self, and further assured her
that he would himself confer with John after all was settled.

CHAPTER XXV

"THE WEIGHT OF A DOLLAREE AND OUT
OF DEBT DON'T FORGET THAT"

Nathan Hornby moved promptly over to the Hunter farm, and established
himself in Hugh's old room upstairs.

The farm work prospered under Elizabeth's management. She was fortunate
enough to trade a young heifer with a calf at her side for Silas's pony,
and because feed was scarce she sold most of the stock, keeping only such
as she desired to open farming with the next spring. The hogs were
marketed early, and the few steers left when the cattle had been taken to
Mitchell County were sold to the first buyer who offered a reasonable
figure for them; the cows which gave evidence of increase were kept and
the rest sold. Altogether money enough was raised to pay the note for the
team and all the outstanding indebtedness except the note for five hundred
dollars. The latter did not mature till May and could stand. The expense
of feeding discouraged the farmers and prices dropped steadily all
winter.

When April came the Johnson land was sold to a stranger, who came and
offered to buy the west eighty of Elizabeth's land. The five hundred would
be due the next month. The new neighbour coveted that eighty, and
Elizabeth decided that if she could get a price warranting its sale she
would sell, pay off the five hundred, and put the rest into calves while
they were cheap. She offered the land for thirty-five dollars an acre. It
was unheard of! No one had ever asked so much for land in that country,
but the man wanted to add that land to his farm, and after some bargaining
paid the price.

Frugal and cautious, Elizabeth paid the five hundred with the first check
she drew against the price of the land. That left two thousand for calves
and three hundred for running expenses. John had taken one horse out of
the new team when he went away, and Elizabeth decided not to buy another,
but to hire a horse in harvesting time. There were three full teams for
the plows, besides the horse which had been hurt in the runaway. It had
recovered and, though scarred and stiffened, could be used for ordinary
work. She took good care to have it hitched beside a solid, trusty mate
and treated gently to soothe its wild nature.

No word had come from John except when Doctor Morgan wrote him of the
appraisement of the land. Then a curt letter had been received saying that
wh