The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1905-12-01
CHAPTER XXI

"Quick, David, quickp' cried the old
man, eagerly. Let us get to work. Oh,
You waste half the morning; let US get
on. At this rate" he sighed, 1--WE shall
take months before get back the prop
erty."
'There will be no trade this morning,
uncle" David replied, standing In the
doorway. 1t was week after had told
him the truth. He had been turning 1t
over in his mind in the interval.
why notf David, If you were near
ly seventy you would be anxious to get
on; you would not shilly-shally over
single bit Of paper. Let us get on, Da-
yid. Oh, you've got all the power now,
and ] am In your hands. l won't grum-
BILE, David. No, take your own time,
my boy; take your own time"
The poor old man was strangely al
tered in four or Eve weeks, that he
should thus humble himself before his
nephew. But David had all the power 80
long as he had any Of those coupons left.
"You little thought when came here
that | was going to give you so much
trouble, did you, Uncle Daniel? You
thought you had the whip hand over me
always, didn't you? 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
there's more to fellow"
What more? Oh, David, what more p
the helpless old man only groaned.
To-day, uncle, have como to talk
about my aunt's will. Will Nethercote
told me. You did not. You thought that
as soon as our little business WIS finish
ed should 60 away and never come
back any more. You thought you would
keep the money, did your Not SO, uncle;
not so!
II thought You would never End It
out, David" Mr.. Leighan confessed, with
somewhat surprising candor. II soon
found that you knew nothing about It,
and that you never go about and talk;
and was pretty certain that you would
never find cut. Well, now you know
what difference does 1t make? You are
no nearer the money"
1--WE shall see. My aunt might just
as well have left It to me as to you.
To be sure, never thought she had half
80 much. She began with thousand.
She must have pinched and saved. She
tCAs ~ w NAdAJy OA tA0 COnuAtAOn VI hGL
marrying with your consent; and, If not,
the money was to 60 to me. And If i
was dead, the will said nothing. So you
thought you could stick to the money.
Uncle, you're a foxy one! You ought to
be in the States, and thirty years young
er, There you would find yourself at
home, with plenty of opportunity. Well
am wiser now than was. And see
now, uncle, don't mean to 60 away
until this question 10 settled. What are
you going to dot"
"Why should I tell your
keep It to yourself, then. viii tel
you what you thought you were going t.
do: I've worked 1t all out. First, II you
let George and Mary get married before
the law let's you take Sidcote you will
lose Sidcote." He began, In his slow
way, to tick of his points upon his fin
gers. "That's the first thing. Aftel
you have got Sidcote. you will be still
loath to let the money go, and you will
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 incomes to me
That sticks, doesn't itf You can lie
them marry now--and you will lose Sid
cote; you can let them marry after yo1
have got Sidcote; and you will have t.
pay up; If you keep on refusing your con
sent, you can keep the money as long q
you like--unless they marry without
Then you've got to give 1t to me. You'v
had taste Of me already"
He waited little. His uncle sal
nothing, but watched him from undo
his long, white eyebrows-not contempt
uously, as on the first interview after hi
return, but with the respect due to tn
strength of the situation.
Every well, then; you would rattle
give that money to Mary than to m,
But yen would like to get Sidcote; 20
hate the thought Of giving it to me, 20
intended to keep it yourself. Yet ther
is no way out of 1t If you want Sidcot,
Perhaps you think you would give it I
Mary, after you have got Sidcote. Bu
suppose she marries before? Then 20
would be obliged to give it all to me-"
"Go on, David; perhaps you are goln
to propose something"
81 have been thinking things over, III
cle You are getting old, you may d
any day; then Mary would be free
Is true that she might marry to-morroy
In which case should be entitled to e.
erything. But I don't think she woul
be such fool. If were Mary, shoul
wait. You are seventy now, and you'y
lost the use Of your legs. You can't lal
very long. should wait, II l wei
Mary. Yes; 1t might be year or tw,
1t couldn't be longer"
His uncle heard without any emotic
this argument in favor Of his approac
Ing demise-ceuntry people use plainne
of speech about such matters-but |
felt himself very far from dying, as ma
terful men always do up to the very en-
..Well, David, supposing that what "
say Is common sense, what next2
Mary marries at once she Is a fool, al
then have you to reckon with. The
is good bit outstanding on the old a
count, and don't suppose there won
be much coming to you when compoul
interest and all comes to be reckon
up"
"As for your outstanding accounts, '
shall see when the time come, And
for compound interest, 1t WIN. be f
you to pay that on my aunt's six tho
sand pounds"
.The interest went for the keep
Mary"