“That’s all right, then,” says Catty. “Don’t s’pose we kin take a look at the furniture, so’s if we don’t like it you kin be orderin’ in what we want?”
“No chance,” says the clerk. “Kinderhook don’t let nobody into those rooms, and he sets by and keeps his eye on the chambermaid when she’s makin’ the beds.”
“Well,” says Catty, “if we can’t we can’t. Much obleeged. Let us know the minute we kin move in.”
“I sure will,” says the clerk, and we went out, slow, but tickled. Catty had found out just what we wanted to know and nobody in the world could have told he had been trying to find out. We knew now just where Kinderhook’s rooms were, and that was something. But, after all, when you come to think of it, it wasn’t such a lot, after all. There’s a heap of difference between knowing bees has a hive in a certain tree and gittin’ the honey out of it without gittin’ stung.
When we got out on the porch there was Captain Winton and Mr. Wade talking to Kinderhook, and we stood where we could sort of hear what they was saying.
“Apparently,” says Captain Winton, “you have been persuaded to part with quite a little of your stock, Mr. Kinderhook.”
“Why, yes,” says he. “I’ve got about all the money a man can reasonably use, and it looked as if I ought to give the people here a chance to make some, too. I didn’t intend to sell a share, but I’ve got to like this town and the people and I’d like to help them and have them for partners, as it were.”
“Does you credit,” says Captain Winton, “and I’m sure the town is much obliged. It will mean quite a little money.”
“Quite a little,” says Kinderhook.
“Some of us have been talking it over,” says Captain Winton, “and we’ve dropped in to make a sort of proposition to you. You understand we mean no reflection upon you, no criticism whatever, but inasmuch as this town is going to invest a great deal of money on your bare word, as it were, we feel, before we hand over the cash, that we ought to be assured of the efficiency of your churn.” Kinderhook looked at him a minute and then smiled as pleased as could be. “Why, certainly you should be,” says he.