ith
conviction.

"I don't believe that sending a boy like him to jail will either improve
his morals, or do anybody else any good," observed Hiram, reflectively.

"And it'll jest about finish his mother," spoke Sam.

"That's right, too," said the young farmer. "I tell you. I don't want
to see him--not just now. But you do what you think is best about this
matter, and make Peter pay the bill--ten dollars for the two stacks of
fodder."

"He shall do it, Mr. Strong," declared Sam Dickerson, warmly. "And he
shall beg your pardon, too, or I'll larrup him until he can't stand.
He's too big for a lickin', but he ain't too big for me to lick!"

And the elder Dickerson was as good as his word. An hour later yells
from the cart shed denoted that Pete was finally getting what he should
have received when he was a younger boy.

Before noon Sam marched the youth over to Mrs. Atterson. Pete was very
puffy about the eyes, and his cheeks were streaked with tears. Nor did
he seem to care to more than sit upon the extreme edge of a chair.

But he paid Mrs. Atterson ten dollars, and then, nudged by his father,
turned to Hiram and begged the young farmer's pardon.

"That's all right, etc.," said Hiram, laying his hand upon the boy's
shoulder. "Just because we haven't got on well together heretofore,
needn't make any difference between us after this.

"Come over and see me. If you have time this summer and want the work,
I'll be glad to hire you to help handle my celery crop.

"Neighbors ought to be neighborly; and it won't do either of us any good
to hug to ourselves any injury which we fancy the other has done. We'll
be friends if you say so, Peter--though I tell you right now that if you
turn another mean trick against me, I'll take the law into my own hands
and give you worse than you've got already."

Pete looked sheepish enough, and shook hands. He knew very well that
Hiram could do as he promised.

But from that time on the young farmer had no further trouble with him.

Meanwhile Hiram's crops on the Atterson Eighty grew almost as well this
second season as they had the first. There was a bad drouth this year,
and the upland corn did not do so well; yet the young farmer's corn crop
compared well with the crops in the neighborhood.

He had put in but eight acres of corn this year; but they had plenty of
old corn in the crib when it came time to take down this second season's
crop.

It was upon the celery that Hiram b