they're more bother 'n
a teethin' baby. Alwus some dum thing ailin' 'em, an' I took consid'able
stock in that colt too," he added regretfully, "an' I could 'a' got
putty near what I was askin' fer him last week, an' putty near what he
was wuth, an' I've noticed that most gen'ally alwus when I let a good
offer go like that, some cussed thing happens to the hoss. It ain't a
bad idee, in the hoss bus'nis anyway, to be willin' to let the other
feller make a dollar once 'n a while."

After that aphorism they waited in silence for a few minutes, and then
David called out over his shoulder, "How be you gettin' along, Mis'
Cullom?"

[Illustration: DAVID HARUM, Act III]

"I guess I'm fixed," she answered, and David walked slowly back into
the parlor, leaving John in the front office. He was annoyed to realize
that in the bustle over Mrs. Cullom and what followed, he had forgotten
to acknowledge the Christmas gift; but, hoping that Mr. Harum had been
equally oblivious, promised himself to repair the omission later on. He
would have preferred to go out and leave the two to settle their affair
without witness or hearer, but his employer, who, as he had found,
usually had a reason for his actions, had explicitly requested him to
remain, and he had no choice. He perched himself upon one of the office
stools and composed himself to await the conclusion of the affair.

CHAPTER III

Mrs. Cullom was sitting at one corner of the fire, and David drew a
chair opposite to her.

"Feelin' all right now? whisky hain't made ye liable to no disorderly
conduct, has it?" he asked with a laugh.

"Yes, thank you," was the reply, "the warm things are real comfortin',
'n' I guess I hain't had licker enough to make me want to throw things.
You got a kind streak in ye, Dave Harum, if you did send me this here
note--but I s'pose ye know your own bus'nis," she added with a sigh of
resignation. "I ben fearin' fer a good while 't I couldn't hold on t'
that prop'ty, an' I don't know but what you might's well git it as 'Zeke
Swinney, though I ben hopin' 'gainst hope that Charley 'd be able to do
morn 'n he has."

"Let's see the note," said David curtly. "H'm, humph, 'regret to say
that I have been instructed by Mr. Harum'--wa'al, h'm'm, cal'lated to
clear his own skirts anyway--h'm'm--'must be closed up without further
delay' (John's eye caught the little white stocking which still lay on
his desk)--'wa'al, yes, that's about what I told Mr.