In talking with one storekeeper Hiram mentioned the fact that he was going to look at the Atterson place with a view to farming it for its new owner. When he walked out of the store he found himself accosted by a lean, snaky-looking man who had stood within the store the moment before.
"What's this widder woman goin' to do with the farm old Jeptha left her?" inquired the man, looking at Hiram slyly.
"We don't know yet, sir, what we shall do with it," the young fellow replied.
"You her son?"
"No. I may work for her--can't tell till I've looked at the place.""It ain't much to look at," said the man, quickly. "I come near buying it once, though. In fact--"He hesitated, still eyeing Hiram sideways. The boy waited for him to speak again. He did not wish to be impolite; but he did not like the man's appearance.
"What do y' reckon this Mis' Atterson would sell for?" finally demanded the man.
"She has been advised not to sell--at present." "Who by?""Mr. Strickland, the lawyer."
"Humph! Mebbe I'd buy it--and give her a good price for it--right now.""What do you consider a good price?" asked Hiram, quietly. "Twelve hundred dollars," said the man.
"I will tell her. But I do not think she would sell for that price--nothing like it, in fact.""Well, mebbe she'll feel different when she comes to think it over. No use for a woman trying to run a farm. And if she has to pay for everything to be done, she'll be in a hole at the end of the season. I guess she ain't thought of that?""It wouldn't be my place to point it out to her," returned Hiram, "coolly,if it were so, and I wanted to work for her.""Humph! Mebbe not. Well, my name's Pepper. Mebbe I'll be out to see her some day," he said, and turned away.
"He's one of the people who will discourage Mrs. Atterson," thought Hiram. "And he has an axe to grind. If I decide to take the job of ****** this farm pay, I'm going to have the agreement in black and white with Mrs. Atterson; for there will be a raft of Job's comforters, perhaps when we get settled on the place."It was late in the afternoon before Hiram was ready to start for the farm itself. He had made some enquiries, and had decided to stop at a neighbor's for overnight, instead of going to the house where a lone woman had been left in charge by Mrs. Atterson.
The Pollocks had been recommended to Hiram, and by leaving the road within half a mile of the Atterson farm, and cutting across the fields, he came into the dooryard of the Pollock place. A well-grown boy, not much older than himself, was splitting some chunks at the woodpile. He stopped work to gaze at the visitor with much curiosity.
"From what they told me in town," Hi said, holding out his hand with a smile, "you must be Henry Pollock?"The boy blushed, but awkwardly took and shook Hi's hand.
"That's what they call me--Henry Pollock--when they don't call me Hen.""Well, I'll make a bargain with you, Henry," laughed Hiram. "I don't like to have my name cut off short, either. My name's Hiram Strong. So if you'll agree to always call me `Hiram' I'll always call you `Henry.'""It's a go!" returned the other, shaking hands again. "You going to live around here? Or are you jest visiting?""I don't know yet," confessed Hiram, sitting down beside the boy. "You see, I've come out to look at the Atterson place.""That's right over yonder. You can see the roof if you stand up," said Henry, quickly.
Hiram stood up and, in the light of the early sunset, he caught a glimpse of the roof in question.
"Your folks going to buy it of the old lady Uncle Jeptha left"it to?
asked Henry, with pardonable curiosity. "Or are you"going to rent it?""What do you think of renting it?" queried Hiram, showing that he had Yankee blood in him by answering one question with another.
"Well--it's pretty well run down, and that's a fact. The old man couldn't do much the last few years, and them ****ersons who farmed it for him ain't no great shakes of farmers, now I tell you!""Well, I want to look the farm over before I decide what I'll do," said Hiram, slowly. "And of course I can't do that to-night. They told me in town that sometimes you take boarders?""In the summer we do," returned Henry.
"Do you think your folks will put me up overnight?""Why, I reckon so--Hiram Strong, did you say your name was? Come right in," added Henry, hospitably, "and I'll ask mother."
