of the Blue Leopard.
His portrait, a hideous effort of contemporary art, hung in the garret
of David Townsend's home. There was many a tale of wild roistering, if
no worse, in that old roadhouse, and high stakes, and quarreling in
cups, and blows, and money gotten in evil fashion, and the matter
hushed up with a high hand for inquirers by the imperious Townsends who
terrorized everybody. David Townsend terrorized nobody. He had gotten
his little competence from his store by honest methods--the exchanging
of sterling goods and true weights for country produce and country
shillings. He was sober and reliable, with intense self-respect and a
decided talent for the management of money. It was principally for
this reason that he took great delight in his sudden wealth by legacy.
He had thereby greater opportunities for the exercise of his native
shrewdness in a bargain. This he evinced in his purchase of a house in
Boston.

One day in spring the old Townsend house was shut up, the Blue Leopard
was taken carefully down from his lair over the front door, the family
chattels were loaded on the train, and the Townsends departed. It was
a sad and eventful day for Townsend Centre. A man from Barre had
rented the store--David had decided at the last not to sell--and the
old familiars congregated in melancholy fashion and talked over the
situation. An enormous pride over their departed townsman became
evident. They paraded him, flaunting him like a banner in the eyes of
the new man. "David is awful smart," they said; "there won't nobody
get the better of him in the city if he has lived in Townsend Centre
all his life. He's got his eyes open. Know what he paid for his house
in Boston? Well, sir, that house cost twenty-five thousand dollars, and
David he bought it for five. Yes, sir, he did."

"Must have been some out about it," remarked the new man, scowling over
his counter. He was beginning to feel his disparaging situation.

"Not an out, sir. David he made sure on't. Catch him gettin' bit.
Everythin' was in apple-pie order, hot an' cold water and all, and in
one of the best locations of the city--real high-up street. David he
said the rent in that street was never under a thousand. Yes, sir,
David he got a bargain--five thousand dollars for a
twenty-five-thousand-dollar house."

"Some out about it!" growled the new man over the counter.

However, as his fellow townsmen and allies stated, there seemed to be