"I have already told you that I wished to save your mother trouble."
"We are much obliged to you, but we decline your proposal."
"Then," said Wolverton, spitefully, "I shall have to hold you to the terms of the mortgage. I had intended to favor you, but after the tone you have taken with me, I shall not do so."
"To what terms do you refer, Mr. Wolverton?" asked the widow.
"I will tell you. I have the right at the end of six months to call for a payment of half the mortgage--fifteen hundred dollars. That will make, in addition to the interest then due, sixteen hundred and fifty dollars."
"Can this be true?" asked Mrs. Burton, in dismay, turning to Robert.
"It is so specified in the mortgage," answered Wolverton, triumphantly. "You can examine it for yourself. I have only to say, that, had you accepted my offer, I would have been content with, say, one quarter of the sum, knowing that it would be inconvenient for you to pay half."
Bob, as well as his mother, was taken by surprise, but in no way disposed to yield.
"We should be no better off," he said. "We should lose at least five hundred dollars by accepting your offer, and that we cannot afford to do."
"You refuse, then," said Wolverton, angrily.
"Then all I have to say is that you will rue this day," and the agent got up hastily, but upon second thought sat down again.
"How do you expect to get your grain to market?" he asked.
"I shall store it on a boat I have purchased, and Clip and I will take it to St. Louis."
"You must be crack-brained!" ejaculated Wolverton. "I never heard of a more insane project."
"I hope to disappoint you, Mr. Wolverton. At any rate, my mind is made up."
Wolverton shuffled out of the room, in impotent rage.
"We have made him our enemy, Robert," said his mother, apprehensively.
"He was our enemy before, mother. He evidently wants to ruin us."
As Wolverton went home, one thought was uppermost in his mind. "How could he prevent Bob from making the trip to St. Louis?"
Bob hired a couple of extra hands, and made haste to finish harvesting his wheat, for he was anxious to start on the trip down the river as soon as possible. His anticipations as to the size of the crop were justified. It footed up fourteen hundred and seventy-five bushels, and this, at two dollars per bushel, would fetch in market nearly three thousand dollars.