"Wall, they must be a pretty near set if they expect more'n twelve
per cent, on the capital. No, they're all right, 'though one of 'em,
that Mr. Merry, is mighty inquisitive 'bout small things. Marryin'
inter the Sawyer family 'counts for it, I s'pose."
Hiram was used to hearing covert slurs and open flings at the Sawyer
family, but had found replies only provocative of attacks upon
himself, so he listened in silence. Mr. Strout took up the letter. "I
wrote 'em 'bout startin' that new branch over to Westvale, and
although they answered in a kinder top-lofty style--I reckon that
young Merry writ the letter--I 'magine they're in for it, horse,
foot, and dragoons. They'll put up the money. An' the question now is
who'll go over and take charge of it."
Hiram put his pipe on the table. "There's two folks that don't want
to go, an' that's Mandy an' me. I don't s'pose the children would
find any fault, but they're not old enough to vote on the question."
Hiram knew that his partner was anxious to get him out of the
Fernborough store, and so he filed his objections at once.
"Oh," said Strout, "of course I didn't have no sech idee as askin'
you to go, even if you did know who was the best man for the job. The
snail thinks he's travelled a long ways when he goes a foot, an' some
men are jus' like him."
Hiram ignored the personal application.
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