“Well, Miss Farley,” Thurston began, as they gathered about a wicker table and he drew a formidable bundle of papers from a leathern pouch, “as we telephoned you yesterday, the opposition of Mr. Farley’s relatives has been disposed of and your adoption was upheld by the court. To prevent an appeal, and get rid of them for good, we’ve agreed on your behalf to pay the two cousins ten thousand dollars apiece. Mr. Eaton would have preferred to fight it clear through, but I prevailed on him not to make Brother Harlowe work too hard. You may not know it, but Eaton is a remarkably belligerent person. There’s no compromise in him. He’d fight to the last ditch.”
He looked from Eaton to Nan over his glasses with a twinkle in his eyes.
“I never saw a fellow I wanted to smash as badly as I do Harlowe,” Eaton remarked. “He’s the smoothest rascal I’ve ever known.”
“I don’t see that you’ve been very generous,” said Nan. “How much will he get as a fee?”
“About nine tenths of the twenty thousand,” replied Thurston grimly.
“Rather less than that,” said Eaton, with one of his elusive smiles. “I started the secretary of the White River Trust Company down to see the esteemed cousins before we signed the agreement; told him to persuade them to confide their ill-gotten gains to the company and advised them to cut off Harlowe with a niggardly ten per cent for his services. I was afraid to tell you that, Thurston. I knew you would scold me.”
“Eaton, for combined ingenuity and malevolence, you haven’t an equal!” declared Thurston, chuckling.
“I don’t believe it,” cried Nan, glad that the interview was progressing so cheerfully.
“Now, Miss Farley,” Thurston resumed, “if there’s anything a lawyer doesn’t like, it’s an ungrateful client. Mr. Eaton and I have a sneaking feeling that we’ve done pretty well with this case. The credit is chiefly his—and I take off my hat to him. We’ve come here in the hope that we shan’t have to argue with you, but just tell you. Your scruples against accepting any share in Mr. Farley’s estate, expressed after his death, did you credit—in a way. But now it’s all yours; there’s no escape. A considerable amount of income has already accumulated, and we can arrange payments necessary for your support to begin at once, though the estate can’t be closed till the year of administration is up. So far as your ability to earn your own living is concerned, you have demonstrated that. You have shown a plucky spirit, and I admire it. I will go further, and say that the community has supported you strongly, and that your attitude has made many friends for you. But now—now, we must have no more of this nonsense!”
He waved his hand to indicate the fields, and glanced meaningfully at Nan’s heavy walking-shoes, which were disgracefully muddy.