“I was told,” pursued the first speaker, screwing up one eye and grinning at Hiram, “that you broke Sam's gun over his head and chased Pete a mile. That right, son?” “You will get no information from me,” returned Hiram, tartly. “Why, Pete ought to be big enough to lick you alone, Strong,” continued the tantalizer. “Hey, Pete! Don't sneak out. Come and tell us why you didn't give this chap the lickin' you said you was going to?” Pete only glared at him and slunk out of the store. Hiram turned his back on the whole crowd and waited at the end of the counter for Mr. Schell. The storekeeper was a tall, portly man, with a gray mustache and side-whiskers, and a high bald forehead. “What can I do for you, Mr. Strong?” he asked, finally having got rid of the customers who preceded Hiram. Hiram, in a low voice, explained his mission. Schell nodded his head at once. “Oh, yes,” he said; “I remember about the option. I had forgotten it, for a fact; but Pepper was in here yesterday talking about it. He had been to your house.” “Then, sir, to the best of your remembrance, the option is all right?” “Oh, certainly! Pollock witnessed it, and I put my seal on it. Yes, sir; Pepper can make the old lady sell. It's too bad, if she wants to remain there; but the price he is to pay isn't so bad----” “You have no reason to doubt the validity of the option?” cried Hiram, in desperation. “Assuredly not.” “Then why didn't Uncle Jeptha speak of it to somebody before he died, if the option had not run out at that time?” “Humph!” “You grant the old man was of sound mind?” “Sound as a pine knot,” agreed the storekeeper, still reflective. “Then how is it he did not speak to his lawyer about the option when he saw Mr. Strickland within an hour of his death?” “That does seem peculiar,” admitted the storekeeper, slowly. “And Mr. Pollock says he thinks there is something wrong about the option,” went on Hiram, eagerly. “Oh, Pollock! Pah!” returned Schell. “I don't suppose he even read it.” “But you did?” “Assuredly. I always read every paper. If they don't want me to know what the agreement is, they can take it to some other Notary,” declared the storekeeper with a jolly laugh. “And you are sure that the option was to run a year?” “Of course the option's all right--Hold on! A year, did you say? Why--seems to me--let's look this thing up,” concluded Caleb Schell, suddenly. He dived into his little office and produced a ledger from the safe. This he slapped down on the counter between them. “I'm a careful man, I am,” he told Hiram. “And I flatter myself I've got a good memory, too. Pepper was in here yesterday sputtering about the option and I remember now that he spoke of its running a year. “But it seems to me,” said Schell, pawing over the leaves of his ledger, “that the talk between him and old Uncle Jeptha was for a short time. The old man was mighty cautious--mighty cautious.” “That's what Mr. Pollock says,” cried Hiram, eagerly.