“It wasn’t fair!” the boy went on. “We should have got more for it!”
“Hush, Larry. Don’t say it wasn’t fair,” said his mother. “You should accuse no one.”
“But I heard Mr. Mortland going around and telling people not to bid on it, as the title wasn’t good,” the boy declared. “He wanted to scare them from bidding so he could get the property cheap.”
“But he didn’t buy it,” said Mrs. Dexter. “It went to Mr. Morrison.”
“Yes, and he bought it with the money Mr. Mortland supplied him,” Larry cried. “I saw through the whole game. It was a trick of Mr. Mortland’s to get the farm, and he’ll have it in a few weeks. Oh, how I wish I was a man! I’d show them something!”
“Larry, dear,” said his mother reprovingly, and then the boy noticed, for the first time, that others were in the room.
“Of course I haven’t any proof,” Larry continued, “for I only saw Mr. Mortland hand Mr. Morrison some money and heard him tell him to make the last bid. But I have my suspicions, just the same. Why, mother, there will be nothing left for us.”
“That’s what I was telling Mrs. Olney and Mrs. Peterkins,” said Mrs. Dexter with a sigh. “I don’t know how we can get to New York, when railroad fares are so high.”
“I’ll tell you what we must do, mother!” exclaimed Larry.
“What, son?”