eville and its
vicinity. Dr. Hayes exhibited the inevitable quinine, iron, and all the
tonics in his pharmacopoeia, with cough mixtures and sundry, but in
vain. Aunt Polly pressed bottles of sovereign decoctions and infusions
upon him--which were received with thanks and neglected with the
blackest ingratitude--and exhausted not only the markets of Homeville,
but her own and Sairy's culinary resources (no mean ones, by the way)
to tempt the appetite which would not respond. One week followed another
without any improvement in his condition; and indeed as time went on he
fell into a condition of irritable listlessness which filled his partner
with concern.

"What's the matter with him, Doc?" said David to the physician. "He
don't seem to take no more int'rist than a foundered hoss. Can't ye do
nothin' for him?"

"Not much use dosin' him," replied the doctor. "Pull out all right, may
be, come warm weather. Big strong fellow, but this cussed influenzy, or
grip, as they call it, sometimes hits them hardest."

"Wa'al, warm weather 's some way off," remarked Mr. Harum, "an' he
coughs enough to tear his head off sometimes."

The doctor nodded. "Ought to clear out somewhere," he said. "Don't like
that cough myself."

"What do you mean?" asked David.

"Ought to go 'way for a spell," said the doctor; "quit working, and get
a change of climate."

"Have you told him so?" asked Mr. Harum.

"Yes," replied the doctor; "said he couldn't get away."

"H'm'm!" said David thoughtfully, pinching his lower lip between his
thumb and finger.

A day or two after the foregoing interview, John came in and laid an
open letter in front of David, who was at his desk, and dropped
languidly into a chair without speaking. Mr. Harum read the letter,
smiled a little, and turning in his chair, took off his glasses and
looked at the young man, who was staring abstractedly at the floor.

"I ben rather expectin' you'd git somethin' like this. What be you goin'
to do about it?"

"I don't know," replied John. "I don't like the idea of leasing the
property in any case, and certainly not on the terms they offer; but it
is lying idle, and I'm paying taxes on it----"

"Wa'al, as I said, I ben expectin' fer some time they'd be after ye in
some shape. You got this this mornin'?"

"Yes."

"I expect you'd sell the prop'ty if you got a good chance, wouldn't ye?"

"With the utmost pleasure," said John emphatically.

"Wa'al, I've got a notion they'