT.

Chester still went three times a week to the house of Prof. Hazlitt. He
was getting on fast with the professor's work.

"I think I shall go to press with my book before the end of the year,"
said the professor, one evening, as Chester was taking his leave. "In
my preface I shall mention your name, Chester, as my artistic
collaborator."

"Couldn't you mention my name, too, Uncle Edgar?" asked Arthur Burks.

"In what way?" inquired the professor smiling.

"You can say that I supervised the illustrations," answered Arthur,
demurely.

"I am