e your
mother and her brother--his children--more successful in selling their
ancestral estate, although I believe they made many attempts to do so.
There were legal obstructions in the way, of which doubtless you have
heard. But at the very close of your uncle's life he had entered into an
agreement with some real estate speculators to dispose of his equity in
the property and of yours also--you being his ward--for twenty-five
thousand dollars--I believe that was the sum."

Judge Orcutt put on his glasses and consulted his little book, laid the
glasses down, and repeated reflectively,--

"Yes, for twenty-five thousand dollars! And he had so far carried out
his intention that had he lived but a few weeks longer there would not
have remained a foot of Clark's Field belonging now to any of the Clark
family."

Poor uncle! Adelle thought. He was very little good in the world.

"Twenty-five thousand dollars, Mrs. Davis, is a considerable sum of
money, but it is a small mess of pottage compared with what awaits you
in the hands of the Washington Trust Company. Let me see how much the
estate amounts to now!"

Hereupon the trust officer handed to the judge an inventory of the
estate, which the judge ran over through his glasses, muttering the
items,--"Stocks, bonds, mortgages, interest in the Clark's Field
Associates," etc.

At last he laid the paper aside, and looking up announced in grave
tones,--

"It comes very near being five millions of dollars."

Adelle had already been told the figures by the trust company, but in
the mouth of the probate judge the sum took on a new solemnity.

"Five millions of dollars," he repeated slowly. "Even in our day of
large accumulations, that is a very considerable sum of money, Mrs.
Davis. It is just one thousand times more than the amount your
grandfather hoped to derive from the same piece of property."

The trust officer smiled, and thrusting his hands deep into his
trousers' pockets gazed at the ceiling. Of course five millions was a
lot of cash, but the judge seemed to forget the hour in which they were,
when everyday transactions involved millions. The young woman, who had
expensive tastes, would not find the income of five millions such a huge
fortune to spend. She didn't look as if she would have any trouble in
spending it, nor the red-headed chap she had married. Still a
comfortable little fortune, all in "gilt-edge stuff"....

"Your estate represents an increment in v