relating to that," he
answered.

"Eh? But what the deuce--"

For a moment Don stared open-mouthed at the lawyer. Then he reached in
his pocket for his cigarettes, selected one with some deliberation,
and tapped an end upon the case.

"You said Dad had considerable sentiment," he observed. "It strikes me
he has shown more humor than sentiment."

Barton was still aggressive. To tell the truth, he expected some
suggestion as to the possibility of breaking the will; but if ever he
had drawn a paper all snug and tight, it was the one in question.

"Damme," Pendleton, Sr., had said. "Damme, Barton, if the lad is able
to break the will, I'll rise in my grave and haunt you the rest of
your days."

If the boy wished to test the issue, Barton was ready for him. But the
boy's thoughts seemed to be on other things.

"I suppose," mused Pendleton, Jr., "I suppose it was that freshman
scrape that worried him."

"I was not informed of that," replied Barton.

"It made good reading," the young man confided. "But, honest, it was
not so bad as the papers made it out. Dad was a good sport about it,
anyhow. He cleared it up and let me go on."

"If you will allow me to advance an opinion,--a strictly personal
opinion,--it is that Mr. Pendleton devised the entire will with
nothing else but your welfare in mind. He had a good deal of pride,
and desired above all things to have you retain the family home. If I
remember correctly, he said you were the last lineal descendant."

Don nodded pleasantly.

"The last. Kind of looks as if he wanted me to remain the last."

"On the contrary," ventured Barton, "I think he hoped you might marry
and--"

"Marry?" broke in Don. "Did you say _marry?_"

"I even understood, from a conversation with your father just before
his death, that you--er--were even then engaged. Am I mistaken?"

"No; that's true enough. But say--look here."

The young man reached in his pocket and brought forth a handful of
crumpled bills and loose change. He counted it carefully.

"Twelve dollars and sixty-three cents," he announced. "What do you
think Frances Stuyvesant will say to that?"

Barton refrained from advancing an opinion.

"What do you think Morton H. Stuyvesant will say?" demanded Don.

No point of law being involved in the query, Jonas Barton still
refrained.

"What do you think Mrs. Morton H. Stuyvesant will say, and all the
uncles and aunties and nephews and nieces?"

"Not being their author