But, boiled down and shorn of
politeness and subterfuge, his proposition was that Thankful should sell
her property to him, after which he would either tear down the buildings
on that property, or move them to a less objectionable site.
"But, Auntie," cried Emily, "of course you told him you didn't want to
sell."
"Sartin I did. I told him all I had was invested here, that my first
season had been a good one considerin' 'twas the first, and that my
prospects were all I had a right to hope for. I told him I was sorry
if my boarders had plagued him and I'd try to see they didn't do so any
more. But I couldn't think of sellin' out."
"And what did he say to that?"
"What didn't he say? What I said didn't make a bit of difference.
He made proclamation that any reasonable price I might name he would
consider. He wouldn't submit to what he called 'extortion' of course,
but he would be perfectly fair, and all that. I kept sayin' no and he
kept sayin' yes. Our talk got more and more sultry long towards the last
of it. He told me that he made it a p'int to get what he wanted and he
was goin' to get it now. One thing he told me I didn't know afore,
and it's kind of odd, too. He said the land this house sits on used to
belong to him once. His father left it to him. He sold it a long while
ago, afore my Uncle Abner bought, I guess. Now he's sorry he sold."
"That was queer, what else did he say?"
"Oh, he said a whole lot about his desire to make East Wellmouth his
permanent residence, about the taxes he paid, and what he meant to
do for the town.
Pages:
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227