the road out of Claiborne loop-legged drunk. I’ve had it with the boy, even though it means I’ll be shorthanded until I can find somebody reliable to replace him. That’ll be hard to do what with the oil companies siphoning off all the good help these days. What can I do for you, Aly?”
“I’d like to rent a stall from you for a horse I want to buy.”
Matt’s broad brow furrowed like a newly sown cornfield. “Why, Aly, I’m not in the stall-renting business. You’re buying a horse? What kind and who from?” His surprised tone suggested disappointment that she was not buying from him.
Aly sighed. “I was afraid you’d ask me that. I might as well level with you. I want to buy Sampson, Mr. Taylor. Marshall leaves to go back to Pennsylvania tomorrow, and I have to find a place for Sampson by then or he won’t sell to me. He’ll…sell to you. I’ve tried both stables, but they’re full.”
“You must be offering him considerably more than I am.”
“I am.”
“Well, now,” Matt stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I got to say, Aly, that helping you means cutting myself out of a good piece of horseflesh, and I don’t see how I can do that. Fact is, knowing how much Marshall loves that horse, I’m surprised he’d even think of selling him to you, not because you’re a Kingston, mind you, but because you’ve never been known to have anything to do with horses. You’ll be going off to school in the fall, won’t you?”
“No, Mr. Taylor, I won’t. I intend to get a job here in Claiborne if I can. And believe me, I’ve heard all the arguments about why I wouldn’t be a good owner for Sampson, but I will be.”
Matt looked at her with compassion. “A job, Aly? In this town? It’s no secret how your dad feels about your going to school. Who’s going to give you a job that would thwart his wishes?”
Aly stared at him. An idea had just popped into her head. “How about you? You’re not afraid of Dad’s clout, and you’re shorthanded, right? You need somebody to take Benjy Carter’s place, right? How about me?”
“How about you?” Matt chortled. “Why, you don’t know the first things about mucking out stalls and taking care of horses!”
“Mr. Taylor, I can learn.” Aly’s hazel eyes deepened in earnestness. “I’m a good worker and as reliable as they come. Ask anybody. And—and—you can hire me pretty cheap.”
The last piqued Matt’s Yankee frugality. He squinted at her closely. “How cheap?”
Aly thought carefully. “For Sampson’s room and board,” she said slowly, “I’ll come out here every morning and work until noon. The rest of the day my services will cost you minimum wage.”
“You’ve got to be out of your mind, young lady. Nobody works for wages like those!”
“I will,” Aly said emphatically, beginning to have hope that she had made a deal. “Working here will give me a chance to learn about horses. I’ve always been curious about them. And you’ll be pleased with the quality of my work. I’m sure of it.”
Matt Taylor walked over to one of the windows to think over her offer. Aly tried to guess what he was thinking. Was he worried that she’d be too slight to handle the chores or too scared of the horses?
“Tell you what,” Aly said, “if you’ll agree to my terms, after a month if you’re not satisfied with my work, I’ll sell Sampson to you for the price you would have paid—six thousand dollars.”
Matt’s mouth hung open. “You mean you’d lose the difference between what you paid and what I offered?”
“That’s right.”
“And you’d trust my evaluation of your work?”
“You’re known as an honest man, Mr. Taylor. I know you’ll deal fairly with me.”
“Mucking out stalls is hard, dirty work. What if you don’t like it and just decide to quit?”
“Then you’d have another reason Sampson would become yours.”
Matt Taylor smiled and held out his hand. “Folks who work at Green Meadows call me
“I’d like to rent a stall from you for a horse I want to buy.”
Matt’s broad brow furrowed like a newly sown cornfield. “Why, Aly, I’m not in the stall-renting business. You’re buying a horse? What kind and who from?” His surprised tone suggested disappointment that she was not buying from him.
Aly sighed. “I was afraid you’d ask me that. I might as well level with you. I want to buy Sampson, Mr. Taylor. Marshall leaves to go back to Pennsylvania tomorrow, and I have to find a place for Sampson by then or he won’t sell to me. He’ll…sell to you. I’ve tried both stables, but they’re full.”
“You must be offering him considerably more than I am.”
“I am.”
“Well, now,” Matt stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I got to say, Aly, that helping you means cutting myself out of a good piece of horseflesh, and I don’t see how I can do that. Fact is, knowing how much Marshall loves that horse, I’m surprised he’d even think of selling him to you, not because you’re a Kingston, mind you, but because you’ve never been known to have anything to do with horses. You’ll be going off to school in the fall, won’t you?”
“No, Mr. Taylor, I won’t. I intend to get a job here in Claiborne if I can. And believe me, I’ve heard all the arguments about why I wouldn’t be a good owner for Sampson, but I will be.”
Matt looked at her with compassion. “A job, Aly? In this town? It’s no secret how your dad feels about your going to school. Who’s going to give you a job that would thwart his wishes?”
Aly stared at him. An idea had just popped into her head. “How about you? You’re not afraid of Dad’s clout, and you’re shorthanded, right? You need somebody to take Benjy Carter’s place, right? How about me?”
“How about you?” Matt chortled. “Why, you don’t know the first things about mucking out stalls and taking care of horses!”
“Mr. Taylor, I can learn.” Aly’s hazel eyes deepened in earnestness. “I’m a good worker and as reliable as they come. Ask anybody. And—and—you can hire me pretty cheap.”
The last piqued Matt’s Yankee frugality. He squinted at her closely. “How cheap?”
Aly thought carefully. “For Sampson’s room and board,” she said slowly, “I’ll come out here every morning and work until noon. The rest of the day my services will cost you minimum wage.”
“You’ve got to be out of your mind, young lady. Nobody works for wages like those!”
“I will,” Aly said emphatically, beginning to have hope that she had made a deal. “Working here will give me a chance to learn about horses. I’ve always been curious about them. And you’ll be pleased with the quality of my work. I’m sure of it.”
Matt Taylor walked over to one of the windows to think over her offer. Aly tried to guess what he was thinking. Was he worried that she’d be too slight to handle the chores or too scared of the horses?
“Tell you what,” Aly said, “if you’ll agree to my terms, after a month if you’re not satisfied with my work, I’ll sell Sampson to you for the price you would have paid—six thousand dollars.”
Matt’s mouth hung open. “You mean you’d lose the difference between what you paid and what I offered?”
“That’s right.”
“And you’d trust my evaluation of your work?”
“You’re known as an honest man, Mr. Taylor. I know you’ll deal fairly with me.”
“Mucking out stalls is hard, dirty work. What if you don’t like it and just decide to quit?”
“Then you’d have another reason Sampson would become yours.”
Matt Taylor smiled and held out his hand. “Folks who work at Green Meadows call me
Similar Books
