text: For the next few days, Grit rode up and down the streets of the town, talking with merchants about the needs of the town of Lincoln. He received job offers from several businesses, but the pay was usually $40 or $50 per month.
  
  "Sorry, I'm sending two of my family to the university," Grit told one man, "and I can't live on $50 a month. Besides, I'm worth a lot more than that." He spoke to the owners of the two lumber stores in town. The first was Augie Anselm, who seemed pleasant enough.
  
  "I'm here because I know this town is gonna grow," Augie said. "We've got the state capital here, the state prison, state insane asylum, the state university, and we now have three railroads serving the town."
  
  The other was a gruff, rough-looking man named Eddie Butts, whose business seemed to be struggling. Grit went into the lumber office and asked to speak to Mister Butts, and a man came from an office and asked, "Whaddaya need?"
  
  "I'm new in town," Grit said. "I'm a lumberman trying to get some advice on what kind of business I could start in town."
  
  Before Grit could say another word, Eddie Butts was in his face. "You sure better not be startin' no lumber store, or I'll whip your ass."
  
  Grit took a step back. "I didn't come here to fight. As I said, I just wanted to do some talkin' and see what businesses might be most successful."
  
  "Listen, I ain't into givin' advice," Butts said. "But stay away from the lumber business, or I'll burn you out. I ain't toleratin' no more competition. I'm havin' a hard enough time as it is."
  
  Grit nodded and said, "I can see why."
  
  "What the hell does that mean?" Butts asked, his face red and ugly.
  
  "Nothin'," Grit said. "I'll be goin' now."
  
  "Yeah, and don't come back for no advice," Butts said.
  
  Meanwhile, Colleen had found a lady with a young girl the same age as Astrid who was willing to look after her while Colleen attended school in the morning and early afternoons. Astrid was delighted to have a friend her own age. So both Colleen and Paulie started attending the University of Nebraska.
  
  Shortly after they'd moved in, Grit suggested Colleen send the laundry out to be done.
  
  "You think that's okay?" she asked. "It would reduce my workload enormously."
  
  Grit laughed. "You've done enough laundry to last a lifetime, and I don't want you doing any more... ever. As long as I've got the money, I'll pay for it to be done. You can use all that time to study."
  
  "You're too good to me, Grit," she said.
  
  "Colleen, please don't say that or think that," he said. "You're as fine a person as I've ever known, and it pleases me to treat you well."