Dave had not seen Ben Basswood for several days. On the following evening the son of the real estate dealer came hurrying over to the Wadsworth mansion. "We've got news about that Mr. Enos's estate!" cried Ben, as soon as he met Dave and Roger. "It's the queerest thing you ever heard of. Mother doesn't know what to make of it, and I don't know what to make of it, either." "Well, I hope it's a valuable estate if it is coming to your father," said the senator's son. "I don't know whether it is valuable or not, and neither does father. He says in his telegram it is certainly worth several thousand dollars, and he doesn't know but that it may be worth a hundred thousand dollars or more." "A hundred thousand dollars!" cried Laura, who had come in to hear what Ben had to tell. "Oh, Ben, that certainly is a fortune!" "Well, what does it consist of?" queried Dave. "If it may be worth all the way from two or three thousand dollars to a hundred thousand or more, it must be mining stocks or something like that." "No, it isn't in stocks or bonds or anything like that." "Then what in the world does the estate consist of?" questioned our hero. "Miniatures," answered Ben Basswood, simply. CHAPTER IX SOMETHING ABOUT MINIATURES "Miniatures?" came from all of Ben Basswood's listeners in a chorus. "Do you mean those little paintings that are sometimes so valuable?" continued Laura. "That's it," answered Ben. "I don't know much about miniatures myself, but as soon as mother and I heard about this queer fortune of ours she asked the minister. You know he is quite interested in art, and he told her that most of these little miniatures, which are about the size of a silver dollar or a small saucer, are usually painted on ivory. Of course, some of them are not so valuable, but others, especially those painted by celebrated artists, are worth thousands of dollars." "And how many of these miniatures are there, Ben?" asked Roger, with increased curiosity. "Father didn't know exactly, but said they would number at least fifty, and maybe seventy-five." "I suppose they are paintings of celebrated individuals--kings, queens, and like that?" was Dave's comment. "No, these miniatures, so father stated, are made up almost entirely of the great fighters of the world--army and navy men, lieutenant-generals, admirals, and officers like that." "Well, where in the world did this Mr. Enos get money enough to buy such things?" asked Jessie, who had followed Laura into the room.