48 TOM’S EXPERIENCE 
told him all about it. I first refreshed his memory 
about that transaction with my brother, and then 
showed him these papers and told him that Hawley 
was simply bidding for me; that I had now paid 
him back in part, and if there should be any other 
opportunities for paying off the balance of the score, 
he might expect me around, or somebody to repre- 
sent me. He was just white with rage. He would 
have got your farm here for fourteen hundred dol- 
lars, and he knew it, if I hadn’t got in his way.” 
My wife was sitting by while Sam told his little 
story, and before he was half-way through, the tears 
were rolling down her cheeks, and there was a mist, 
or something, in my own eyes, and when I tried to 
speak something came up in my throat, and the 
words couldn't get out. 
MR. BRIGHT MAKES A PROPOSITION. 
“ None of that,” said the big-hearted Sam, ‘ none 
of that. You see I’ve killed three birds with one 
stone, as it were. I’ve done you a good turn, done a 
good stroke of business for myself, and had a little 
revenge on Bragdon. I happened to have some 
money to invest this fall and came out here for that 
purpose. Now I don’t want your farm, and propose 
to deed it back to you, and then take a mortgage on 
it for that fourteen hundred dollars for two years, 
giving you the privilege of paying it offin one year 
if you choose. If my terms are satisfactory we will 
go to your county-seat to-morrow, get that sixteen 
