Chester Rand; or, The New Path to Fortune

HORATIO ALGER, Jr.
AUTHOR OF “ANDY GRANT’S PLUCK,” “SINK OR SWIM,” “ADRIFT IN NEW YORK.”
NEW YORK HURST & COMPANY PUBLISHERS
Transcriber’s Note: Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. Dialect spellings, contractions and discrepancies have been retained. The Table of Contents was not contained in the book and has been created for the convenience of the reader.
CONTENTS
CHESTER RAND.

CHAPTER I.
SILAS TRIPP.
Probably the best known citizen of Wyncombe, a small town nestling among the Pennsylvania mountains, was Silas Tripp. He kept the village store, occasionally entertained travelers, having three spare rooms, was town treasurer, and conspicuous in other local offices.
The store was in the center of the village, nearly opposite the principal church—there were two—and here it was that the townspeople gathered to hear and discuss the news.
Silas Tripp had one assistant, a stout, pleasant-looking boy of fifteen, who looked attractive, despite his well-worn suit. Chester Rand was the son of a widow, who lived in a tiny cottage about fifty rods west of the Presbyterian church, of which, by the way, Silas Tripp was senior deacon, for he was a leader in religious as well as secular affairs.