“Oh, I guess he’ll do, Colonel Price,” said Joe.
“My advice would be to turn him out and put somebody else in his place, one of the old, respectable heads of the profession here, like Judge Burns.”
“I wouldn’t like to do that, colonel,” said Joe.
“Well, we’ll see how he behaves,” the colonel yielded, seeing 183 that Joe felt in honor bound to Hammer, now that he had engaged him. “We can put somebody else in if he goes to cuttin’ up too many didoes and capers.”
Joe agreed that they could, and gave his mother a great deal of comfort and assurance by his cheerful way of facing what lay ahead of him. He told her not to worry on his account, and not to come too often and wear herself out in the long walk.
“Look after the chickens and things, Mother,” said he, “and I’ll be out of here in two weeks to help you along. There’s ten dollars coming to you from Isom’s; you collect that and buy yourself some things.”
He told her of the order that he had given Hammer for the retaining fee, and asked her to take it up.
“I’ll make it up to you, Mother, when I get this thing settled and can go to work again,” said he.
Tears came into her eyes, but no trace of emotion was to be marked by any change in her immobile face.
“Lord bless you, son, it all belongs to you!” she said.