Was there more than one tree of this?"
"More than forty, sir, that I saw myself, and I've no doubt there are
others," Addison replied.
"Ah!" the old Squire exclaimed, with a look of understanding kindling in
his face. "I see! I see!"
During our three or four winters at the old Squire's we boys had
naturally picked up considerable knowledge about lumber and lumber
values.
"Yes," Addison said. "That's why I planned to get hold of that wood-lot.
I wrote to Jones & Adams to see what they would give for clear,
kiln-dried bird's-eye maple lumber, for furniture and room finish, and
in this letter they offer $90 per thousand. I haven't a doubt we can get
a hundred thousand feet of bird's-eye out of that lot."
"If Lurvey had known that," said I, "he wouldn't have stopped bidding at
two thousand!"
"You may be sure he wouldn't," the old Squire remarked, with a smile.
"As for the quarreling heirs," said Addison, "they'll be well satisfied
to get that much for the farm."
The next day the old Squire accompanied Addison to the savings bank and
indorsed his note. The bank at once lent Addison the money necessary to
pay for the farm.
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