Part 25 (1/2)

Rev Hobson and Dr Robinson was down to the end of the town a-hunting together?that is, Ia sick ht Lawyer Bell ay up to Louisville on business But the rest was on hand, and so they all co and thanked him and talked to him; and then they shook hands with the duke and didn't say nothing, but just kept a-s their heads like a passel of sapheads whilst he oo-goo”

all the ti he blattered along, andin town, by his nas that happened one tie's family, or to Peter And he always let on that Peter wrote hiot every blessed one of the flathead that we canoed up to the steamboat

Then Mary Jane she fetched the letter her father left behind, and the king he read it out loud and cried over it It give the dwelling-house and three thousand dollars, gold, to the girls; and it give the tanyard (which was doing a good business), along with some other houses and land (worth about seven thousand), and three thousand dollars in gold to Harvey and William, and told where the six thousand cash was hid down cellar So these two frauds said they'd go and fetch it up, and have everything square and above-board; and told me to come with a candle

We shut the cellar door behind us, and when they found the bag they spilt it out on the floor, and it was a lovely sight, all the's eyes did shi+ne! He slaps the duke on the shoulder and says:

”Oh, _this_ ain't bully nor noth'n! Oh, no, I reckon not! Why, _bully_, it beats the Nonesuch, _don't_ it?”

The duke allowed it did They pawed the yaller-boys, and sifted thele down on the floor; and the king says:

”It ain't no use talkin'; bein' brothers to a rich dead ot left is the line for you and e Thish yer co run I've tried 'em all, and ther' ain't no better way”

Most everybody would a been satisfied with the pile, and took it on trust; but no, they must count it So they counts it, and it co:

”Dern him, I wonder what he done with that four hundred and fifteen dollars?”

They worried over that awhile, and ransacked all around for it Then the duke says:

”Well, he was a pretty sick man, and likely he made a mistake?I reckon that's the way of it The best way's to let it go, and keep still about it We can spare it”

”Oh, shucks, yes, we can _spare_ it I don't k'yer noth'n 'bout that?it's the _count_ I'm thinkin' about We want to be awful square and open and above-board here, you know We want to lug this h-yer money up stairs and count it before everybody?then ther' ain't noth'n suspicious But when the dead man says ther's six thous'n dollars, you knoe don't want to?”

”Hold on,” says the duke ”Le's un to haul out yaller-boys out of his pocket

”It's a ot a rattlin' clever head on you,” says the king ”Blest if the old Nonesuch ain't a heppin'

us out agin,” and _he_ begun to haul out yaller-jackets and stack them up

It most busted them, but they made up the six thousand clean and clear

”Say,” says the duke, ”I got another idea Le's go up stairs and count this irls_”

”Good land, duke, le idea 'at ever a ot the most astonishi+n' head I ever see

Oh, this is the boss dodge, ther' ain't notheir suspicions now if they want to?this 'll lay 'eethered around the table, and the king he counted it and stacked it up, three hundred dollars in a pile?twenty elegant little piles Everybody looked hungry at it, and licked their chops Then they raked it into the bag again, and I see the king begin to swell himself up for another speech He says:

”Friends all, enerous by theenerous by these yer poor little lambs that he loved and sheltered, and that's left fatherless and motherless Yes, and we that knowed hienerous by 'em if he hadn't ben afeard o' woundin'

his dear William and me Noouldn't_ he? Ther' ain't no question 'bout it in _my_ mind Well, then, what kind o' brothers would it be that 'd stand in his way at sech a time? And what kind o' uncles would it be that 'd rob?yes, _rob_?sech poor sweet lambs as these 'at he loved so at sech a time? If I know William?and I _think_ I do?he?well, I'll jest ask hins to the duke with his hands, and the duke he looks at him stupid and leather-headed a while; then all of a sudden he see with all his s hi says, ”I knowed it; I reckon _that 'll_ convince anybody the way _he_ feels about it Here, Mary Jane, Susan, Joanner, take the ift of him that lays yonder, cold but joyful”

Mary Jane she went for him, Susan and the hare-lip went for the duke, and then such another hugging and kissing I never see yet And everybody crowded up with the tears in their eyes, andall the tiood souls!?how _lovely_!?how _could_ you!”