uyin' and
sellin'. Anyway, I guess it's about even, an' we'll save you a lot of
trouble an' time an' money. An' so, if you really want a western farm,
you might just as well have mine. I did not think to sell. Of course
I knew I must sell in the long run, but couldn't just see my place in
anybody else's hands. Somehow it seems different though to see you folks
on it. You seem to fit. Anyway, there's the offer. What do you say?"

"Sit down, Mr. Sleighter," said Mr. Gwynne. "This is a rather surprising
proposition."

Mrs. Gwynne's eyes grew soft. "Michael, I think it is wonderful."

But Mr. Gwynne would not look at his wife. "Let me see, Mr. Sleighter,
your farm, you say, with buildings, is worth about six thousand to
sixty-five hundred. Mine is worth from fifty-five hundred to six
thousand. I will take your offer and pay the difference."

"Oh, come off your perch," said Mr. Sleighter. "You're doin' the
highfalutin' Vere de Vere act now. Listen to me. The deal is as level as
I can figger it. Your farm and store with the machine business suit me
all right. I feel I can place my boy right here for a while anyway. My
farm, I believe, would suit you better than anythin' else you can get.
There's my offer. Take it or leave it."

"I think we will take it, Mr. Sleighter," said Mrs. Gwynne. "Michael
dear, I feel Mr. Sleighter is right, and besides I know he is doing us a
great kindness."

"Kindness, ma'am, not at all. Business is business, and that's all there
is to it. Well, I'll be goin'. Think it over, get the papers fixed up by
to-morrow. No, don't thank me. Good-bye."

Mrs. Gwynne followed him to the door, her face flushed, her eyes aglow,
a smile hovering uncertainly about her lips. "Mr. Sleighter," she said,
"the Lord sent you to us because He knew we were in need of guiding."

"Ho, ho!" laughed Mr. Sleighter. "Like that Samaritan chap in the
reading, eh? I guess you had got among thieves all right, more of 'em
perhaps than you recognised too."

"He sent you to us," repeated Mrs. Gwynne, offering him her hand.

"Well, I donno but that He steered me to you. But all the same I guess
the advantage is to me all right." Mr. Sleighter looked hard down the
street, then turned and faced her squarely. "I want to say that it's
done me a pile of good to have seen you, ma'am. It's made things look
different."

"You are a good man, Mr. Sleighter," she said, looking at him with misty
eyes.

"A good man!" Mr. Sleighter was