Soon Bab wrinkled her forehead and tried to settle down to her work; the papers were altogether incomprehensible to her. Most of them were old business contracts. Yet, here was one that seemed a bit different. It was in Uncle Ralph Le Baron’s handwriting, but so faded that it was difficult to read. Slowly Bab deciphered it: “On demand, I promise to pay to John Thurston the sum of five thousand dollars for value received.” To this was appended her uncle’s well-known signature, Ralph Le Baron.
“Well,” sighed Barbara, as she started to tie the papers together again, “I suppose Uncle Ralph settled this debt a long time ago.”
Suddenly a big, cheerful presence darkened the doorway.
“Hello, Bab!” called Mr. Stuart. “Why are you alone?”
“The girls have gone up to the Squire’s for Grace,” Bab explained, “and mother is at market. But do please come in and wait for them. Ruth told me to keep you; she wants to ask you about something very important.”
“May I inquire what you are doing, Barbara?” Mr. Stuart queried, taking a seat. “Are you preparing to be a lawyer’s clerk that you spend your spare hours poring over musty business papers?”
Barbara blushed. “I am almost ashamed to tell you, Mr. Stuart, but you and Ruth have been so awfully good to us, I think I shall just ask you one more favor. These are some business papers my father left when he died. No one has ever looked them over. I have always wondered if they could be of any value. Of course I know it is foolish of me to even dream of such a thing. But would you mind glancing at them, please?”
Barbara handed the roll of documents to her friend with such a pretty look of pleading in her brown eyes that a much harder hearted man than Mr. Stuart could not have refused her.
“Certainly; I shall be glad to have a look at them,” Mr. Stuart answered.
Tick, tock, tick, tock. The only sound in the room was the soft refrain of the old clock on the mantel. Barbara held her breath, but she knew she was foolish to feel so excited.