"Why, Joe, I haven't seen you for a long time," said the lawyer. "Sit down. Did you come here to see me?"
"I reckon I can't stop long," said Joe, sitting down in a chair and whirling his hat in his hand. "I just want to tell you something."
"Well, speak out. We are here alone."
"Mr. Gibbons, that boy of mine has discovered a pearl worth two hundred dollars," said Joe.
"Well, I declare!" exclaimed the lawyer, opening his eyes. "He was lucky, wasn't he?"
"Yes, he was. Now what does this Hank do but give his money into Bob Nellis's hands, and now Bob has gone to sea and he ain't here to give me any money."
"Are you sure he put it all into the bank in Bob's hands?" asked the lawyer, who thought it was about as smart a trick as he ever heard of. "Perhaps he's got some of it laid out somewhere."
"No, he ain't, because if he had he'd 'a' told me. Now I want some of that money, if I can get it."
"Um! Well, what do you expect me to do about it?"
"I want you to get some of it for me," said Joe, looking down at his clothes. "You can see for yourself that I want a new shirt and a new pair of breeches."