She was now approaching her twenty-first birth day; a season always saddened by the associations; and her guardian laughingly assured her he should be ready to give up the care of her property. She was aware that her few thousands had been lying at interest; and was delighted that she should be enabled to educate her boy for a broad field of usefulness. Her great desire was that he should be a clergyman; but this was at present confined to her own breast.
Between herself and her brother the most entire confidence usually existed; but of late she had noticed that he was reserved, and unusually occupied. Early in the morning he started off for New York without consulting with his farmer as had been the case since the early spring; and when he returned late at night sat absorbed in thought or smiling to himself.
One day, however, he returned before dinner, and meeting Bridget dragging her boy in his fancy carriage along the avenue, seized him and mounted him in triumph on his shoulder.
"Gerty!" he shouted, at the foot of the staircase, "Gerty, come here a moment."
She ran down, wondering what had happened.
"I wish you joy, Mrs. Wallingford," he began. (She had taken her old name.) "I have the pleasure of announcing to you that I have this morning completed the sale of our rocks in the upper part of the city, where the new park is being laid out; and shall be able to put down to your share, one quarter of a million of dollars." She gazed in his face with an incredulous smile but when he added:
"Our grandfather's speculation has resulted exactly as he expected. New York city can be enlarged only in one direction. He foresaw the result; land would rise in the upper part of the city,—he purchased those few acres of rocks for a small sum; convinced it was a safe investment; now after forty years it has yielded a profit almost fabulous."
"Oh, Edward, if Paul were only here to share it with me!" was Gerty's exclamation.
"My little Paul will be heir to my portion," the lawyer went on.
"You ought to marry, Edward," said Gertrude, earnestly.