"Unless Mr. Peters comes back. He is the only one we can think of to
call upon."

"What sort of a man is this Squire Davenport?"

"He is a very selfish man, who thinks only of his own interests. We
felt safe, because we did not suppose he would have any use for a
small house like ours; but night before last he called on mother with
the man he wants it for."

"He cannot foreclose just yet, can he?" asked Mrs. Hamilton.

"No; we have three months to look around."

"Three months is a long time," said the lady cheerfully. "A good deal
can happen in three months. Do the best you can, and keep up hope."

"I shall try to do so."

"You have reason to do so. You may not save your house, but you have,
probably, a good many years before you, and plenty of good fortune may
be in store for you."

The cheerful tone in which the lady spoke some how made Ben hopeful
and sanguine, at any rate, for the time being.

"In this country, the fact that you are a poor boy will not stand in
the way of your success. The most eminent men of the day, in all
branches of business, and in all professions, were once poor boys. I