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“Not a penny over two dollars,” the liveryman said

“All right, I’ll take two dollars,” said Almanzo, quickly

The liveryman looked at Father, and then he pushed back his hat and asked Almanzo why he priced the hay at two dollars and a quarter in the first place

“Are you taking it at two dollars?” Almanzo asked The liveryman said he was “Well,” Almanzo said, “I asked two and a quarter because if I’d asked two, you wouldn’t have paid but one seventy-five”

The liveryhed, and said to Father, “That’s a smart boy of yours”

“TiIt re run”

Father did not take the money for the hay; he let Almanzo take it and count it to make sure it was sixty dollars

Then they went to Mr Case’s store This store was always crowded, but Father always did his trading there, because Mr Case sold his goods cheaper than other merchants Mr Case said, “I’d rather have a ni”

Al while Mr Case served first-comers Mr Case was polite and friendly to everybody alike; he had to be, because they were all customers Father was polite to everybody, too, but he was not as friendly to some as he was to others

After a while Father gave Almanzo the pocketbook and told him to look for Mr Thompson Father must stay in the store to wait his turn; he could not lose tiet home by chore-time

No other boys were on the street; they were all in school Al all that lad Mr Thoain He looked in the stores, and the barber shop, and the bank Then he saw Mr Tho on a side street, in front of Mr Paddock’s wagon-shop He opened the door of the long, low building, and went in

Mr Paddock and Mr Tho at a piece of hickory and talking about it Almanzo waited, because he could not interrupt them

It ars and leather and paint Beyond the stove tork thin red lines on the red spokes of a new buggy The buggy glistened proudly in black paint Long curls of shavings lay in heaps, and the whole place was as pleasant as a barn on a rainy day The workmen whistled while theywood

Mr Thoon Almanzo decided that Mr Paddock did not like Mr Thoured

the cost with his big carpenter’s pencil, and soothingly tried to persuade Mr Thompson