“He loafs around Hill’s grocery.  When he ain’t wokin’ at his trade,” said Hiram, “he does odd jobs for the Putnams in summer and cuts some wood for them in winter.  You know Lindy Putnam, the gal you sang with at the concert?”

“Come along,” said Quincy, “I feel pretty good this morning, we’ll walk down to Hill’s and see if that Mr. Wood has anything to say to me.”

“Don’t you think the best plan, Mr. Sawyer, would be to keep out of his way?” queried Hiram.

“Well, I can’t tell that,” said Quincy, “until I get better acquainted with him.  After that he may think he’d better keep out of my way.”

“Why, he’s twice as big as you,” cried Hiram, with a look of astonishment on his face.

“Come along, Hiram,” said Quincy.  “By the way, I haven’t seen Miss Putnam since the concert.  I think I will have to call on her.”

Hiram laughed until his face was as red as a beet.

“By gum, that’s good,” he said, as he struck both legs with his hands.

“What’s good?” asked Quincy.  “Calling on Miss Putnam?”

“Yes,” said Hiram.  “Wouldn’t she be s’prised?”

“Why?” asked Quincy.  “Such a call wouldn’t be considered anything out of the way in the city.”

“No, nor it wouldn’t here,” said Hiram, “but for the fact that Miss Putnam don’t encourage callers.  She goes round a visitin’ herself, and she treats the other girls fust rate, ’cause she has plenty of money and can afford it.  But she has got two good reasons for not wantin’ visitors.”

“What are they?” asked Quincy.

“Well, I’m country myself,” said Hiram, “and there are others in Eastborough that are more country than I am.  But if you want to see and hear the genooine old Rubes you want to see old Sy Putnam and his wife Heppy.”

“But Miss Mason said Miss Putnam was quite wealthy.”

“You bet she is,” said Hiram.  “She’s worth hundreds of millions of dollars.”

“I think you must mean thousands,” remarked Quincy.

“Well, as far as I’m concerned,” said Hiram, “when you talk about millions or thousands of money, one’s just the same to me as t’other.  I never seed so much money in my life as I seed since you’ve been here, but I don’t want you to think I’m beggin’ for more.”

“No,” said Quincy, “I should never impute such a motive to you.”

Quincy took a dollar bill from his pocket and held it up before Hiram.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“That’s one hundred cents,” said Hiram, “considerably more than I have got.”

“Well,” said Quincy, “if you tell me why Miss Putnam doesn’t like callers I will give you that dollar.”

“Stop a minute,” replied Hiram.  “Soon as we turn this next corner we’ll be in full sight of the grocery store.  You can go ahead and I’ll slip ’cross lots and come up from behind the store.  If Wood thought I’d told you he would lick me and I’m no fighter.  Now about Miss Putnam,” dropping his voice, “I heard it said, and I guess it’s pretty near the truth, that she is so blamed stuck up and dresses so fine in city fashions that she is just ’shamed of her old pa and ma and don’t want nobody to see ’em.”