"I dare say you will have no difficulty in finding another place," said Barnes, feeling his way.
"'Tain't easy to git a job up here. I guess I'll have to try New York er some of the big cities," said Peter, confidently.
An idea was taking root in Barnes's brain, but it was too soon to consider it fixed.
"You say Mr. Loeb is new at his job?"
"Well, he's new up here. Mr. Curtis was down to New York all last winter bein' treated, you see. He didn't come up here till about five weeks ago. Loeb was workin' fer him most of the winter, gittin' up a book er somethin', I hear. Mr. Curtis's mind is all right, I guess, even if his body ain't. Always was a great feller fer books an' writin' 'fore he got so sick."
"I see. Mr. Loeb came up with him from New York."
"Kerect. Him and Mr. O'Dowd and Mr. De Soto brought him up 'bout the last o' March."
"I understand that they are old friends."
"They was up here visitin' last spring an' the fall before. Mr. Curtis is very fond of both of 'em."
"It seems to me that I have heard that his son married O'Dowd's sister."
"That's right. She's a widder now. Her husband was killed in the war between Turkey an' them other countries four er five years ago."
"Really?"
"Yep. Him and Mr. O'Dowd--his own brother-in-law, y' know--was fightin' on the side of the Boolgarians and young Ashley Curtis was killed. Mr. O'Dowd's always fightin' whenever they's a war goin' on anywheres. I cain't understand why he ain't over in Europe now helpin' out one side or t'other."
"Was this son Mr. Curtis's only child?"
"So fer as I know. He left three little kids. They was all here with their mother jest after the house was finished. Finest children I ever--"
"They will probably come into this property when Mr. Curtis dies," said Barnes, keeping the excitement out of his voice.
"More'n likely."
"Was he very feeble when you saw him last?"
"I ain't seen him in more'n six months. He was failin' then. That's why he went to the city."
"Oh, I see. You did not see him when he arrived the last of March?"
"I was visitin' my sister up in Hornville when he come back unexpected-like. This ijiot Loeb says he wrote me to meet 'em at Spanish Falls but I never got the letter. Like as not the durn fool got the address wrong. I didn't know Mr. Curtis was home till I come back from my sister's three days later. The wust of it was that I had tooken the automobile with me,--to have a little work done on her, mind ye,--an' so they had to hire a Ford to bring him up from the Falls. I wouldn't 'a' had it happen fer fifty dollars." Peter's tone was convincingly doleful.