“I'm heartily glad to see you again,” he exclaimed as he wrung Quincy's helpless hand after the first surprise of the meeting. “Huldy'll be delighted too. You must come down and tell us all about it. Just to think—more'n twenty years—but you're looking well.”
Quincy assured him that his health was never better.
“What I wanted to see you about are affairs in Fernborough. What is Strout up to?”
“You've used just the right word. He's up to something. He's got up a sign—O. Strout, Fine Groceries—an' says Hiram's out of the firm, and that he owns the whole business.”
Quincy smiled. “So, I've got to fight it out with him again, have I? Well it will be the final conflict. To use Mr. Strout's words, one or the other of us will have to leave town. You aren't going back to-night?”
“Oh, I must.”
“Well, come up to the house first and see Alice and the boy. Well go down to-morrow.”