powerful good company, Ellen."

"So be you, James."

"I calculate to come and set with you, often," said James, diffidently.

"Whenever the notion strikes you, James," replied Grandmother Penny, and
she blushed for the first time in a score of years.

Two days later Pliny Pickett stopped to speak to Scattergood in front of
the hardware store. Pliny supplemented and amplified the weekly
newspaper, and so was very useful to Baines.

"Hear tell Ol' Man Spackles is sparkin' Grandmother Penny," Pliny said,
with a grin. "Don't figger nothin' 'll come of it, though. Their
childern won't allow it."

"Won't allow it, eh? What's the reason? What business is 't of theirn?"

"Have to support 'em. The ol' folks hain't got no money. Spackles 's got
two-three hunderd laid by for to bury him, and so's Grandmother Penny.
Seems like ol' folks allus lays by for the funeral, but that's every red
cent they got. I hear tell Mis' Penny's son has forbid Spackles's comin'
around the house."

This proved to be the fact, as Scattergood learned from no less an
authority than Mr. Spackles himself.

"Felt like strikin' him right there 'n' then," said Mr. Spackles,
heatedly, "but I seen 'twouldn't do to abuse one of Ellen's childern."

"Um!... Was you and Grandmother Penny figgerin' on hitchin' up?"
Scattergood asked.

"I put the question," said Mr. Spackles, with the air of a youth of
twenty, "and Ellen up and allowed she'd have me. But I guess 'twon't
never come off now. Seems like I'll never be content ag'in, and Ellen's
that downcast I shouldn't be a mite s'prised if she jest give up and
passed away."

"Difficulty's money, hain't it? Largely financial, eh?"

"Ya-as."

"Folks has got rich before. Maybe somethin' like that'll happen to you."

"Have to happen mighty suddin, Scattergood, if it aims to do any good in
this world."

"I've knowed men to invest a couple hunderd dollars into some venture
and come out at t'other end with thousands. You got couple hunderd,
hain't you?"

"Ellen and me both has--saved up to bury us."

"Um!... Git buried, anyhow. Law compels it. Doggone little pleasure
spendin' money f'r your own coffin. More sensible to git some good out
of it.... I'm goin' away to the city f'r a week or sich a matter. When I
come back we'll kind of thrash things out and see what's to be done.
Meantime, don't you and Grandmother Penny up and elope."

In this manner Scattergood planted the get-rich-quick idea in the hea