“Yes. I see,” said Jeffrey. “But––”
“No buts at all about it, young man,” said Rogers, waving his hand. “The people have got to sell. If they give options at once––within thirty days––they’ll get more than a fair price for their land. If they don’t––if they hold off––their farms will be condemned as forest land. And you know how much that brings.
“You people will be the first. You can ask almost anything for your land. You’ll get it. And, what is more, I am able to offer you, Whiting, a very liberal commission on every option you can get me within the time I have said. This is the thing that I can’t do. It’s the thing that I want you to do.
“You’ll do it. I know you will, when you get time to think it over. Here are the options,” said the big man, pulling a packet of folded papers out of his pocket. “They cover every farm in the section. All you have to do is to get the people to write their names once. Then your 53 work is done. We’ll do the rest and your commissions will be waiting for you. Some better than law school, eh?”
“But say,” Jeffrey stammered, “say, that means, why, that means my mother and the folks here, why, they’d have to get out; they’d have to leave their home!”
“Of course,” said Rogers easily. “A man like you isn’t going to keep his family up on top of this rock very long. Why, young fellow, you’ll have the best home in Lowville for them, where they can live in style, in less than six months. Do you think your mother wants to stay here after you’re gone. You were going away. Did you think,” he said shrewdly, “what life up here would be worth to your mother while you were away. No, you’re just like all boys. You wanted to get away yourself. But you never thought what a life this is for her.
“Why, boy, she’s a young woman yet. You can take her out and give her a chance to live. Do you hear, a chance to live.
“Think it over.”
Jeffrey Whiting thought, harder and faster than he had ever tried to think in his life. But he could make nothing of it.
He thought of the people, old and young, on the hills, suddenly set adrift from their homes. He thought of his mother and Uncle Cassius and 54 Aunt Letitia without their real home to come back to. And he thought of money––illimitable money: money that could do everything.