"Ain't you going home?" asked Hiram.
"Not jest yet; I've some thinkin' to do. I don't take much stock in
fightin' but I'd like to punch Abner Stiles' head."
"What's he been doing?"
"Why, didn't you hear what he said he said to that crazy fellow about
Sawyer getting the best of me at my own game?"
"Wall, he told the truth, didn't he, Strout?"
"Look here, Mr. Hiram Maxwell, I want you to understand that if we
are to continue together as partners in this 'ere grocery business,
there must be mutual respect atween us."
"Wall," said Hiram, "I s'pose you mean by that, that ef I ain't what
you consider respec'ful to you, you'll get out and leave me the
business. You see, Obadiah, it's not for you or me to say who'll stay
in--that's for the trustees. So, I wouldn't lay down the law too
fine, Obadiah."
"Wall, I hoped," said Strout, "that when that Sawyer married 'Zeke
Pettingill's sister and left this town that we'd be able to have a
little peace round here and run things our own way. Course, I don't
want any man to get drowned, but it wasn't my fault that the ship he
was on ran into another. He was allus runnin' into somethin' that
didn't concern him. But bein' he's gone, and no blame can be laid at
my door, I thought we'd heard the last of him, but since he's died
the air's fuller of Sawyer than it was afore. It makes me sick the
way everybody tumbles over themselves to make of that boy of his'n.
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