ternoon of the second day that he turned his steps
toward the house which had been his home for so long a time.

We will precede him, and explain matters which made his visit very
seasonable.

In the sitting-room sat Hugh Raynor, the present occupant of the house.
He was a small, dark-complexioned man, with a large Roman nose, and
his face was at this moment expressive of discontent. This seemed to be
connected with a letter which he had just been reading. Not to keep the
reader in suspense, it was mailed at Chicago, and was written by Mrs.
Brent. We will quote a paragraph:

"You seem to me very unreasonable in expecting me not only to give you
the house rent-free, but also to give you a salary. I would like to know
what you do to merit a salary. You merely take care of the house. As
for that, there are plenty who would be glad to take charge of so good
a house, and pay me a fair rent. Indeed, I am thinking that it will be
best for me to make some such arrangement, especially as you do not seem
satisfied with your sinecure position. You represent me as rolling in
wealth. Jonas and I are living very comfortably, and we have nothing to
complain of, but that is no reason for my squandering the small fortune
left me by my husband. I advise you to be a little more reasonable in
your demands, or I shall request you to leave my house."

"Selfish as ever," muttered Mr. Raynor, after reading this letter over
again. "Cousin Jane never was willing that any one else should prosper.
But she has made a mistake in thinking she can treat me meanly. I AM IN
A POSITION TO TURN THE TABLES UPON HER! This paper--if she dreamed I had
found it, she would yield to all my demands."

He laid his hand upon a paper, folded lengthwise, and presenting the
appearance of a legal document.

He opened the paper and read aloud:

"To the boy generally known as Philip Brent and supposed, though
incorrectly, to be my son, I bequeath the sum of five thousand dollars,
and direct the same to be paid over to any one whom he may select
as guardian, to hold in trust for him until he attains the age of
twenty-one."

"This will Mrs. Brent carefully concealed," continued Mr. Raynor, "in
order to save the money for herself and Jonas. I wonder she was not
prudent enough to burn it, or, at any rate, to take it with her when she
left Planktown. It is a damaging secret, but I hold it, and I mean to
use it, too. Let me see, what is it best to do?"

Mr. Rayn