"All right, Mrs. Weefer," said Philip, who had heard of several real estate transactions being hampered by refractory wives, and who thought he saw a good opportunity to prevent any troubles of that kind befalling him in the future, "I think I have some silk dress goods that will please you." Silk dress goods! No such "satisfaction piece" had ever been heard of in Claybanks or vicinity. Mrs. Weefer saw the goods, accepted it in haste, and did her subsequent trading so rapidly that she and her husband and their two hundred dollars' worth of goods were on the way to the Weefer farm within an hour, and Philip, with the new deed of the "wannut land," was at the County Clerk's office. "Yes," said the clerk, scrutinizing the paper through his very convex glasses. "My son told me you were in yesterday, inquiring about this. Oh, yes, this property is all clear; there was no reason why any one should lend on it." "No reason? Why, Squire, what's the matter with good standing black walnut as security?" "Nothing at all, but I thought all the walnut on Weefer's ground had been cut." "Not unless 'twas done since yesterday afternoon." The official removed his glasses, leaned back in his chair, put both feet upon his desk, and looked so long and provokingly at Philip that the latter said:-- "Has it been cut over-night?" "Oh, no. Take a chair. Are you sure that you saw this property?" "Entirely sure, unless I was dreaming by daylight. He and I rode over it. I was brought up in the West, so I know walnut trees when I see them." "Of course, but--did you make sure of the line-marks--the boundaries?" "Yes. That is, he showed me two blazed trees, which he said marked his line." "Just so. Did he say which side of the line his own property was?" "Yes--no--that is, he took me over a lot of ground that contained many fine large walnut trees. See here, Squire, have I been swindled?" "That depends. Weefer is about as smart as they make 'em, so I don't think he'd be fool enough to swindle any one--not, at least, so that the law could take hold of him. Did he say the land he showed you was his? Tell me exactly what he said; for if he over-reached himself, my old law partner would like to handle the case for you. To win a case against Weefer would be a great feather in his cap. The fact is that all the walnut on Weefer's land consists of stumps, for the trees were cut off two or three years ago. There's a fine lot of standing walnut adjoining it, but it belongs to Doctor Taggess." "Then I am swindled." "I hope so--that is, I hope, for the sake of our old firm, which I'll have to go back into if I'm not reëlected, that you've a good case against Weefer. Now tell me--carefully--exactly what he said. Did he say that Taggess's land was his?"