metimes I gits twenty-five cents a
hour fer haulin' things, an' this looks to me like a day's work."

"If you made good time," said Colonel Hathaway, "you might do it easily
in four hours."

Joe shook his head.

"Not me, sir," he replied. "I hain't got the constitution fer it. An'
them hosses won't trot 'less I lick 'em, an' ef I lick 'em I'm guilty
o' cru'lty ter animals--includin' myself. No, Boss, the job's too
cheap, so I guess I'll give it up an' go home."

"But you're nearly at the station now," protested the Colonel.

"I know; but it's half a mile fu'ther an' the hosses is tired. I guess
I'll go home."

"Oh, Gran'pa!" whispered Mary Louise, "it'll never do to leave our
trunks lying there by the railroad tracks."

The Colonel eyed Joe thoughtfully.

"If you were hired by the day," said he, "I suppose you would do a
day's work?"

"I'd hev to," admitted Joe. "That's why I 'asked ye how about it. Jes'
now it looks to me like I ain't hired at all. The black man said he'd
gimme a dollar fer the trunks, that's all."

"How much do you charge a day?" asked the Colonel.

"Dollar 'n' a quarter's my reg'lar price, an' I won't take no less,"
asserted Joe.

Mary Louise nearly laughed outright, but the Colonel frowned and said:

"Joe Brennan, you've got me at your mercy. I'm going to hire you by the
day, at a dollar and a quarter, and as your time now belongs to me I
request you to go at once for those trunks. You will find them just
beyond the station."

The man's face brightened. He tossed away the core of his apple and
jerked the reins to make the horses hold up their heads.

"A bargain's a bargain, Boss," he remarked cheerfully, "so I'll get
them air trunks to yer house if it takes till midnight."

"Very good," said the Colonel. "Drive on, Uncle."

The old servant started the motor.

"Dat's what I calls downright robbery, Kun'l," he exclaimed, highly
incensed. "Didn't I ask de stoahkeepeh what to pay Joe Brennen foh
bringin' oveh dem trunks, an' didn't he say a dolleh is big pay foh
such-like a trip? If we's gwine live in dis town, where day don'
un'stand city prices an' de high cost o' livin' yit, we gotta hol' 'em
down an' keep 'em from speckilatin' with us, or else we'll spile 'em
fer de time when we's gone away."

"Very true, Uncle. Has Joe a competitor?"

Uncle Eben reflected.

"Ef he has, Kun'l, I ain't seen it," he presently replied; "but I guess
all he's got is dat lumbeh-wagin."

Mary