“And he can’t get it,” finished Miss Smiley. “And he has no more nerve than a hen crossing the road. It takes a young man to do those things. Some day that boy of his might make something out of them--if he’s got any stuff in him besides the Hand meanness!” she concluded, thoughtfully. “I don’t know why I’m so generous with Dick Hand,” she continued, after a moment. “Twelve thousand dollars of this money represents an accumulated sum unrighteously withheld from his brother. Two thousand dollars represents your fee. That’s fourteen thousand--and for it he is getting patents that may be worth ten times that. But we had to give him something,” she said, half humorously. “I wish I had a little less conscience so’s to use him as he’s used others!” A knock sounded on the door. Mr. Brown called out, “Come in,” and Mermaid entered. She wore a dark green tailored suit, and her skirts had lengthened. Her abundant coppery red hair had been “put up,” and she looked an astonishingly mature young lady. The three freckles remained in place and the dimples had deepened. “Aunt Keturah,” she said, using a new form of address, “time to go home! Dickie Hand is outside waiting for me. Have you heard the news? His father told Dickie and his mother that he’d broken a tooth and lost all his money. Must have been his wisdom tooth,” surmised the girl as Miss Smiley rose to go with her. XIII When Hosea Hand, otherwise and generally Ho Ha, learned through a visit from Lucius Brown that $12,000 had been left him by a cousin he was astounded, happy, and perplexed. For some time he did nothing but treat his friends and acquaintances. He bought Mermaid countless ice cream sodas and Mr. Brown countless cigars, and various others a considerable number of drinks (always taking a cigar himself). Occasionally he got confused in his happiness, as when he asked Mermaid to have a cigar and Lawyer Brown whether he wanted lemon or orange phosphate. His perplexity arose over the cousin whose beneficiary he had so unexpectedly become. Mr. Brown seemed unable to make this end of the wonder suitably clear. “A fourth or fifth cousin, Hosea,” said the lawyer, carelessly, over the substitute for the phosphate. “She--he--they--I mean, it--was someone you never knew. She--they--had a lot of money. Remembered all the relatives.” “Well, father and mother both came of large families,” observed Ho Ha. “I must have had a couple dozen cousins. I can’t remember who was fourth and who was fifth among ’em. I don’t know--would you think I might show my appreciation by putting up a nice tombstone to this cousin?” “Good Lord, certainly not! I mean--I’m sure there will be a suitable memorial,” replied Mr. Brown, slightly choking over the near-phosphate as his mind imaged a tall shaft in honour of Keturah Smiley. “What was the name?” asked Ho Ha.