r him. "He
won't be easy to manage; that's certain. Too bad I couldn't get him on the
canal boat. I must find some way of getting him out of Westville--and his
mother, too. I can't do much while they are around."

Ralph had been paid off at the squire's office in the village, and now he
made his way to Uriah Dicks' store, to settle up the family account.

"How much do we owe you, Mr. Dicks?" he asked, as he walked up to Uriah,
who was poring over a very dirty ledger.

"Oh, so it's you, Ralph!" exclaimed the storekeeper. "Been up to the
squire's yet?"

"Yes."

"Did you get your pay?"

"Yes."

"And now you want to settle up?"

"Yes," replied Ralph, for a third time.

"I hope you ain't a-goin' to quit tradin' with me!" cried Uriah, in some
alarm.

"We are, Mr. Dicks. What can you expect, after the way you have treated
me?"

"I--I couldn't help votin' in the committee with the squire and Ben
Hooker," returned the storekeeper, lamely. "They said it was a clear case
against you."

"And therefore you wouldn't give me a chance to clear myself," said Ralph,
bitterly. "How much is the bill?"

"Three dollars and nineteen cents. I'll call it three dollars if you'll
keep on buying here," went on Uriah, desperately.

It made his heart fairly ache to see trade going to one of the rival
stores.

"I prefer to settle in full," rejoined the boy, coolly. "Take the three
dollars and nineteen cents out of this five-dollar bill."

With an inward groan, Uriah took out the amount, handed back the change,
and crossed the account from the book.

"Got anything to do?" he asked, a sudden idea flashing through his head.

"Not yet."

"I might take you on here--I need a boy."

"And what would you pay?" questioned Ralph, although he knew about what to
expect from the miserly man he was addressing.

"Well, I'd be willin' to pay a big boy like you two dollars and a half a
week. I wouldn't pay a small boy so much."

"Thank you, but I wouldn't work for that, even if I cared to work for you,
Mr. Dicks. Two dollars and a half wouldn't run our house."

"I would let you have your groceries at cost," said Uriah, as an extra
inducement.

The truth was, many of his customers had upbraided him for aiding in the
discharge of Ralph as bridge tender, and he wished to set himself right
with these folks.

"I do not care to work for you, sir. I think I can get work I will like
better and which will pay more elsewhere."

The storekeep