.

'A printer man?'

'A printer man.'

'Huh!' said he. 'Mebbe I'll give ye a job. Sairey tol' me I'd orter t'
'ave some cards printed. I'll want good plain print: Solomon Rollin,
Cappenter 'n J'iner, Hillsborough, NY--soun's putty good don't it.'

'Beautiful,' I answered.

'I'll git a big lot on 'em,' he said. 'I'll want one for Sister Susan
'at's out in Minnesoty--no, I guess I'll send 'er tew, so she can give
one away--an' one fer my brother, Eliphalet, an' one apiece fer my three
cousins over 'n Vermont, an' one fer my Aunt Mirandy. Le's see-tew an'
one is three an' three is six an' one is seven. Then I'll git a few
struck off fer the folks here--guess they'll thank I'm gittin' up 'n the
world.'

He shook and snickered with anticipation of the glory of it. Pure vanity
inspired him in the matter and it had in it no vulgar consideration of
business policy. He whistled a lively tune as he bent to his work again.

'Yer sister says ye're a splendid scholar!' said he. 'Hear'n 'er
braggin' 'bout ye t'other night; she thinks a good deal o' her brother,
I can tell ye. Guess I know what she's gain' t' give ye Crissmus.'

'What's that?' I asked, with a curiosity more youthful than becoming.

'Don't ye never let on,' said he.

'Never,' said I.

'Hear'n 'em tell,' he said,' 'twas a gol' lockup, with 'er pictur' in
it.'

'Oh, a locket!' I exclaimed.

'That's it,' he replied, 'an' pure gol', too.'

I turned to go.

'Hope she'll grow up a savin' woman,' he remarked. ''Fraid she won't
never be very good t' worlt.'

'Why not?' I enquired.

'Han's are too little an' white,' he answered.

'She won't have to,' I said.

He cackled uproariously for a moment, then grew serious.

'Her father's rich,' he said, 'the richest man o' Faraway, an I
guess she won't never hev anything t' dew but set'n sing an' play the
melodium.'

'She can do as she likes,' I said.

He stood a moment looking down as if meditating on the delights he had
pictured.

'Gol!' he exclaimed suddenly.

My subject had begun to study me, and I came away to escape further
examination.

Chapter 18

I ought to say that I have had and shall have to chronicle herein much
that would seem to indicate a mighty conceit of myself. Unfortunately
the little word 'I' throws a big shadow in this history. It looms up all
too frequently in every page for the sign of a modest man. But, indeed,
I cannot help it, for he was the only observer of all there