I have written to
Crappy Zachy--he is sure to lead him to the best houses. He must bring a
girl home who has plenty of good coin."
"Plenty of coin doesn't constitute goodness," replied the mother.
"I know that!" cried the farmer, with a sneer. "But why shouldn't he
bring home one who is good and has plenty of coin into the bargain?"
The mother sat silent for a time, but after awhile she said:
"You've referred him to Crappy Zachy. It was at Crappy Zachy's that
Josenhans's boy was boarded out."
Thus her pronouncing the name aloud showed that her former remembrances
were dawning upon her; and now she became conscious what those
remembrances were. And her mind often reverted to them during the events
that were soon to occur, and which we are about to relate.
"I don't know what you're talking about," said the farmer. "What's the
child to you? Why don't you say that I did the thing wisely?"
"Yes, yes, it was wisely done," the wife acquiesced. But the tardy
praise did not satisfy the old man, and he went out grumbling.
A certain apprehension that things might go wrong with his boy after
all, and that perhaps he had been in too great a hurry, made the farmer
gruff, for the present, toward everybody about him.
CHAPTER XIV
THE RIDER ON THE WHITE HORSE
On the evening of the same day that John had ridden away from
Zumarshofen, Crappy Zachy came to Farmer Rodel's house and sat with the
proprietor in the back room for a long time, reading a letter to him in
a low voice.
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