Lawyer Clinch is a hard man, a terrible hard man; and he's always wanted this farm.

It's the best piece o' land in the hull township, an' he wants it for a market farm." "But _why_ did you mortgage it to him ?" cried Hilda.
"I didn't, my gal; I didn't!" said the farmer, sadly.

"He'd kep' watch over it ever sence Simon began to get into trouble,--reckon he knew pooty well how things would come out; an' bimeby Jason Doble, as held the mortgage, he up an' died, an' then Lawyer Clinch stepped in an' told the 'xecutors how Jason owed him a big debt, but he didn't want to do nothin' onfriendly, so he'd take the mortgage on Hartley's Glen and call it square.

Th' executors was kind o' fool people, both on 'em--_I_ d'no' what possessed Jason Doble to choose them for 'xecutors, when he might ha' hed the pick o' the State lunatic asylum an' got some fools as knew something; but so 'twas, an' I s'pose so 'twas meant to be.

They giv' it to him, an' thanked him for takin' it; and he's waited an' waited, hopin' to ketch me in a tight place,--an' now he's done it.