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Scattergood went inside the store and leaned upon the counter, taking no small pleasure in a mental inventory of his heterogeneous stock. He had completed one side, and arrived at the rear, given over to stoves and garden tools, when a customer entered. Scattergood turned. "Mornin', Mattie," he said. "What kin I help ye to this time?" "I I need a tack hammer, Mr. Baines."
Patterson," said Scattergood, hastily, and he climbed into his buggy clumsily, placing the baby on the seat beside him, and holding it in place with his left arm. "G'-by." The buggy rattled off. The baby hushed suddenly and began to look at the horse. "Kind of come to your senses, eh?" said Scattergood. "Now you and me's goin' to git on fine if you jest keep your mouth shet.
It's startin'. There's only one way to open a valley, and that's to run a railroad up it.... Narrow-gauge 'u'd do here. Carry mostly lumber, but passengers, too." "Thinking of building one?" asked Crane, almost laughing in Scattergood's face. "Thinkin' don't cost nobody anythin'," said Scattergood. "Ever take a look at that charter of mine?" "No." "I'll let you read it over a bit.
Twenty-four hours later both Crane and Keith were in Coldriver, storming up to Lawyer Norton's office. Scattergood was in Boston and not visible. "What does this mean?" blustered Crane, displaying to Norton the notice mailed at Scattergood's direction. "What it says." "You can't stop us hauling to the river." Norton shrugged his shoulders. "You can use the state road." "Fifteen miles!
"You come to Coldriver on business, didn't you? Money business?" "Why I came is my own affair." "Certain.... Certain.... But things gets noised about. Things has got noised about concernin' a paper that stands betwixt you and half of the Beatty estate. Heard 'em myself." Scattergood waggled the envelope.
"We'll have no larks like that, Master Marty," she declared. Mrs. Scattergood and 'Rill were among the first to arrive; and then came Mrs. Middler, the minister's wife. Mrs. Beasely was there, and Walky Dexter's wife, and the druggist's sister, who kept house for him; and Mrs. Poole, the doctor's wife; and Mrs.
Scattergood slapped Peaney on the back. He laughed. He acted like a boy with a new jackknife. "It's all mine now, hain't it? Mine? Fair and square? It's my money every penny of it?" "It's yours, Mr. Baines. And I congratulate you. I myself have made a matter of fifty thousand dollars." "Wisht I'd put up every cent I got.... But there'll be other chances, won't they? I kin git in ag'in?"
And now, my lords, there is that young scattergood the Laird of Bucklaw's fine to be disposed upon. I suppose it goes to my Lord Treasurer?" "Shame be in my meal-poke, then," exclaimed the Lord Turntippet, "and your hand aye in the nook of it! I had set that down for a bye-bit between meals for mysell."
"G'mornin'," said Scattergood, and turned toward the gate. "What's your hurry, mister?" "Can't bear to stay near a man that mentions so much money in a breath," said Scattergood, with his most ingratiating grin. "How much could you stay and hear?" "Not over ten." "Huh!... Seein' the buildin's in poor shape, I'll call it fifteen."
For five years, now, Scattergood had moved along slowly and irresistibly, buying a bit of timber here, acquiring a dam site there, taking over the stage line to the railroad twenty-four miles away, and establishing a credit and a reputation for shrewdness that were worth much more to him than dollars and cents in the bank.
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