mrs. burton was somewhat surprised, one evening, when told that mr. wolverton was at the door, and desired to speak with her. since the time his demand for a second payment of the interest had been met by a production of the receipt, he had kept away from the ranch. it might have been the mortification arising from baffled villainy, or, again, from the knowledge that no advantage could be gained from another interview. at all events, he remained away till the wheat was nearly harvested. then he called, because he had a purpose to serve.

"tell mrs. burton that i wish to see her on business," he said to the servant who answered his knock.

"you can show mr. wolverton in," said the widow.

directly the guest was ushered into her presence.[pg 138]

"i needn't ask if i see you well, mrs. burton," he said, suavely. "your appearance is a sufficient answer."

"thank you," answered mrs. burton, coldly.

aaron wolverton noticed the coldness, but did not abate any of his suavity. he only said to himself: "the time will come when you will feel forced to give me a better reception, my lady!"

"i have called on a little business," he resumed.

"is it about the interest?" asked the widow.

"no; for the present i waive that. i have been made the victim of a base theft, and it may cost me a hundred and fifty dollars: but i will not speak of that now."

"what other business can you have with me?"

"i have come to make you an offer."

"what!" exclaimed mrs. burton, indignantly.

aaron wolverton chuckled, thereby showing a row of defective and discolored teeth.

"you misunderstand me," he said. "i[pg 139] come to make you an offer for your wheat crop, which i suppose is nearly all gathered in."

"yes," answered the widow relieved. "robert tells me that it will be all harvested within three days."

"just so. now, i am willing to save you a great deal of trouble by buying the entire crop at a fair valuation."

"in that case, mr. wolverton, you will allow me to send for robert. he attends to the business of the ranch, and understands much more about it than i do."

"wait a minute, mrs. burton. robert is no doubt a smart boy, but you give him too much credit."

"i don't think i do. he has shown, since his father's death, a judgment not often found in a boy of his age."

"she is infatuated about that boy!" thought wolverton. "however, as i have a point to carry, i won't dispute with her."

"you may be right," he said, "but in this matter i venture to think that you and i can make a bargain without any outside help."[pg 140]

"you can, at any rate, state your proposition, mr. wolverton."

"have you any idea as to the amount of your wheat crop?"

"robert tells me there will be not far from fourteen hundred bushels."

wolverton's eyes showed his pleasure. if he made the bargain proposed, this would bring him an excellent profit. "very good!" he said. "it will be a great help to you."

"yes; i feel that we are fortunate, especially when i consider that the ranch has been carried on by a boy of sixteen."

"well, mrs. burton, i am a man of few words. i will give you a dollar and a half a bushel for your wheat, and this will give you, on the basis of fourteen hundred bushels, twenty-one hundred dollars. you are a very fortunate woman."

"but, mr. wolverton, robert tells me he expects to get at least two dollars a bushel."

it must be remembered that grain was then selling at "war prices."

"i don't know what the boy can be [pg 141]thinking of," said wolverton, contemptuously. "two dollars a bushel! why don't he say five dollars at once?"

"he gained his information from a st. louis paper."

"my dear madam, the price here and the price in st. louis are two entirely different matters. you must be aware that it will cost a good deal to transport the wheat to st. louis."

"surely it cannot cost fifty cents a bushel?"

"no; but it is a great mistake to suppose that you can get two dollars a bushel in st. louis."

"i must leave the matter to robert to decide."

"excuse my saying that this is very foolish. the boy has not a man's judgment."

"nevertheless, i must consult him before deciding."

mrs. barton spoke so plainly that wolverton said, sullenly: "do as you please, mrs. burton, but i would like to settle the matter to-night."[pg 142]

robert was sent for, and, being near the house, entered without delay.

mr. wolverton's proposition was made known to him.

"mr. wolverton," said bob, regarding that gentleman with a dislike he did not attempt to conceal, "you would make a very good bargain if we accepted your proposal."

"not much," answered wolverton, hastily. "of course i should make a little something, but i am chiefly influenced in making the offer, by a desire to save your mother trouble."

"you would make seven hundred dollars at least, out of which you would only have to pay for transportation to st. louis."

"that is a very ridiculous statement!" said wolverton, sharply.

"why so? the wheat will fetch two dollars a bushel in the market."

"some one has been deceiving you."

"shall i show you the paper in which i saw the quotations?"

"no; it is erroneous. besides, the expense[pg 143] of carrying the grain to market will be very large."

"it won't be fifty cents a bushel."

"young man, you are advising your mother against her best interests. young people are apt to be headstrong. i should not expect to make much money out of the operation."

"why, then, do you make the offer?"

"i have already told you that i wished to save your mother trouble."

"we are much obliged to you, but we decline your proposal."

"then," said wolverton, spitefully, "i shall have to hold you to the terms of the mortgage. i had intended to favor you, but after the tone you have taken with me, i shall not do so."

"to what terms do you refer, mr. wolverton?" asked the widow.

"i will tell you. i have the right at the end of six months to call for a payment of half the mortgage—fifteen hundred dollars. that will make, in addition to the interest then due, sixteen hundred and fifty dollars."[pg 144]

"can this be true?" asked mrs. burton, in dismay, turning to robert.

"it is so specified in the mortgage," answered wolverton, triumphantly. "you can examine it for yourself. i have only to say, that, had you accepted my offer, i would have been content with, say, one quarter of the sum, knowing that it would be inconvenient for you to pay half."

bob, as well as his mother, was taken by surprise, but in no way disposed to yield.

"we should be no better off," he said. "we should lose at least five hundred dollars by accepting your offer, and that we cannot afford to do."

"you refuse, then," said wolverton, angrily.

"yes."

"then all i have to say is that you will rue this day," and the agent got up hastily, but upon second thought sat down again.

"how do you expect to get your grain to market?" he asked.

"i shall take it myself."

"what do you mean?"[pg 145]

"i shall store it on a boat i have purchased, and clip and i will take it to st. louis."

"you must be crack-brained!" ejaculated wolverton. "i never heard of a more insane project."

"i hope to disappoint you, mr. wolverton. at any rate, my mind is made up."

wolverton shuffled out of the room, in impotent rage.

"we have made him our enemy, robert," said his mother, apprehensively.

"he was our enemy before, mother. he evidently wants to ruin us."

as wolverton went home, one thought was uppermost in his mind. "how could he prevent bob from making the trip to st. louis?"