“No, I guess it won’t.” Mr. Madge meditated for a moment. He needed money badly, to finish a pet tunnel in his “Bonanza Princess” mine. The sum that Ben could give would be a small one, he knew, but it would be better than nothing. As for the lease—“The leas’ said about that the better,” he said to himself, with a chuckle at his own wit. He sat down on a pile of boards and motioned to Ben to take a seat beside him. Then he hung his hooked cane on his left arm.
“How much’d you have left after your father’s affairs was settled up? Must’ve been quite a tidy little sum, I reckon.”
Ben had resolved not to furnish any information in regard to his finances, unless obliged to do so.
“There wasn’t much left, after the debts were paid,” he replied.
“Didn’t he give you all he had ’fore he died?”
“Yes. There wasn’t any one else to leave it to, except my cousin, Beth Morton; and my father knew that if he left her anything, Mr. Hodges would take it.”
“And you don’t mean to tell me ’t you paid his debts outen it, when you wasn’t obliged to!”
“Every last one of them!” the boy said with emphasis.
“Well, Ben Ralston, you are an odd stick!” He regarded his cane with a speculative air, as though he were comparing it with Ben. “Guess I must be gittin’ along hom’ards, now,” he added, as he slowly rose.