to a square meal, or ever rose from a square game, but what
he allus said, 'If old uncle Quince was only here now, boys, I'd die
happy.' I leave it to you, gentlemen, if that wasn't Jackson Wells's
gait all the time?"

There was a prolonged murmur of assent, and an affecting corroboration
from Ned Wyngate of "That was him; that was Jacksey all the time!"

"Indeed, indeed," said the lawyer nervously. "I had quite the idea that
there was very little fondness"--

"Not on your side--not on your side," said Rice quickly. "Uncle Quincy
may not have anted up in this matter o' feelin', nor seen his nephew's
rise. You know how it is yourself in these things--being a lawyer and a
fa'r-minded man--it's all on one side, ginerally! There's always one who
loves and sacrifices, and all that, and there's always one who rakes in
the pot! That's the way o' the world; and that's why," continued Rice,
abandoning his slightly philosophical attitude, and laying his hand
tenderly, and yet with a singularly significant grip, on Wells's arm,
"we say to him, 'Hang on to that will, and uncle Quincy's memory.'
And we hev to say it. For he's that tender-hearted and keerless of
money--having his own share in this Ledge--that ef that girl came
whimperin' to him he'd let her take the 'prop' and let the hull thing
slide! And then he'd remember that he had rewarded that gal that broke
the old man's heart, and that would upset him again in his work. And
there, you see, is just where WE come in! And we say, 'Hang on to that
will like grim death!'"

The lawyer looked curiously at Rice and his companions, and then turned
to Wells: "Nevertheless, I must look to you for instructions," he said
dryly.

But by this time Jackson Wells, although really dubious about
supplanting the orphan, had gathered the sense of his partners, and said
with a frank show of decision, "I think I must stand by the will."

"Then I'll have it proved," said Twiggs, rising. "In the meantime, if
there is any talk of contesting"--

"If there is, you might say," suggested Wyngate, who felt he had not had
a fair show in the little comedy,--"ye might say to that old skeesicks
of a wife's brother, if he wants to nipple in, that there are four men
on the Ledge--and four revolvers! We are gin'rally fa'r-minded, peaceful
men, but when an old man's heart is broken, and his gray hairs brought
down in sorrow to the grave, so to speak, we're bound to attend the
funeral--sabe?"

When Mr. T