Approximately how old was Tom Chaney?

• A. About thirty years old
• B. About twenty years old
• C. About forty years old
• D. About twenty-five years old

Answer: (D)

Tom Chaney is described as a young man in the story, not a boy or an older veteran. The text places him in his mid-twenties, so about twenty-five years old is the closest fit. This captures him as capable and impulsive, yet not aged into a long, hardened life of crime. The other ages would imply a different level of experience or maturity than what the narrative conveys.