“I suppose this is money that the people have paid him. How much did old Black pay him?”
“He never paid him anything,” replied the woman. “Nobody ever paid him anything.”
“Who give him this money then?”
“Nobody give it to him,” said the woman. “It was in that crock on the shelf when old Nicholas Parks died. It ain't been touched.”
The doctor looked at the dust-covered handful of silver.
“If nobody pays him, an' he hasn't used any of this, where does he get money to buy things with?”
“He don't buy anything.”
“What does he live on, then?”
“Well,” said the woman, “when Nicholas Parks died, there was flour in the barrel. It ain't run out. It looks like it never would run out. Now, will you take the money, so I can get some feed for the horse?”
Again the doctor was astonished.