"How you have grown, Andy!" she said. "And you are looking so well, too!
Do you have to work very hard?"
"Hard work agrees with me, mother. No; I don"t hurt myself."
"I wish I could be here when the squire comes for the interest," Andy said, later.
"He will call this evening. You will see him," said Sterling Grant.
"Then I shall be sure to stay at home."
Meanwhile, at the house of Squire Carter, there was a conference between father and son.
Conrad had a new and bright idea. He had always coveted Andy"s boat, which, as we know, was much better than his own had been. It occurred to him that here would be a good opportunity to get it for a trifle.
"Pa," he said, "will you do me a favor?"
"What is it?" asked his father, suspiciously.
"You know I haven"t got a boat now. Won"t you let Mr. Grant pay part of the interest in Andy"s boat?"
"What do I want with the boat?" asked the squire, impatiently.
"Pa, you can make a great bargain. I hear that it cost seventy-five dollars. You can allow the farmer twenty dollars, and sell it for forty dollars cash."
"I don"t know about that."
But the squire"s tone was less decided. He liked a bargain, and he knew that there was some reason in what Conrad said.
"Mr. Grant might not feel at liberty to sell his son"s boat," he argued.
"Andy would let him. He thinks a good deal of his family."
"I"ll think of it; but I intended to propose taking two of his cows."
"That you can do next time. Probably he won"t have the interest six months from now."
"I"ll see about it."
"There is one other thing; you would have a better chance to sell the boat for a profit than the cows."
"Well, Conrad, I will think of it, as I said. I am going around to Farmer Grant"s this evening, and I will broach the subject."
Later in the day Conrad met Jimmy Morris.
"Have you heard the news, Conrad?" asked Jimmy.
"What is it?"
"Andy Grant is in Arden. He arrived from the city this morning."
"I am glad to hear it."
"Why? Are you and Andy such great friends?"
"It isn"t on account of friendship; it"s on account of business."
"What business?"
"I can"t tell you, but you will very likely hear soon."
Conrad hoped to meet Andy and broach the subject of buying the boat. He decided from his knowledge of the farmer"s son that, much as he valued his boat, he would be willing to sacrifice it for the sake of his father. In this thought he paid an unconscious tribute to Andy, for in similar circ.u.mstances he would have been incapable of anything so unselfish.
About half-past seven, Andy, looking out of the window, saw the stately and dignified figure of Squire Carter coming up the front path.
"The squire is coming, father," he said. "I want you to look sober, just as if you were unprepared to pay the interest."
Squire Carter had already been informed by Conrad that Andy was in the village. He showed no surprise, therefore, when he saw him.
He had also been down to the river and taken a look at Andy"s boat. He could see that it was a very handsome one, and doubtless worth as much as Conrad reported.
"So you have come home, Andrew?" he said.
"Yes, Squire Carter."
"You haven"t lost your place, have you?"
"No, sir. I have come home on a visit."
"Ahem! You arrived at an unfortunate time for your father. He has had bad luck. Things seem to have gone against him."
"So I heard, sir."
"If you had been at home to help him on the farm, things would have been different, maybe."
"I hope to help him by staying in the city."
"That isn"t very likely. I don"t approve, for my part, of boys leaving home to work."
"I think I shall succeed in the end, sir."
"Ahem! I have no doubt you think so, but boys like you haven"t much judgment. I suppose you know that interest is due on the mortgage for the first six months, and that your father can"t meet it."
"I have heard so, Squire Carter."
"As a friend of your father I have a plan to propose that may make things easy for him. I am glad to see you, for a part of my business is with you."