all it luck, if you like," the judge mused.

"That's what most folks would call it, I guess."

"I suppose that is what she feels, because she was anxious when she came
to see me yesterday to divide her fortune with you other Clarks."

It was a daring move, and as he spoke the judge looked keenly into the
young man's face.

"Did she?" Tom Clark inquired unconcernedly. "I know she's always on the
square--there aren't many like her!"

"You may not know that if she should carry out her intention, she would
strip herself of almost every dollar she possesses."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Her husband, I understand, conducted her affairs so badly that very
nearly if not quite half the great fortune she received five years ago
from her guardians has wasted away. I don't know what ultimately may be
recovered from these California investments, but judging from what Mrs.
Clark tells me I should say almost nothing. So that there can be left of
the original estate only a little over two millions of dollars."

"Well, that's enough for any woman to worry along on," the mason grinned
lightly.

"But not enough for her to pay out of it two and a half millions, which
would have been the share of your grandfather's heirs."

"Hell! She ain't thinkin' of doin' that!"

"She certainly was. She would have made the proposal to you already, if
I had not asked her to wait until I could advise with her again."

The young man's blue eyes opened wide in astonishment.

"What good would that do her?"

"It would give all of you California Clarks your slice of Clark's
Field--how many of you are there?"

"I dunno exactly--maybe twenty or twenty-five--I haven't kep' count."

"Say there are twenty-five heirs of old Edward S. living. Each of them
would have a hundred thousand dollars apiece roughly. That sum of money
is not to be despised even to-day."

"You bet it ain't," murmured the mason feelingly. His face settled into
a scowl; and leaning forward he demanded,--"What are you drivin' at
anyway, Judge?"

The judge did not answer.

"You ain't goin' to let that woman hand over all her money to a lot of
little no-'count people she's never laid eyes on, just because they are
called 'Clark' instead of 'Smith' or some other name?"

"You happen to be one of them," the judge observed with a laugh.

"I know that,--and I guess I'm a pretty fair sample of the whole
bunch,--but I ain't takin' charity from any woman!"

The judge settled ba