and when about to pass through the gate the front
door opened, and the man's voice, at its highest pitch, shouted out:
"Stop right where you are sir. Stop; stop, I tell you. Stop!"

I put my hand to my ear, as if hard of hearing, and imitating as nearly
as I could the tone peculiar to deaf persons, said: "No, no, thank you;
I don't care to put my horse out. I can feed her after I get to Marion.
No, no; never mind; just as much obliged." By this time I had reached
the door, and passed directly inside.

I had the floor.

And I did all the talking for the first half hour.

The old gentleman concluded that I was an exception to the general run
of agents. He then began talking religion, as soon as I quit talking
Patent rights. He said I ought to make my peace with God; and when I
replied that God and I had always been on splendid terms, he became
almost frantic, and said that I was worse than any lightning-rod agent,
and added that there never was an agent of any kind who ever pretended
to tell the truth, and he wouldn't believe any of them under oath. I
then said I wouldn't expect him to believe my statements, so would leave
the question entirely with him and his sons whether they would deal or
not. They soon began talking business to the point.

I figured on paper, and showed how one son could make more money in a
single year, with one County right, than they could all make on the farm
in two years.

My price for the County was one hundred dollars.

They proposed to give fifty, and I offered to split the difference and
take seventy-five.

This was satisfactory, provided I would take half cash, and a note for
the balance payable in one year. I agreed to it, if the old gentleman
would go to Marion with me and help negotiate the note.

He said he had got to go to town anyhow, and would ride with me; and the
boys could drive over after him that evening.

After making out the necessary papers and receiving my cash, we started
on the turn-pike road towards Marion.

While riding along, the old gentleman gave me some very wholesome
advice, saying he didn't do it because he really thought me to be a very
bad fellow, but he wanted to see every young man grow up to be truthful,
moral, honorable and upright. I thanked him, and told him I believed he
was a mighty nice man. He said that was the reputation he bore
thereabouts.

While driving leisurely along, conversing on different topics, we came
to a blacksmith's shop o