ou--do I get that attachment off my land right away?" he
demanded.

"If you pay the one hundred and ten dollars--and the sixty-three
cents--I shall phone Judge Baxter the next minute," said Mary promptly.

Jeremiah hesitated no longer. He had considered the situation in all its
phases before leaving home and the one hundred and ten dollars was but
a small item compared to his expected profit on the sale of the North
Inlet land. He reached into his pocket, produced a long, dingy leather
pocketbook wound about with twine, unwound the twine, opened the
pocketbook and produced a blank check.

"Give me a pen and ink," he snarled, "and I'll fill this in."

The Captain reached for the pen and ink bottle, but Mary interfered.

"Cash, if you please," she said sweetly.

Jeremiah looked at her steadily for what seemed a long time. Then she
was surprised to see the corner of his lip twitch and notice a grim
twinkle in his eye. Also there was a grudging note of admiration in his
voice when he next spoke.

"Ain't takin' no chances, be you?" he said dryly.

"No. Don't you think we've taken enough already?"

Mr. Clifford did not answer. He replaced the blank check in his
pocketbook and, from another compartment, extracted some bills rolled in
a tight little cylinder and wound about with elastic.

"There you be," he said shortly. Then, turning to Shadrach, he added:
"Don't I get nothin' off for payin' cash?"

From the back room came a vigorous "Haw, haw!" Even Mary laughed aloud.
As for Captain Shad, he could only stare, struck speechless by his
visitor's audacity. Mary, when she had finished laughing, answered for
him.

"We shall deduct the interest we might have charged you, Mr. Clifford,"
she said. "Thank you. There is your change and there is the receipted
bill. Now, I shall call up Judge Baxter."

When she returned from the post-office Jeremiah was still there.
Shadrach, all smiles, was doing up parcels.

"What are those, Uncle Shad?" asked Mary. Mr. Clifford answered.

"Oh, I thought I might as well buy a little sugar and flour and such,"
he said. "Always come in handy, they do. Send 'em up when you get to it.
Good-by."

His hand was on the door, but Mary called to him.

"Mr. Clifford," she called; "just a minute, please. Are you in any hurry
for these things--the sugar and the rest of it?"

"No, don't know's I be, 'special'; why?"

"Oh, nothing, except that if you were in a hurry I should advise your
payin