The Caldwell tribune., 1905-11-11
CHAPTER XXI.

.o,,ok David, quickp' cried the old
oerlv, "Let us get to work. Oh,
nAn' 'osta half the morning; let US get
you A. this rate" he sighed, ''we shall
~. W., roonths before l get back the prop
rB" 4h;. uor,,u
nrcle" David replied, standing in the
auor,oav sn 1t was O week after had told
Siro sS The truth. He had been turning 1t
nror IN bis mind in the interval. "@
V %Why not? David, IL you were near
T. soventy you would be anxious to get
~. YOU would not shilly-shally over
SInola bit of paper. Let US get on, Da-
IA Oh. you've got all the power now,
and am In your hands. won't grum-
bla David. 40, take your own time,
NV boy; take your own time" a.. q
The Door old man was strangely al
tered in four or Ave weeks, that he
should thus humble himself before his
npphew. But David had all the power so
jong as he had any Of those coupons left.
EYou little thought when l came hsre
that | was going to give you SO much
frouble did you, Uncle Daniel? You
thought you had the whip hand over me
always didn't your But you see, first
the fall from your pony, then the loss Of
YOUR papers, then the stroke, then my
coming home and finding those papers
all part of the judgment!-and now
I there's more to follow"
"What more? Oh, David, what more? p
the helpless old man only groaned.
To-day, uncle. l have come to talk
about my aunt's will. Will Nethercote
tcld me- You did not. You thought that
as seon as our little business was finish
, Cd should 60 away and never come
back any more. You thought yeu would
keep the money, did your Not SO, uncle;
not sol"
IT thought you would never And 1t
out, David" Mr.. Leighan confessed, with
somewhat surprising oandor. II soon
found that you knew nothing about 1t,
and that you never go about and talk;
and was pretty certain that you would
never find out. Well, now you know,
what difference does It make? You are
no nearer the money"
I'VE shall see. MY aunt might just
as wei! have left IL to me as b you.
To be sure, never thought she had hal1
30 much. She began with a thousand
She must have pinched and saved. She
left It to Mary, on the condition Of hel
marrying with your consent: and, H not
the money was 70 60 to me. And u
was dead, the will said nothing. So you
thought you could stick to the money
Uncle you're a foxy Onel You ought tc
be in the States, aRd thirty years young
e. There you would And youRself o.
home, with plenty Of opportunity. Well
am wiser now than / was. And set
row, uncle, don't meaa to 90 away
Ontil this question is settled. What arr
you going to dOT'
"Why should tell youY'
Keep 1t to yourself, then. I will tel
you what you thought you were going t.
DOL I've worked It all out. First, II yo'
let George and Mary get married befor'
the law let's you take sidcote you vii
lose sidcote." He began, In his SLOW
way, to tick of his points upoa his fin
gers. That's the first thing. Afte
you have got sidcote, you win be Still
!0ath to lot the money go, and you vii
keep Mary waiting on. You think that
shall soon 60. Then you will keep tn
money as long as you live. But suppos
they were to marry without your consent
all the money comes to n0e-comss to me
That sticks, doesn't it7 You can lie
them marry Dow--and you will lose Sid
cote; you can let them marry after 20
have got Sidcote; and you will have t
pay up; If you keep on refusing your cor
sent you can keep the money as long a
you hke-unlesS they marry without
Then you've got to give 1t to me. You'v
mad taste of me already"
He waited a little. Els uncle sal
nothing, but watched him from unde
his long, white eyebrOws-not contemp
uously, as on the first interview after HI
return, but with the respect due to tn
strength of the situation.
very well, then; you would rathe
give that money to Mary than to m,
nut you would like to get Sidcete; yo
nate the thought Of giving it to me, 20
intended to keep it yourself. Yet thel
y no way out Of 1t If you want Sidcot
perhaps you think you would give 1t I
mary, after you have got Sidcote. Bl
suppose she marries before? Then 70
would be obliged to give it all to me-"
N' SofA0b pSEAdpS yOu are SVLA
20 propose something"
have been thinking things over, vi
els' You are getting old, you may d
any day; then Mary would be free.
true that she might marry tomorrow
IN which case l should be entitled to @
Srything. But I don't think she wou
De such fool. If Iwere Mary, shou
wait You are seventy now, and yOu'v
lost the use Of your legs. You can't la
very long. should wait, IL 1 we
Mary. Yes; 1t might be a year or tw
1t couldn't be longer"
His uncle heard without any emotic
THIS argument in favor of his approac c
ing denise-eountry people use pIainne
OF speech about such matters-but
teit himself very far from dying, as ma
tsEtul men always do up to the very en-
Well, David, supposing that what y
Say Is common sense, what next?
mary marries at once she is a fool, al
thsn l have you to reckon with. The
good bit outstanding on the old a
count and don't suppose there wou
CS much coming to you when compoul
up"
., AS Tor your outstanding accounts, '
SnaIl see when the time comes. And
tor compound interest, 1t will be f
Sou TO pay that on my aunt's six tho