white."

"All right."

"Want black or white?"

"No."

Sol leaned against the counter. He wasn't busy; the girl seemed in no
hurry; it was a good time to gossip and find out all about the strange
creature perched on his sugar-barrel.

"Where'd ye come from?" he inquired.

"City," tossing her head toward the north.

"What for?"

"To do sewing for the Hathaways folks. Mary Louise, you know."

Sol pricked up his ears. The Hathaways were newcomers, about whom
little was known. He wanted to know more, and here was a girl who could
give him inside information.

"Knowed the Hathaways in the city?"

"Kind o'. Sewed on Mary Louise's spring dresses. How long you been
here?"

"Me? Why, I come here more'n twenty years ago. What does the Colonel do
in the city?"

"Never asked him. Why do they call this place Cragg's Crossing?"

"I didn't name it. S'pose 'cause ol' Cragg used to own all the land,
an' the roads crossed in the middle o' his farm."

"What Cragg was that?"

"Eh? Why, father to Ol' Swallertail. Ever seen Ol' Swallertail?"

"No."

"Wal, he's a sight fer sore eyes. First time anybody sees him they
either laughs er chokes. The movin'-pictur' folks would go crazy over
him. Ever seen a movin'-pictur'?"

"Yes."

"I did, too, when I was in the city las' year. Ol' Swallertail 'minds
me of 'em. Goes 'round dressed up like George Washington when he
crossed the Delaware."

"Crazy?"

"That way, yes; other ways, not a bit. Pretty foxy gent, is Ol'
Swallertail."

"Why?"

Sol hesitated, reflecting. These questions were natural, in a stranger,
but to explain old Hezekiah Cragg's character was not a particularly
easy task.

"In the fust place, he drives a hard bargain. Don't spend money, but
allus has it. Keeps busy, but keeps his business to himself."

"What is his business?"

"Didn't I say he kep' it to himself?"

"But he owns all the land around here."

"Not now. He owns jest a half-acre, so far's anybody knows, with a
little ol' hut on it thet a respect'ble pig wouldn't live in. It's jes'
acrost the river from the place where you're workin'."

"Then what has become of his land?"

"It's stayed jes' where it allus was, I guess," with a chuckle at his
own wit, "but Ol' Swaller-tail sold it, long ago. Ol' Nick Cragg, his
father afore him, sold a lot of it, they say, and when he died he left
half his ready money an' all his land to Hezekiah--thet's Ol'
Swallertail--an' the other half o' his mone