Ben shouted with laughter. He could not hold back the truth.
"Aunt Jane," he said, "you always will anticipate the worst. Why don't you wait and hope?"
"What is the use, Benjamin?"
"Because it makes us happier, and often brings good fortune. Aunt Jane, you see before you a rich man."
"You're only a boy," said Tony. "You ain't a man at all."
"My income is a thousand dollars a year!"
"Is it possible, Benjamin?" ejaculated Mrs. Bradford, in amazement.
"It is more than that; it's true. You are coming to Boston to live, and I am going to board with you."
"The boy's crazy!" exclaimed Mrs. Bradford.
"Then there is a method in my madness, Aunt Jane. But I won't keep you in suspense any longer. Uncle Matthew isn't dead at all. He's taken a fancy to me, and is going to allow me an income of a thousand dollars a year. He will take care of you and Tony, too. He is going to hire or buy a house in Boston, and we are all going to live together. What do you say to that? Will you go, or do you prefer to go to the poorhouse?"