“Assuredly. I always read every paper. If they don't want me to know what the agreement is, they can take it to some other Notary,” declared the storekeeper with a jolly laugh.
“And you are sure that the option was to run a year?”
“Of course the option's all right—Hold on! A year, did you say? Why—seems to me—let's look this thing up,” concluded Caleb Schell, suddenly.
He dived into his little office and produced a ledger from the safe. This he slapped down on the counter between them.
“I'm a careful man, I am,” he told Hiram. “And I flatter myself I've got a good memory, too. Pepper was in here yesterday sputtering about the option and I remember now that he spoke of its running a year.
“But it seems to me,” said Schell, pawing over the leaves of his ledger, “that the talk between him and old Uncle Jeptha was for a short time. The old man was mighty cautious—mighty cautious.”
“That's what Mr. Pollock says,” cried Hiram, eagerly.
“But you've seen the option?
“Yes.”
“And it reads a year?