y," said Mr. Underhill. "I saw
the -- what do you call him? -- the boss of the concern --
president! -- President Tuttle. I saw him and had quite a talk
with him."

"The president! How came you to see him?"

"Well, 'taint much to see a man, I s'pose, -- is it? I took a
notion I'd see him. I wanted to ask him how Will and Winthrop
was a getting along. I told him I was a friend o' yourn."

"Well, did you ask him?"

"Yes I did."

"What did he say?" said Mr. Landholm, half laughing.

"I asked him how they were getting along."

"Ay, and what did he answer to that?"

"He wanted to know if Mr. Landholm had any more sons?"

"Was that all?" said the farmer, laughing quite.

"That was the hull he said, with a kind of kink of his eye
that wa'n't too big a sum for me to cast up. He didn't give me
no more satisfaction than that."

"And what did you tell him -- to his question?"

"I? -- I told him that two such plants took a mighty sight of
room to grow, and that the hull county was clean used up."

"You did!" said Mr. Landholm laughing heartily. "Pretty well!
-- pretty good! -- Have some tobacco, neighbour?"

"How is it?" said Mr. Underhill taking a bunch gravely.

"First-rate, -- _I_ think. Try."

Which Mr. Underhill did, with slow and careful consideration.
Mr. Landholm watched him complacently.

"I've seen worse," he remarked dryly at length. "Where did you
get it, squire?"

"Nowhere short of the great city, neighbour. It came from
Mannahatta."

"Did, hey? Well, I reckon it might. Will you trade?"

"With what?" said Mr. Landholm.

"Some of this here."

"With you?"

"Yes."

"Well -- let's hear," said the farmer.

"Don't you think the post ought to be paid?" said Mr.
Underhill, diving into some far-down pockets.

"Why, are you the post?"

"Don't you think that two sealed letters, now, would be worth
a leetle box o' that 'ere?"

"Have you brought letters from the boys?"

"Well I don't know who writ 'em," said Mr. Underhill; -- "they
guv 'em to me."

Mr. Landholm took the letters, and with a very willing face
went for a 'little box,' which he filled with the Mannahatta
tobacco.

"Old Cowslip don't keep anything like this," Mr. Underhill
said as he received it and stowed it coolly away in his
pocket. "I mean to shew it to him."

"Will you stay to dinner, neighbour?"

"No thank 'ee -- I've got to get over the river; and my little
woman'll have something cooked for me; and if I wa'n't the