ting."

Willy stood upright on Caleb's knee, in horror and amaze.

"My bossy killed? I'll send anybody to jail that kills that bossy."

"Then perhaps you'd better trade him off now to Squire Lyman. Didn't the
squire offer to swap his baby for him?"

"Yes; and so I would if that baby was a boy," said Willy, thoughtfully;
"but she's only a girl--couldn't help me bring in chips, you know.
Guess I don't want a girl-baby."

Caleb laughed at this very quietly, but his whole frame was shaking; and
Willy turned round and looked him in the eye with strong displeasure.

"What you laughing at, Cale Cushing? You mustn't make fun of my bossy.
I'll tell you what I'll do with her. I'll keep her to haul hay with."

"Did you ever see one ox hauling hay alone, Willy?"

"No; but I'll have a little cart, and then she can."

"But the trouble is, Willy, your ox might feel lonesome."

"Well, I'll buy one ox more, and then he won't be lonesome."

"Ah! but, Willy, oxen cost money."

"'Sif I didn't know that! How much money do they cost, Caleb?"

"Sometimes more, sometimes less. Pretty high this winter, for hay is
plenty. There was a man along from the west'ard, and, Willy, what think
he offered your pa for that brindled yoke of his?"

"Three dollars?"

"Seventy-five dollars; and your pa wouldn't let 'em go under ninety!
Think of that," added Caleb, dropping his voice, and appearing to talk
to the beech-wood fire, which was crackling in the big fireplace. "Think
of that! Ninety dollars! Enough to buy a small farm! Just what I should
have got in the logging-swamp, winter before last, if Dascom hadn't
cheated me out of it."

"What did you say, Caleb?"

"O, I was just talking to myself," replied Caleb, rather bitterly. "It
wasn't anything little boys should hear. I was only thinking how easy
money comes to some folks, and how hard it comes to others. You see I
worked a whole winter once, and never got a cent of pay; and I couldn't
help feeling it when your pa put that ninety dollars away in his
drawer."

"You didn't want my father's money--did you, Caleb Cushing?"

"No, child; only I knew if I'd had justice done me, I should have had
ninety dollars myself. It was mine by good rights, and I hadn't ought to
be cheated out of it."

Willy looked up astonished. What did Caleb mean by saying it was "his by
good rights"?--his father's money. For he had not heard all Caleb's
remarks, and what he had heard he had entirely misundersto