The old woman whom Hiram had insisted on adding to the household as maid of all work snapped her dishcloth at the ell window and began chatting with “Figger-Four” Avery, who was varnishing one of the vans. Avery sat down on the cart tongue and gave her his full attention. “Avery is a fair sample of ’em,” continued Hiram, jerking his head to indicate his servitor. “There ought to be only three days in the week for fellers like him and the rest round here--a rainy day, Sunday and pay-day.” “It wears on a man like Avery to get up before breakfast and work between meals,” observed the Squire, drily. At this little jest of his brother’s, Hiram recovered all his composure. It was evident that the Squire wasn’t bringing that dreaded “bone to pick,” he reflected. “I’m goin’ to have old Skip-bug, there, give the whole outfit a goin’-over, new gilding, new paint, varnish, and a clean scour. Prob’ly I’ll be takin’ to the road again next season, Phin,” he said, with a sigh. “I’ve been studyin’ it over for quite a spell. I’m get-tin’ to realise every day that you’ve drifted your way and I’ve drifted mine, and the things I talk about don’t hit you and the things you talk about----” “I’m a pretty dry, prosy chap to be a companion to one who has seen the world as you’ve seen it,” the Squire finished the sentence. “No, it ain’t that, Phin,” blustered Hiram. “The idea is you’ve got education and I ain’t, and I never shall have. There’s only brass and bellow to me, slam-bang like a circus band. So I guess I’ll have Hop-and-fetch-it give the gear a slickin’ and I’ll be movin’ on.” He set his hat down over his eyes and smoked hard. The Squire did not reply for a time. He had unclasped his jack-knife and was meditatively jabbing it into the decayed wood of the porch platform. “The Looks are no great hands to make a lot of soft talk to each other or anybody else, Hime,” he said at last. “But I want to say to you that I really hoped you were home to settle here. Half of the house is yours to do with as you like. Neither of us will bother the other one--I hope!” Hiram gave him another of his suspicious side-glances. “I’ve heard that you have been making quite a number of investments in town and were looking for more, and so I supposed you had decided to camp here. I wish you would, Hime.” “Well, I don’t like to have money ’round idle, that’s all,” growled his brother. He waited a moment and then, studying the Squire from the corner of his eye, he said: “I suppose the old fools ’round here are makin’ all kinds of talk about my lettin’ out a little money. I ain’t said anything to you about it ’cause I reckoned you had business enough of your own to think about.”