“Sure,” said Tom. “But she’s gotta get outta here this arternoon.” Joyce looked anxiously about her as if she hoped to find a bit of handy land close by: “How much time have I?” she asked. “I’ll have to hunt a place. I’m sure there’s one somewhere. Do you know where I could get a mover?” The men grew interested. She really meant business. Well, five bucks was five bucks of course, and if she really wanted the house, why they didn’t mind earning double money and getting a bit of a rest in the bargain. They looked at each other again, a long meaningful glance: “I guess Sam would fix her up, wouldn’t he, Tom? I guess he wouldn’t overcharge her for movin’, would he? He’s got the big jacks along today, ain’t he? An’ she ain’t very big--” “What do you think he would charge?” gasped Joyce awaiting the answer as if her very life depended upon it. It seemed as though she just couldn’t bear to lose that little house! It seemed as though it had just been made for her need, and she found her heart praying, “Oh, heavenly Father, please make it possible, please make it possible!” “Oh, he wouldn’t charge you much ef you didn’t go too fur. But I don’t think you ken git enny land. It’s all took up about here.” “How much time will you give me?” asked Joyce impatiently, anxiety growing in her face. “Well, we oughtta be pullin’ out o’ here in about a nour,” said the older man. “The truck don’t leave fur a nour an’ a quarter. We’ll say a nour an’ ten minutes. That oughtta give you time.” “Oh!” gasped Joyce and flew down the street looking about her on either side, and leaving the men gaping after her. “Well, all I gotta say is,” said Tom after gazing for some minutes, “she’s some new kind of a nut! Do you reckon to wait fer her to come back, er shall I go on bustin’ her up?” The older man dropped down comfortably on the grass and took out his pipe. “A bargain’s a bargain, Tom,” he said cupping his hands around the match, “I allus keeps my contrac’s.” “H’m!” said Tom, dropping stiffly beside him, “But sposen she don’t come back?” “She’ll come back,” said the other. “But sposen she can’t find no land?” “It’s my opinion, Tom, that she’s one o’ them kind, that ef she can’t find no land she’ll _make_ a little bit. I’ve seen ’em before, an’ they can bamboozle the eye teeth out of a tightwad ef they really try. She’s really tryin’ now. She wants this here cottage bad, an’ I intend she’ll have it.” Tom squinted his eyes and observed his chief thoughtfully remarking after a while: “H’m!” Pretty soon the chief arose, took up his implements of work and went up to the little house. He studied the foundation for a few moments and then he began with his pick to work about it, loosening the stones in which it was set. Tom arose and followed him, watching his movements a moment. Then he raised his eyes to the side of the little structure as if for the first time he observed it as a dwelling, a housing place for a human being.