“Now, I’ve tried and tried ’til I’m tired er tryin’ to sell Mr. Weston that piece er medder land er mine, ’n’ it would a been sold long ago if I hadn’t been bound to swap land instead er taking cash.”
“Yes, but I don’t see the great pint er not takin’ cash ef he’s fool enough to pay it,” said the second voice.
“Nearer to the Wall she crept”
“I don’t s’pose ye do, ’til I tell ye. Ye haven’t been here fer years, ’n’ only come yisterday, an’ ef you was anybody under the sun but my own brother, I wouldn’t tell ye now.”
How Randy’s heart beat! Surely, it was right to listen now. If any one meant to do her father harm, she must know it and warn him. Nearer to the wall she crept, with a stealth which she was unaware she possessed, and she tried to hush her breathing which came quick and hard.
“Just listen to this, Jim. My wife’s just got back from a visit to her folks, I forgit the name of the town, ’though it’s on my tongue’s end this minute, and while she was there she heard say that they’re goin’ to run a railroad through this part of the town, next summer, jest a sort er branch road from the one that goes through the centre, and my wife never let on that she was much interested; but she asked ’nough questions, kinder keerful like, and she found that ef they do build the road, and she says the folks down that way say they do really mean to, it’ll be straight across that little bit er rocky field, back er Weston’s barn. Now, I argy that Weston’s got money ’nough, and I mean ter keep at him ’til he agrees ter swap that ’ere little pesky, rocky field er his’n fer my piece er medder land. The more I urge him the less he seems ter want ter swap, an’ I even offered to throw in a good young steer to boot, an’ all the satisfaction I could git out er him was, ‘Wal’, I dunno what makes yer so anxious fer that little piece er land er mine.’