and I shall forbid Mrs. Talbot
to call upon you."

"I shall be sorry to be separated from my sister," said Mrs. Mason in a
pained tone, "but I cannot sign away my own and my children's rightful
inheritance."

"I don't know what you mean by this nonsense. I have offered you more
than your share of your rightful inheritance, as you see fit to call it.
If you choose to return my kindness with ingratitude, I can only leave
you to the consequences of your own folly."

He looked first at Mark and then at his mother to see how this speech
affected them, but both looked firm, and there seemed to be nothing to
do but to leave them. He took his hat and strode to the door, his hands
trembling with nervous anger. But at the door he paused.

"If you come to your senses," he said, "and desire to accept my offer,
Mark can call on me. I hate to see you so blind to your own interests."

After he had left the room Mark and his mother looked at each other.

"Uncle Solon seemed very much in earnest," said Mark.

"Yes; I am now ready to believe that he is conspiring to cheat us. It is
shameful! He is a rich man already, and we are so poor."

"But we shan't be long, mother."

"You must take good care of that memorandum, Mark."

"I shall carry it to a young lawyer whom I know well, and ask his advice
about it. When the right time comes I shall bring it forward. I will ask
him to keep it in his safe."

"Very well, Mark. I think that will be wise."

The next day Mark received a letter at the office where he was employed.
On the left-hand upper corner was the imprint:

LUTHER ROCKWELL,
Broker and Banker.

"He is going to take you into partnership, 79," said A. D. T. 80.

"If he does I'll make you my office-boy," said Mark in a jocular tone.
"I hope the old gentleman has quite recovered from his dynamite scare."

CHAPTER XXIII.

MARK'S GOOD LUCK.

Mark presented himself at Mr. Rockwell's office at eleven o'clock.

The letter which he had received was a simple invitation to call, signed
by the banker himself.

"Is Mr. Rockwell in?" he asked.

"Yes," said the clerk smiling pleasantly, for Mark was a favorite in the
office.

Mark went over to the open door, and stood on the threshold with his hat
in his hand.

The banker looked up.

"Oh, it is my young friend the messenger boy!" he said cordially,
holding out his hand.

"I hope you are quite recovered, sir," said Mark respectfully.

"Yes,