The boy had appeared at the mill door first, and he stepped down and would have taken the bag of grain out of the wagon, had not the miller himself suddenly appeared and said, in his stern way:
"Let it be."
"Hi, Jabe!" cackled Jasper. "Don't be mean about it. He's younger than me, or you. Let him shoulder the sack into the mill."
"The sack isn't coming into the mill," said Jabez, shortly.
"What? what?" cried Parloe. "You haven't retired from business; have you, miller? Ye ain't got so wealthy that ye ain't goin' to grind any more?"
"I grind for those whom it pleases me to grind for," said the miller, sternly.
"Then take in the bag, boy," said Jasper, still grinning.
But Mr. Potter waved the boy away, and stood looking at Jasper with folded arms and a heavy frown upon his face.
"Come, come, Jabe! you keep a mill. You grind for the public, you know," said Jasper.
"I grind no more for you," rejoined the miller. "I have told you so. Get you gone, Jasper Parloe."