"Just so," said the farmer. "Still, I should like to have you give me a paper, agreein' to give Ephraim a position. Then I should feel safe."
"I see no objection to that," said Clayton. "I'll make it out here."
He sat down at the table, and in a few minutes handed Ezekiel Onthank the following agreement:
"In consideration of a hundred and fifty dollars paid to me by Mr. Ezekiel Onthank, of Orange County, New York, I hereby promise to give his son Ephraim a place in my Wall Street office, with a salary to begin with of seventy-five dollars per month. The engagement is to commence on the first of next month.
Clarence Clayton."
"Is that satisfactory, Mr. Onthank?" he asked.
"I reckon so," said the farmer, reading the document slowly. "Do you want the money to-day?"
"Certainly."
"Then I will go and get it."
Mr. Clayton leaned back in his chair in a pleasant frame of mind. He chuckled to himself as he thought of the ease with which he had imposed upon his rural dupe.