to the Ralestones; perhaps he
solved the anagram or found the pasted pages in the prayer-book--

"He was not ambitious for himself, but he wanted a better chance for his
foster-son and nephew than the one he had had. So he endeavored to prove
his claim to this property. Unfortunately, the lawyer he trusted was a
shyster of the worst sort. He himself had no belief in his client's
story and merely bled him for small sums each month without ever really
looking into the matter."

"Gran'pappy said he was tryin' to git his rights," broke in Jeems. "He
nevah tol' mah pappy what he knowed. An' he wouldn't let anyone see into
that chest--he kep' it undah his bed. Then aftah Pappy died of the
fever--'long with mah mothah--Gran'pappy cotched it too. An' the doctah
said that was what made him so fo'getful aftahwards. He stopped goin' in
town; but he came heah--'huntin' his rights,' he said. An' he tol' me
that our fortune was hidden heah. 'Course," Jeems looked at them
apologetically, "it soun's sorta silly, but when Gran'pappy tol' yo'
things yo' kinda believed 'em. So aftah he died Ah usta come huntin'
heah too. An' then when Ah opened the chest and foun' these--" From his
breast pocket he drew a wash-leather bag and opened it.

He held out to Val a chain of gold mesh ending in a carnelian carved
into a seal. "This is youah crest," he pointed to the seal. "Ah took it
in town an' a man at the museum tol' me about it. An' this heah is
Ralestone, too," he indicated a small miniature painted on a slip of
yellowed ivory. Val was looking at the face of the Ralestone rebel, as
near like the water-color copy Charity had made of the museum portrait
as one pea is to its pod-mate. Creighton took up the small painting.

"Hm-m," he looked from the ivory to Jeems and then to Val, "this is the
final proof. Either one of you might have sat for this. You have the
same coloring and features. If it were not for a slight difference of
expression you might pass for twins. At any rate, there is no denying
that you are both Ralestones."

"I don't think that we'll ever attempt to deny it," Val laughed. "But
you were right, Jeems--I mean Roderick," he said to his newly discovered
cousin, "you do have as much right here as we do."

Jeems colored. "Ah'm sorry for sayin' that," he confessed. "Ah thought
yo' were right smart and too good for us. An' Ah'm sorry Ah played
ha'nt. But Ah didn't expec' yo' would evah see me, only the niggahs, an'
I didn't c