"

His mother laughed softly.

"I think I can give a guess, Dick. A week ago when things looked so dark
for us I went to see him about selling our little home. I really
believed that it might be necessary for us to leave Riverview and go to
the city, where I could find customers who would pay me better for my
dressmaking than here, and if necessary you could get a place, for there
seemed no chance here. I went to see him and we discussed terms. He was
very hard, and offered me much less than I thought the place ought to
bring. So I came away determined to try and hold out a little longer. I
fancy he is coming now to make me a better offer."

"Oh! he is, eh? Well, this place isn't on the market now, is it mother.
You don't want to sell it, the house father built?" said Dick,
earnestly.

"No, no, not that, only as a very last resort, and thank Heaven we do
not have to think of it now," she answered, as the dark figure shuffled
up the walk.

"Good evening, Mr. Cheatham. Walk right inside, please. We were just
sitting out here talking, Richard and I. Have a chair, won't you?" she
said, hospitably.

The lawyer was also a money-lender, and accounted a very shrewd
customer.

He was a dried-up specimen of humanity, and mumbled in talking as though
never certain how long he could hold his false upper set of teeth in
place; Dick had known him for years, but never fancied the old bachelor,
who was said to be even richer than Mr. Gibbs, though he wore shabby
clothes and drove a rig that would have shamed most men.

"Ahem! I have just dropped in to see you about the sale, Mrs. Morrison.
I offered you twelve hundred for the place, counting the mortgages, and
you held out for fourteen hundred. Now, circumstances have arisen
whereby I am enabled to raise my bid to thirteen hundred. There is about
eight hundred due on the place, which will leave you an equity of five
hundred. Shall we call it a go, madam?"

"No, sir, I have changed my mind since I saw you," replied the widow,
smiling at his eagerness; for knowing his crafty ways she felt positive
he had found a chance to dispose of the pretty cottage at a very much
greater sum, if he could only get possession of it.

"Well, though the property is hardly worth it I must accept your terms
then, and give you the full fourteen hundred, though it will leave me a
scant chance to come out even after I have made certain repairs, and put
it on the market again," he said.

She shoo