"Course, some of these secureties air likely to seine a purty small ketch." He picked up a certain paper. Tom crowded closer to read it hungrily. "Here's this Little Sandy Oil and Coal Company. I got two thousand sheers of that. They cost me a dollar a sheer an' the prospectus said they'd go to a hundred par in time. I must confess that time ain't come yet, so I've hung onto 'em." "A hundred per cent. rise," Tom whispered, and felt actually faint. "But you'll mebbe see the time when the Little Sandy Company will fulfill its prognostications--yes sir! Now, go 'long with you, Tom. I'm much obleeged. I got to look over some other stuff in this little chist. Perry Baker'll be back for it day after to-morrow. I don't feel jest right havin' it out o' the bank for long." Tom wanted to see the inside of the strong box; but there was no opportunity. He stumbled down the dark stairway and out to the barn where his father, who was a good "cold iron blacksmith," was pottering about their farm wagon. Like most Cape Cod people who had land to till, the Pettys drew seaweed and shackfish for their fertilizer pile during the winter months. "Where in tarnation hev you been?" demanded Orrin. "I want you should help me with this felloe." Tom looked at his farther in a stunned sort of way. "Ketch holt here!" Orrin commanded. "What you moonin' about? What hev you been doin'?" "I've been helpin' Uncle Jonah figger up his fortune," said Tom in a faint and faraway voice. "His fortune!" "Yep. His fortune," repeated the younger Petty. He told his father the exact sum to which the securities added. Orrin's mouth fell loosely open and he actually paled under his sheath of salt wind tan. "Goshamighty!" he gasped at last. "Air you tellin' the truth, Tom Petty?" "I wouldn't make nothin' by lyin', would I?" demanded Tom. "I knew he had plenty o' money." "Wait till your mother hears 'bout it," sighed Orrin in a sort of ecstasy. "You an' marm want to be mighty careful how you treat Pearly," growled Tom, shaking a threatening head. "He as much as said that he'd will it all to her out o' spite if marm an' you jawed her the way you do." "Huh!" snorted Orrin. "How 'bout you marryin' the gal?" "She won't marry me now, Pearly won't, so long's that Helmford feller is in the way," grumbled Tom. "Git out!" "You see," said his son. "I ain't dyin' to marry no girl----" "Get her to promise to marry ye," said the scheming Orrin quickly. "That'll be enough. If Pearly once promises a thing she'll do it if the heavens fall. You know that, Tom." "But I ain't likely to get her to promise no such thing, as long as that city chap is foolin' her," declared Tom. "But marm won't hear to puttin' him out." "Wal," said Orrin, shrewdly, "there's more ways of killin' a cat than chokin' it to death with butter."