ng out to the barn.

"You are born to be a great man," said Mitchell. "The cards are shuffled
and cut that way and you can't help it. What are you goin' to do now?"

"I'm going to sleep for a few hours and then get to work."

"When are you goin' to take another lesson?"

"Day after to-morrow."

"Ain't that feller a bird?"

"He understands his business."

"About when do you think you can tackle your job again?"

"Not till I have learned how. I'm going to get some gloves and have you
box with me between times."

He went into the house and lay down, and when Mitchell came in he was
asleep with his head on his fist.

CHAPTER XIV.

PEEPED IN AT HIM.

Blakemore came out on Sunday morning, snapping his watch and complaining
against the pall-bearing march of time. He was full of business. His
pockets were stuffed with papers. He made figures on the backs of
envelopes as he sat at the table. He asked after Milford. His wife said
that the place had somehow lost its charm for Mr. Milford. Mrs. Goodwin
and Miss Strand had seen him in the road. Mrs. Stuvic, standing near,
pressed her lips close together. She shook her head. She did not
understand him, she declared. Lately he had been seen in Antioch. She
did not know what business could have taken him there.

"You may not be supposed to know," said George, making his figures.

"Now you keep still," she replied. "I am supposed to know more than you
think for. I wasn't born yesterday, and I'm goin' to live longer than
any of you, I tell you that."

"It's very natural for us to expect every one else to die," said George.
"It's a pretty hard matter to picture one's self as dead. But the old
fellow is coming along yonder whetting his scythe as he comes."

"George," said his wife, "don't talk to her that way."

"Oh, let him talk," the old woman spoke up. "I don't care what he says.
Goes in at one ear and comes out at the other, with me. I'll live to see
him cold, I'll tell you that."

"Oh, please don't talk that way, Mrs. Stuvic; you give me the shudders.
By the way, Mr. Dorsey has gone back to town, hasn't he?"

"Yes," Mrs. Stuvic answered. "And he owes me, too."

"That's what you say about everybody," George declared. "You'll be
saying it about me, next."

"Well, you did owe me till to-day; and see that you don't do it again.
But that feller Dorsey'll pay. He'll be back again in about two weeks.
He says I've got the finest place in the county."

"The