Luck and Pluck; or, John Oakley's Inheritance

by Jr. Horatio Alger

"Scarcely a thousand dollars will be left to the family. Mrs. Berry will have a very hard time."

"I won't be hard upon her," said Hall. "I don't need all the money now. I will let half of it, say, stand for a year."

"But it will have to be paid finally."

"Yes, I suppose I must have my money."

"It is rather strange that Mrs. Berry never knew anything of this. Her husband usually told her of his business affairs."

"She thought so," said Mr. Hall, significantly,

"Do you mean to imply that he did not?"

"It seems that he did not tell her of this."

"So it appears, and yet it is a very important matter. By the way, Mr. Hall, it was very creditable to a young man, like yourself, to have saved up so considerable an amount of money. Two thousand dollars is quite a little sum."