"Oh! Indeed!" sniffed Sarah Petty. "Uncle Jonah Hand is one that pays his way wherever he goes. Of course, I give him our front room and we have to get along as best we can without a parlor. But he insists on paying his shot." "Oh!" said Mrs. Enoch. "That's what I call proper," said Mrs. 'Poley in her heavy voice. "How nice!" panted Mrs. Perse. "_That's_ an uncle wuth havin'," admitted Mrs. Solon. On the barnyard barrier it was the same: "This here uncle of your wife's a pretty far-seeing man, Orrin?" asked Enoch Petty. "The boy that drove us over here said 'twas all around the neighborhood that Cap'n Jonah Hand had come back from China with his pockets full of cash." "_My_ driver," said Solon, who was a ponderous man, "said the cap'n brought home more than his pockets full. Said he had a safe here at the house stuffed full of gold and silver, and that Perry Baker, the expressman, who brought it over from the bank, was so scare't of being robbed on the way that he was threatened with nervous prostration--er, haw! haw! haw!" "Hoh!" snorted Tom, in echo, and with disgust. "No," said Orrin coolly. "That strong box has gone back to the bank. I guess Cap'n Jonah is a pretty careful man." "But he _has_ got money?" queried Enoch. "Some," said the cautious Orrin. "Think we could get him interested in that Short Line 'twixt Harwich and Beanport, Enoch?" suggested Solon slyly. The twins' jaws wagged more swiftly. As one man they opened their lips and together cried: "Ye might let us in on that!" "No, boys," said Enoch, shaking his head. "This is not a family matter. We don't let the family in on nothin' but sure things. This here Harwich and Beanport Line is a sort of gamble." "Huh!" ejaculated Orrin. "Ain't Uncle Jonah one of the fam'ly, I'd like to know?" "Not exactly," drawled Enoch. "Er-haw! haw! haw!" laughed Solon loudly. "Cap'n Hand's a sort of step-child in this case. We need money for that Short Line development----" "You seine for some other man's money," Orrin said shortly. "Uncle Jonah's too old to go in with you boys in any onsartain scheme. He may not be a Petty; but we don't propose he shall lose any of his hard-airned money that may in time _come_ to a Petty." "Well said!" chorused the twins, with vigorous approval. "Never take no risks," added Uncle 'Poley. "Penny saved is a penny airned," said Uncle Perse. They were full of old saws and sayings, were the Heath twins. Solon Petty burst out with his rumbling laugh. "Those are the tight-lipped and tight-fisted boys. They ought to be bankers instead of storekeepers. It's taking chances that makes Big Business." "Ye-as. Mebbe," said Orrin. "But Cap'n Jonah Hand has taken all the chances he's ever goin' to take if _I_ have any influence with him. We know what he's _got_; we don't know how much less he might have if he fooled with these gambling games. Why, there ain't any of 'em square!"