t Scarford--to him. But last February it appears that he
and she had a falling out. He--Mr. Hungerford--is, so I am told, a good
deal of a sport--ahem! that is, he is a young gentleman of fashionable
and expensive tastes, and he wrote his aunt, asking for money,
rather frequently. The February letter reached her when she was
grouchy--er--not well, I mean, and she changed her will, practically
disinheriting him. Under the new will he receives twenty thousand
dollars in cash. The balance--" Mr. Farwell, who, during this long
statement, had interspersed legal dignity of term with an occasional
lapse into youthful idiom, now spoke with impressive solemnity,--"the
balance," he said, "one hundred thousand in money and securities,
and the house at Scarford, which is valued, I believe, at thirty-five
thousand more, she leaves to you, as her only other relative, Captain
Dott. I am here to congratulate you and to offer you my services and
those of the firm, should you desire legal advice."

Having sprung his surprise, Mr. Farwell leaned back in his chair to
enjoy the effect of the explosion. The first effect appeared to be
the complete stupefaction of his hearers. Those which followed were
characteristic.

"My soul and body!" gasped Captain Dan. "I--I--my land of love! And only
this mornin' I was scared I couldn't pay my store bills!"

"A hundred thousand dollars!" cried Serena. "And that beautiful house at
Scarford! OURS! Oh! oh! oh!"

Mr. Farwell crossed his knees. "A very handsome little windfall," he
observed, with condescension.

"We get a hundred thousand!" murmured the captain. "My! I wish Father
was alive to know about it. But, say, it's kind of rough on that young
Hungerford, after expectin' so much, ain't it now!"

"A hundred thousand!" breathed his wife, her hands clasped. "And that
lovely house! Why, we could move to Scarford to-morrow if we wanted to!
Yes, and live there! Oh--oh, Daniel! I--I don't know why I'm doing it,
but I--I believe I'm going to cry."

Her husband rushed over to the couch and threw his arm about her
shoulder.

"Go ahead, old lady," he commanded. "Cry, if you want to. I--I'm goin'
to do SOMETHIN' darn ridiculous, myself!"

Thus it was that Fortune and Opportunity came to the Dott door, and it
was the news of the visitation, distorted and exaggerated, which set all
Trumet by the ears next day.

Azuba's clam fritters were neglected that noon, just as breakfast had
been. Neither Captain