lawyers' fees--the robbers!"

I could see he was in earnest in this last remark: but of course
lawyers' fees and court expenses were all a mystery to me. I did not
even know that lawyers and courts had anything to do with estates. I did
not know what an estate was--so I continued to keep still.

"There was hardly anything left," said he.

I was astonished at this; and I did not believe it. After thinking it
over for a few minutes, earnestly, and without any thought of saying
anything to catch him up, I said: "You traveled in good style coming
west on the canal. You took a steamer up the Lakes. You have been
dressing fine ever since the money came in; and you're keeping a woman."

He made no reply, except to say that I did not understand, but would
when he showed me where every cent of the estate money had gone which
he had spent, and just how much was left. As for his daughter--he
supposed I knew--but he never finished this speech. I rose to my feet;
and he left hurriedly, saying that he would show me a statement in the
morning. "I expect to pay your board here," said he, "for a few days,
you know--until you decide to move on--or move back."

For a week or so I refused to talk with Rucker or Jackway; but sat
around and tried to make up my mind what to do. To hire Jackway would
take all my savings; and the schedules which Rucker brought me on
legal-cap paper I refused even to touch with my hands. I am sure, now,
that Rucker had sent Jackway to me in the first place, never suspecting
that the matter of the estate had been so far from my mind; and thereby,
by too much craft, he lost the opportunity of stealing it all. Jackway