"Thanks. Do you know this boy?"
"Never saw him before," answered Mr. Spence. Then, as Jim started to make his way outward through the crowd, he laid a firmly detaining hand upon his shoulder and forced him to remain or again resort to violence. "But I'll find out, sir, if you wish."
"Do so, please. Or I presume a constable can do that for me. As for you, young ruffian—we shall meet again."
With that the gentleman flicked off some of the dust which had lodged upon his fine clothing, again carefully readjusted his glasses, and stepped out to the smart little trap awaiting his convenience. Everything about the equipage and his own appearance betokened wealth, as well as did the almost servile attentions of his fellow townsmen; though one old man to whom he was a stranger inquired:
"That the fellow who's built that fine house on the Heights, beyond Deerhurst?"
Mr. Spence wheeled about and demanded in surprise:
"What? you here, Winters? And don't you know your own mountain neighbors? Did you see the whole affair?"
"I do not know that gentleman, though, of course, I do know his employees, who have brought his horses to me to be shod. Nor do I call anybody a 'neighbor' till I've found him such. The accident of living side by side can't make neighbors. My paper, please? We're going to have a glorious day."
It was noticeable that while the roughly clad old man was speaking, the excited voices of the others in the office had quieted entirely, and that as he received his weekly paper—his "one extravagance"—they also remembered and attended to the business which had brought them there.
As Mr. Winters left the place he laid his hand upon Jim's shoulder and said: