things--and that's costin' me a dollar and a half a week. And
there'll be taxes to pay, and--and-- Well, I just guess I'll have
to try and sell it now and take what I can get.

"Though that lawyer says that if the place was fixed up a little
and crops put in it would make a thousand dollars' difference in
the selling price. That is, after a year or two.

"But bless us and save us" cried Mrs. Atterson, "I'd be swamped
with expenses before that time."

"Mebbe not," said Hiram Strong, trying to repress his eagerness.
"Why not try it?"

"Try to run that farm?" cried she. "Why, I'd jest as lief go up
in one o' those aeroplanes and try to run it. I wouldn't be no
more up in the air then than I would be on a farm," she added,
grimly.

"Get somebody to run it for you--do the outside work, I mean,
Mrs. Atterson," said Hiram. "You could keep house out there
just as well as you do here. And it would be easy for you to
learn to milk---"

"That whitefaced cow? My goodness! I'd just as quick learn to
milk a switch-engine!"

"But it's only her head that looks so wicked to you," laughed
Hiram. "And you don't milk that end."