"That's good. There's a sight of lazy, shiftless boys about in
these days. Seems as if they expected to earn their bread 'n butter
a-doin' nothin'. I've been a thinkin', neighbor Walton, that you'll
find it hard to pay for that cow in six months."

"I am afraid I shall," said the farmer, thinking in surprise, "Can
he be going to reduce the price?"

"So I thought mebbe we might make an arrangement to make it easier."

"I should be glad to have it made easier, squire. It was hard on
me, losing that cow by disease."

"Of course. Well, what I was thinkin' was, you might hire out your
boy to work for me. I'd allow him two dollars a month and board,
and the wages would help pay for the cow."

Harry looked up in dismay at this proposition. He knew very well
the meanness of the board which the squire provided, how inferior
it was even to the scanty, but well-cooked meals which he got at
home; he knew, also that the squire had the knack of getting more
work out of his men than any other farmer in the town; and the
prospect of being six months in his employ was enough to terrify
him. He looked from Squire Green's mean, crafty face to his father's
in anxiety and apprehension. Were all his bright dreams of future
success to terminate in this?