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[“. . . ]make a bargain? Will you take what I have offered you?” inquired Hardin.^[1]

“I don’t know whether to do so or not. I thought I would wait until I came back from the Springs before I decided,” answered Sowers indecisively.

“Oh, Pshaw! Now, you can’t talk to me that way. I won’t listen to it—no indeed—I want the deed drawn up and I want to pay the money Monday, so make up your mind at once.”

“Can’t you give me something more? A few hundred more? You know the place is worth more than you have offered me for it. So make up your mind to pay me more money.”

“I’ll give you five hundred dollars more than I first offered you. You know I’ll have the mill to tear down and refit and so forth, so don’t be so very hard on me. I am not rich.”

“You are well-to-do, though. Well, I guess I will take five hundred dollars more than what you first offered me.”

“There is no guess work in this. I want the mill for certain and no guessing about it. So give me a positive answer.”

“Well, my positive answer is that we have made the bargain—the bargain is completed. I will have the deed made when I come back from the Springs.”

“Oh no, sir, the bargain was for you to make out the deed Monday. You must recollect, I am paying my board here every day, and I am doing nothing. It is not a bargain unless you do that. Won’t you do it as a favor, Mr. Sowers?”

“Yes, I will do it—I will settle all on Monday and start for the Springs on Tuesday, so good-day, Mr. Hardin. I am in a hurry this morning.”

“Farewell, Mr. Sowers. I will see you tomorrow, I reckon, as I am coming out to look around,” said Hardin as his visitor rose to take his leave.

“Yes, you had better come out tomorrow and take dinner with me, Mr. Hardin,” asserted Sowers pleasingly.

“Thank you, I will do so with pleasure,” replied Hardin with a broad smile.

Sowers went home and told his wife and the rest of the family of his bargain with Hardin.

“Indeed, Father, I am very glad you have concluded you would sell the place,” asserted Mattie. “I am tired of Virginia. I don’t know what to do.”

Herbert Armstead had fell [sic] in love with Mattie, and he was paying her his kindest attention. He had said he would never love, but Mattie’s pure, sweet face and winning ways won him over from his prejudice. He could not withstand her smiles. They were enough to make any man love her. The day passed and Sunday came. A bright clear day it was.

Herbert was there bright and early with his buggy to take Mattie to meeting at Greenwood.

All of the people at Sowers’ went to meeting that day as it was to be their last Sunday there. William took Ellen, Herbert took Mattie, and the rest of the family went in the family carriage. Kent and Hugh Walters walked, although they could have rode [sic] if they wished.

“Well, they are not going until Tuesday,” said Kent to Hugh as they walked leisurely along. “I hope something may happen so as to keep them a few days longer,” continued Kent. “For my plans are not quite completed.”

“Mr. Kent, I had a strange dream last night. I dreamed that a young man came here and said he was William Reed. But we all told him he was an impostor and tried to drive him away,” said Hugh as soon as his friend ceased speaking. “I awoke before I finished my dream. But I think I will see it finished in reality,” added Hugh after a short pause.

“I hope something will be realized, for I can tell you I am anxious to see my children,” said Kent earnestly.

They spent the day very profitably by going to church. The night time came and all the inhabitants of Brookland slumbered and dreamed of various things.

Early on the following morning, they were all astir for they were to make their final preparations for their journey to the Springs that day.

Herbert was over again that day, as he had nothing to do and he loved to spend his idle hours in gazing upon the sweet face of Mattie Sowers.

Soon after breakfast, Sowers left home for Winchester. He arrived at the Hotel just as Mr. Hardin was coming out of the hall door on the porch.

“Well, I see you are here, Mr. Sowers. I could not get out to your house yesterday, although it would have afforded me great pleasure to have done so. I had too much business to attend, although it was Sunday,” said Mr. Hardin.

“You are scarcely pardonable, my dear sir, for you said you would do so with pleasure. I will grant you pardon for this once but I’ll not do so again. But let us to business at once,” said Sowers. He and Hardin went to the Courthouse and there the deed was drawn up—Hardin paid Sowers the full amount cash, and they left the Courthouse and started for Brookland.

“I will take dinner with you today. I guess that will do as well,” said Hardin as they rode leisurely along the road toward Brookland.

“All right, I am satisfied, so you can take a meal with us today as well,” assented Sowers. They soon arrived at the mill and Hardin began his inspection. He looked all through the mill and seemed to be well satisfied with his purchase.

“You see, Mr. Sowers, I am going to tear this mill down root and branch, every bit of it, and build me a first-class brick-mill,” said Hardin as he sat at the dinner table that day.

“I guess you will. For you are determined to do what you say you will do,” commented Sowers dryly.

The dinner passed off quietly and the evening came. Herbert was still there, and he intended asking Mattie a question or two that night, as she was to go away the next morning.

So, as soon as the twilight came, he asked her to take a walk with him up the lane. She consented, and they were soon wending their way along the lane. They were walking very slowly. Herbert’s heart was in his mouth—he had a whole lot of pretty things to talk about, but he was at a loss how to commence.

“Miss Sowers—Mattie—dear Mattie,” said he nervously and stopped. He could get no further.

So she asked in a timid voice, “What is it, Bertie?” She expected what it was and had been expecting to hear the words before that time.

“Will you try to love me? A little?” said he again nervously. “I love you with all the strength of man.”

She hung her head in silence for some time. Presently she said:

“Yes, I will love you. I do love you already, dear, dear Bertie.”

He clasped her to his breast passionately, saying as he did so:

“Thank God, I have won your heart!” She did not try to release herself from his loving embrace, but she nestled her head still closer to his manly heart.

“You will love me always then? And not forget me when you go to the Springs?” he asked anxiously.

“I will love you forever, and I will not forget you when I go to the Springs.”

They returned home, both feeling better after their confessions. Herbert sat on the porch with his lady-love until bedtime. He then went to the mill. He stayed with Hugh at night when he was at Brookland.

All of the inhabitants of Brookland slumbered again. Some were dreaming pleasant dreams of love. Others were slumbering quietly.

Ella lay awake for some time after going to bed—thinking of the next day. Finally, she sank into unconsciousness and when she awoke the morning had come—

She was destined to have a startling adventure that day.