"What's that?" cried Norbert, starting to his feet."What are you talking about?""It's true," said the Colonel, deliberately."She told me so herself.Eskew had dropped off into a sort of doze--more like a stupor, perhaps,--and we all went into Roger's old studio, except Louden and the doctor, and while we were there, talkin', one of Pike's clerks came with a basket full of tin boxes and packages of papers and talked to Miss Tabor at the door and went away.Then old Peter blundered out and asked her point-blank what it was, and she said it was her estate, almost everything she had, except the house.Buckalew, tryin'
to make a joke, said he'd be willin' to swap HIShouse and lot for the basket, and she laughed and told him she thought he'd be sorry; that all there was, to speak of, was a pile of distillery stock--""What?" repeated Norbert, incredulously.
"Yes.It was the truth," said the Colonel, solemnly."I saw it myself: blocks and blocks of stock in that distillery trust that went up higher'n a kite last year.Roger had put all of Jonas's good money--""Not into that!" shouted Norbert, uncontrollably excited.
"Yes, he did.I tell you I saw it!"
"I tell you he didn't.He owned Granger Gas, worth more to-day than it ever was! Pike was Roger's attorney-in-fact and bought it for him before the old man died.The check went through my hands.You don't think I'd forget as big a check as that, do you, even if it was more than a year ago? Or how it was signed and who made out to? It was Martin Pike that got caught with distillery stock.He speculated once too often!""No, you're wrong," persisted the Colonel."Itell you I saw it myself.""Then you're blind," returned his grandson, disrespectfully; "you're blind or else--or else--"He paused, open-mouthed, a look of wonder struggling its way to expression upon him, gradually conquering every knobby outpost of his countenance.