rmer unembarrassed
by crops, he planned his campaign a year ahead. He worked harder on his
barren acres than his neighbors with the reward of their labor in sight.
He tilled the low land in one of his fallow fields and repaired the
fences wherever necessary. His most careful scrutiny failed to disclose
anything on which money could be realized at once beyond half a dozen
cords of wood which he sent to town and sold and the apples he had
offered for sale in the streets of Montgomery. These by-products hardly
paid for the time required to market them. Perry had suggested that
winter wheat be tried on fifty acres which he chose for the experiment,
and in preparing and sowing the land Fred found his spirits rising. The
hired man proved to be intelligent and capable, and Fred was not above
learning from him. Fred did the cooking for both of them as part of his
own labor.

Some of his old friends, meeting him in Main Street on his visits to
town, commiserated him on his lot; and others thought William Holton
ought to do something for Fred, as it was understood that he was backing
Charles in his enterprises. Still other gossips, pointing to the failure
of the Mexican ventures, inclined to the belief that Fred was a dull
fellow, and that he would do as well on the farm as anywhere else.

On a Sunday afternoon in this same November, Fred had cleaned up after
his midday meal with the hired man and was sprawled on an old settle
reading when a motor arrived noisily in the dooryard. Charles was
driving and with him were three strangers. Fred went out to meet his
brother, who introduced his companions as business men from
Indianapolis.

"We're taking a run over the route of the new trolley line you've
probably read about in the papers. Hadn't heard of it yet? Well, it's
going to cut the Sycamore line at right angles in Montgomery, and run
down into the coal fields. We're going to haul coal by electricity--a
new idea in these parts--and it's going to be a big factor in
stimulating manufactures in small centers. It's going to be a big thing
for this section--your farm is worth twenty dollars more an acre just on
our prospectus."

"No doubt you'd be glad to take that twenty right now," remarked one of
the strangers.

"Oh, I'll wait for it," replied Fred, laughing.

"Are you implying that you're likely to have to wait?" demanded Charles.
"My dear boy, we're doing this just for you farmers. In the old days the
railroads were all i