Part 36 (1/2)
”Wait, John, let me read you the letter.”
”The man's a mean rascal!” said Miles. ”A rich man who will take advantage of a poor man's necessity to deprive him of his home deserves to be horsewhipped.”
”I shan't attempt that,” said Tom, smiling; ”but I will disappoint him.
He little thinks I have it in my power to defeat his plans.”
That very evening Tom engaged pa.s.sage to New York, and two days later he sailed out of the Golden Gate.
”I don't know how long I shall be gone, John,” he said. ”You need send me no remittances, for I have money enough with me. You will hear from me as soon as I have reached home, and transacted my business with Squire Hudson.”
”You will come out here again, Tom, won't you?”
”Yes, and before long. I have been so busily occupied making money that I have seen almost nothing of San Francisco.”
Tom did not journey alone. Ferguson, having thriven beyond his expectations, decided to sail to New York, and thence to Scotland, on a visit to his relatives, though he thought it probable he should come back within a year. d.i.c.k Russell also was now in a position to study law at home, and gave up the business of gold-mining forever.
”I owe all my present prosperity to you two,” he said. ”But for you I should have blown my brains out five months since.”
”We owe our prosperity to you also,” said Tom. ”You guided us to the mines from which we gathered a golden harvest.”
”We have worked together, and been mutual helpers,” said Ferguson. ”G.o.d has favored us all, and to Him be the thanks!”
CHAPTER x.x.x.
THE NIGHT BEFORE THE AUCTION.
It was a sad household, that of Mark Nelson, on the day preceding the departure from the farm. There was to be an auction the next day, at which the farm-stock and farm-implements were to be sold. It was well understood that Squire Hudson was to be the buyer of the farm, and as he was not likely to have any compet.i.tor there was little hope that it would fetch more than the amount of the mortgage.
During the afternoon Mr. Nelson called on Squire Hudson to make the best terms he could at private sale.
”The farm is worth at least a thousand dollars more than the mortgage, Squire Hudson,” said the farmer.
”It is worth what it will fetch, Mr. Nelson,” said the squire.
”Do you mean that an article always commands its full value at auction, Squire Hudson?”
”Ahem! it brings its market value, Mr. Nelson.”
”Which may be far below its intrinsic value. Suppose a diamond worth ten thousand dollars were put up at auction in our village, do you consider that it would bring a fair price?”
”Ahem! you are wandering from the subject. We are talking of farms, not diamonds.”
”As to the farm, then, you are likely to be the only bidder, unless you allow the mortgage to remain.”
”If I were inclined to do that I would not disturb you as long as you paid the interest promptly.”
”Then you decline to buy the farm at private sale?”
”I do.”