“I can tell you,” Rock informed her. “It’s not letting property go out of the family. It goes down from father to son, and it can’t be sold by one person because it has to go to his son. That’s why John comes by your grandfather’s property; it would have gone to his father if he had lived, and then down to John.”
“But he can sell it; he is going to.”
“Then the entail stops with him; it is that way sometimes. I can’t explain it exactly, but anyhow when a place is entailed it can’t be sold or left by will to any one but the next in descent, and John is the next in descent so it comes to him. Entail means to cut off, to abridge; I looked it up one day.”
“I thought it meant to put a tail on,” said Cassy.
Rock laughed.
“Never mind what it means; you can study it up when you’re older. I am mighty glad for John. I must go and tell him so. And I’m glad for you, Cassy. It is a good deal to happen in one day. Where is Jerry? What does he think of it?”
“He’s glad, of course. I don’t know just where he is. He came out here after dinner but I suppose he’s with the boys. He does stay in a great deal more than he used to, but he gets tired of not having boys to play with. If he knew you were here he’d be back quick enough.”
“And don’t you get tired of not having girls?” Rock asked.
“I do have,” Cassy returned, in all seriousness. To her mind if Flora and Miss Morning-Glory were not girls she would like to know who were.
“I think I’ll go hunt up Jerry after I have seen John,” said Rock, as he walked off.