"It didn't. The money was all left to old Mr. Maxwell's niece in case
Esther died first."

"Couldn't you have asked the lawyer about the fifteen hundred
dollars? Wouldn't he have given you some? O mother!"

"I was goin' to if he hadn't took me for her, but it wouldn't have
done any good. They wouldn't have been obliged to pay it, an' folks
ain't fond of payin' over money when they ain't obliged to. I'd been
a fool to have asked him after he took me for her."

"Then--you'd got this--all planned?"

Her mother took her up sharply.

"No, I hadn't got it all planned," said she. "I don't deny it come
into my head. I knew how much folks said I looked like Esther, but I
didn't go so far as to plan it; there needn't anybody say I did."

"You ain't going to take the money?"

"I'm goin' to take that fifteen hundred dollars out of it."

"Mother, you ain't going to stay here, and make folks think you're
Aunt Esther?"

"Yes, I am."

Then all Lois' horror and terror manifested themselves in one cry--"O