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Perry will git it all. Then me an' Addy will be down jest where I started fifty years ago."

The fat man stated his position impassively, scrutinizing the young man in the chair opposite him.

"An' what do you want me to do?" questioned Abner with more interest.

"Well, bein' as you was a frien' of Addy's, I thought you'd be interested in seein' her keep the proputty her daddy got together for her. I allowed you'd be more interested in seein' it go to Addy than to Perry Northcutt. The fact is, Ab, I'm old. I kain't start at the bottom agin an' set Addy up where she is now. If I could make it a-tall, I wouldn't be in time. She's a young lady now, an' anything that money can do fer her happiness has got to be done now. Like all right-minded gals, Ab, she'll marry soon. With money she can have her pickin' choice of whoever she wants, and I want her to have that feller, whoever he be. Any man she picks will be all right with me. That gal's got more sense in a minute than most folks has in a year. She's got too much sense to pick for mere book l'arnin', Abner. He's got to be a man!" His guttural voice came down on the word "man" with an emphasis that picked Abner out and nominated him for the position.

"Look here," said the teamster earnestly, "what can I do in this business?"

"If the strike comes off like it's billed, we'll need men to take the strikers' places. You've already worked down there; you'd be a valuable man to break in raw labour. Sheriff Bascom is goin' to be with you fellers; so are most of the deputies in the county."

"You mean there's liable to be a fight?"

"I hope not, nachelly, but when one set o' men steps up an' says nobody can work unless they say so, seems to be it's time to decide whether we're all rabbits or bulldawgs. I thought I'd speak to you about it. I shore don't think it's right fer me to spen' my life makin' a fortune for Addy,