t a tree,
and pretty near took a wheel off.

"Wal, Josh stayed, and as soon as he was able he took a-hold of
farm-work, and things went along for a time all quiet. One evening
Josh was sitting out at the corner of the house, smoking as usual, and
meditatin' in the way he had, when Gid came along and sat down on the
door-stone.

"''Bout time to have a business understanding, ain't it, Josh?' Gid
asked.

"'Yes, perhaps it is,' said Joshua.

"'Well then, ye'll answer a fair question. If ye continue to stay here,
where's the money for your board comin' from?'

"'Board?' says Josh.

"'Yes, board! You don't reckon to run a visit over three months, do ye?'

"'Why, I didn't think there'd be any question of this sort between us,
Gid.'

"'Business is business. If you'd had more business to you, you wouldn't
be a pauper now.'

"'A pauper!'

"'That's what I said. You deeded this place to Cynthy Marshall, didn't
ye? Well, she has deeded it to me. 'Tain't much of a husband that don't
have his property in his own name.'

"'But see here, Gideon, you know why I deeded this property. You know
how matters have come out. Between brothers in such a case there should
be no such thing as stickin' to the letter of deeds.'

"'Nearer the relatives be to ye, closer you ought to follow the law,'
snapped Gid, 'or else ye'll get cheated worse than by a stranger!'

"'He didn't seem to be takin' any of that to himself.'

"'I've been thinkin' I'd give half the place to Cynthy as a weddin'
present, and we could--'

"'Why, you've given it all to her, hain't ye?'

"Josh had to say yes, of course. Never was any hand to argue his own
rights."

"'Well, she has given it to me and it was hers to give. Now, I say, can
ye pay board?'

"'I haven't any money, Gid.'

"'Well, then, ye'll have to get a job somewhere. I don't need a hired
man just now. Ye won't starve, Josh. The gov'ment will take care of
soldiers,' he sneered. Then he got up and went into the house.

"That's the way it was told to me by Joshua Ward himself, Mr. Parker,"
concluded the postmaster. "He had to get out. He didn't have any money
to fight in law. He didn't want to stir up the thing on poor Cynthy's
account. And he was ashamed to have the whole world know how mean a man
he had for a brother."

"What has become of this Joshua?" asked the young man, his heart hot
with new and fresh bitterness against this unspeakable tyrant of the
timber country.

"Josh did what