"We liked him very much," said Ransom, "and we forwarded to you a set
of resolutions on hearing of his death."

"I received them," replied Bart, "and if I did not acknowledge it, I
owe you an apology."

"You did, to Ranney," said Case.

The memory of his brother, who had read and worked, talked and
laughed, mused and hoped in that little nook, came up very fresh to
Barton.

Case proposed that they take a stroll, or a "string" as he called it,
about the village, and as they walked in single file on the narrow
sidewalks, the idea of "string" seemed to be realized. They went
into the Court House and up into the court-room, and down into the
Recorder's office, filled with books, and introduced Bart to Ben
Graylord, the Recorder, who showed him a record-book written by his
brother, every page of which sparkled with the beauty of the writing.
Then they went to the clerk's office of Col. Hendry, with its stuffed
pigeon-holes, and books, and into the sheriff's office, and to divers
other places.

Jefferson was about eleven or twelve miles from the lake, south of
Ashtabula. It was selected as the county seat, and at once became the
residence of the county officers, and of many wealthy and influential
citizens, but never became a place of much business, while Ashtabula
and Conneaut were already busy towns. Each lay at the mouth of a
considerable creek, whose names they respectively bore, and which
formed harbors for the lake commerce, and were both visited daily
by the steamers that run up and down Lake Erie. These facts were
communicated to Bart, as they walked about, and the residences of Mr.
Giddings, Judge Warren, Colonel Hendry, Mr. St. John, and others, were
pointed out to him.

CHAPTER XXXI.

OLD BEN.

That evening, Case and Bart went in rather late to supper at the
Jefferson House, and Case pointed out B.P. Wade sitting at the head of
one of the tables. Bart studied him closely.

He was then about thirty-five or thirty-six years of age; of a fine,
athletic, compact and vigorous frame, straight, round, and of full
average height, with an upward cast of the head and face that made him
look taller than he was. He had a remarkably fine head and a striking
face--a high, narrow, retreating forehead, a little compressed at the
temples, aquiline nose, firm, goodish mouth, and prominent chin, with
a deep dark eye, and strongly marked brow, not handsome, but a strong,
firm, noticeable face, which, with his fran