Queechy | Page 7

mien which nature had stamped upon that of his brother.
[Illustration: She made a long job of her bunch of holly.]
"Fine morning, eh?" said he. "I'm getting in my corn stalks."
"So I see," said Mr. Ringgan. "How do you find the new way of curing them answer?"
"Fine as ever you see. Sweet as a nut. The cattle are mad after them. How are you going to be off for fodder this winter?"
"It's more than I can tell you," said Mr. Ringgan. "There ought to be more than plenty; but Didenhover contrives to bring everything out at the wrong end. I wish I was rid of him."
"He'll never get a berth with me, I can tell you," said uncle Joshua laughing.
"Brother," said Mr. Ringgan, lowering his tone again, "have you any loose cash you could let me have for six months or so?"
Uncle Joshua took a meditative look down the road, turned a quid of tobacco in his cheek, and finally brought his eyes again to Mr. Ringgan and answered.
"Well, I don't see as I can," said he. "You see Josh is just a going to set up for himself at Kenton, and he'll want some help of me; and I expect that'll be about as much as I can manage to lay my hands on."
"Do you know who has any that he would be likely to lend?" said Mr. Ringgan.
"No, I don't. Money is rather scarce. For your rent, eh?"
"Yes, for my rent! The farm brings me in nothing but my living. That Didenhover is ruining me, brother Joshua."
"He's feathering his own nest, I reckon."
"You may swear to that. There wa'n't as many bushels of grain, by one-fourth, when they were threshed out last year, as I had calculated there would be in the field. I don't know what on earth he could have done with it. I suppose it'll be the same thing over this year."
"Maybe he has served you as Deacon Travis was served by one of his help last season--the rascal bored holes in the granary floor and let out the corn so, and Travis couldn't contrive how his grain went till the floor was empty next spring, and then he see how it was."
"Ha!--did he catch the fellow?"
"Not he--he had made tracks before that. A word in your ear--I wouldn't let Didenhover see much of his salary till you know how he will come out at the end."
"He has got it already!" said Mr. Ringgan, with a nervous twitch at the old mare's head; "he wheedled me out of several little sums on one pretence and another,--he had a brother in New York that he wanted to send some to, and goods that he wanted to get out of pawn, and so on,--and I let him have it! and then there was one of those fatting steers that he proposed to me to let him have on account, and I thought it was as good a way of paying him as any; and that made up pretty near the half of what was due to him."
"I warrant you his'n was the fattest of the whole lot. Well, keep a tight hold of the other half, brother Elzevir, that's my advice to you."
"The other half he was to make upon shares."
"Whew I--well--I wish you well rid of him; and don't make such another bargain again. Good-day to ye!"
It was with a keen pang that little Fleda saw the down-hearted look of her grandfather as again he pave the old mare notice to move on. A few minutes passed in deep thought on both sides.
"Grandpa," said Fleda, "wouldn't Mr. Jolly perhaps know of somebody that might have some money to lend?"
"I declare!" said the old gentleman after a moment, "that's not a bad thought. I wonder I didn't have it myself."
They turned about, and without any more words measured back their way to Queechy Run. Mr. Jolly came out again, brisk and alert as ever; but after seeming to rack his brains in search of any actual or possible money-lender was obliged to confess that it was in vain; he could not think of one.
"But I'll tell you what, Mr. Ringgan," he concluded, "I'll turn it over in my mind to-night and see if I can think of any thing that'll do, and if I can I'll let you know. If we hadn't such a nether millstone to deal with, it would be easy enough to work it somehow."
So they set forth homewards again.
"Cheer up, dear!" said the old gentleman heartily, laying one hand on his little granddaughter's lap,--"it will be arranged somehow. Don't you worry your little head with business. God will take care of us."
"Yes, grandpa!" said the little girl, looking up with an instant sense of relief at these words; and then looking down again immediately