and
crops put in it would make a thousand dollars' difference in the selling
price. That is, after a year or two.

"But bless us and save us" cried Mrs. Atterson, "I'd be swamped with
expenses before that time."

"Mebbe not," said Hiram Strong, trying to repress his eagerness. "Why
not try it?"

"Try to run that farm?" cried she. "Why, I'd jest as lief go up in one
o' those aeroplanes and try to run it. I wouldn't be no more up in the
air then than I would be on a farm," she added, grimly.

"Get somebody to run it for you--do the outside work, I mean, Mrs.
Atterson," said Hiram. "You could keep house out there just as well as
you do here. And it would be easy for you to learn to milk----"

"That whitefaced cow? My goodness! I'd just as quick learn to milk a
switch-engine!"

"But it's only her head that looks so wicked to you," laughed Hiram.
"And you don't milk that end."

"Well--mebbe," admitted Mrs. Atterson, doubtfully. "I reckon I could
make butter again--I used to do that when I was a girl at my aunt's. And
either I'd make those hens lay or I'd have their dratted heads off!

"And my goodness me! To get rid of the boarders--Oh, stop your talkin',
Hi Strong! That is too good to ever be true. Don't talk to me no more."

"But I want to talk to you, Mrs. Atterson," persisted the youth,
eagerly.

"Well, who'd I get to do the outside work--put in crops, and 'tend 'em,
and look out for that old horse?"

Hiram almost choked. This opportunity should not get past him if he
could help it!

"Let me do it, Mrs. Atterson. Give me a chance to show you what I can
do," he cried. "Let me run the farm for you!"

"Why--why do you suppose that it could be made to pay us, Hi?" demanded
his landlady, in wonder.

"Other farms pay; why not this one?" rejoined Hiram, sententiously. "Of
course," he added, his native caution coming to the surface, "I'd want
to see the place--to look it over pretty well, in fact--before I made
any agreement. And I can assure you, Mrs. Atterson, if I saw no chance
of both you and me making something out of it I should tell you so."

"But--but your job, Hiram? And I wouldn't approve of your going out
there and lookin' at the place on a Sunday."

"I'll take the early train Monday morning," said the youth, promptly.

"But what will they say at the store? Mr. Dwight----"

"He turned me off to-day," said Hiram, steadily. "So I won't lose
anything by going out there.

"I tell you what I'll do