“There’ll be lively times soon, I reckon,” he said to himself, complacently.
CHAPTER XL.
THE BRACKETTS ARE CHECKMATED.
Mr. and Mrs. Brackett got home about four o’clock. They had been talking over the proposal to pay White a hundred dollars cash, but had not been able to make up their minds to do it.
In fact, paying out ready money seemed as bad to Mrs. Brackett—whose mean, parsimonious disposition has already been referred to—as having a tooth drawn.
Indeed, I may say, confidentially, that she would have preferred to lose half a dozen teeth rather than part with a hundred dollars.
“We’ll put George off,” she said to her husband, as they were riding home. “We’ll pretend that we are trying to raise the money, but can’t do it. Perhaps he will get impatient and agree to take less. A hundred dollars is an outrageous price for such a small job.”
“So I think, Lucindy,” chimed in her husband. “Really your brother seems to me very grasping.”
“So he is, and very extravagant besides. He could squander more money in a week than we could lay by in six months.”
Of course they would not have dared to discuss the subject in presence of the children; but they had been left behind, with the exception of the youngest, two years of age, to spend the afternoon with some juvenile companions.