"That old pirate? No wonder there was n't anything left."
"He was a leetle hard," she admitted. "I wanted Jim to go back an' take it after father died, but he couldn't seem to make a deal with the deacon."
"I s'pose not. No one this side of the devil himself will ever make a square deal with him. He 's still as strong in the church as ever?"
She smiled.
"I see by the Berringdon paper that he begun some revival meetin's in town."
"Which means he 's just put through some particularly thievish deal and wants to ease his conscience. Have you the paper? Perhaps the sale is advertised there."
She found the paper and ran a finger down the columns until she came to the item.
"Makes you feel sort of queer," she said, "to see the old place for sale. Almost like slaves must ha' felt to see their own in the market."
She read slowly,
"'Nice farm for sale cheap; story and a half frame house, good barn, ten acres of land, and a twenty-acre pasture lot. $1800. Apply to A. F. Staples, Berringdon, Vermont.'