“He was inquirin’ on bus’ness for your brother Hime,” faltered Badger. “He said Hime was borryin’ and lendin’ and was willing to pay seven per cent. Figger-Four is clerkin’ for Hime and gittin’ facts and figgers for him, and you know it jest as well as I do.” “No, I don’t know----” but the lawyer checked his exclamation, setting his lips hard. He put the bank-book and the notes away in the safe. “It’s best for you to keep your mouth shut about this,” he said curtly to the old man who followed his movements with frightened stare. “I won’t answer for what may happen to you otherwise.” He threw up the window and looked out. Uncle Buck and Marriner Amazeen sat on the store platform, their chairs tilted back. They were the lawyer’s regular stand-bys as witnesses of legal papers, and came upstairs at his call. “Your will, hey?” observed Buck as he pulled his spectacles down from his forehead and looked over the paper preparatory to signing it. “I allus thought you cal’lated on takin’ it all with ye, Sum.” When his eyes fell on the writing designating the purpose to which the estate was to be applied, he snorted, “Well, it’s about as I reckoned, after all. That’s the next thing to luggin’ it away to Kingdom Come.” He read the clause aloud to Amazeen. “Statoot to be life-size?” that individual blandly inquired. “It will be as big’s there’s money for,” replied Badger, stiffly. “It will be sculped out from my photograft and I reckon the sculper can make me nine feet high. There’s risin’ thirteen thousand to do it with.” He gazed at his auditors with triumph. “Le’s see!” pursued Amazeen, reflectively, “that would make your ear about as big over as a chiny nappy. Before you’ve been standin’ there two days them cussed sparrers will set up housekeepin’ in both ears. And a robin will have a nest under your arm, and there’ll be a crow settin’ on your head ha’f the time. You want to add a codicil there providin’ for about four scarecrow windmills set around over you. You’re goin’ to be almighty uncomfortable if you don’t. A statoot with twine string and feathers sticking out of the ears ain’t going to attract no particular admirin’ interest.” “If the citerzens of this town stand round and see a thirteen thousand dollar monnyment get all cluttered and gurried up, then they ain’t got no more public sperit than quahaugs,” cried Badger. Amazeen took Uncle Buck’s place at the table and proceeded to affix his signature. While he wrote he said: “Mebbe you think you’ve done enough for this town so that the citerzens will stand out there in the grave-yard, turn and turn about, and keep the flies off’n that statoot with a feather duster! But I’m more inclined to think that the youngsters will do it with rocks.”