Received payment from St. John Brownell for 100 acres of land at Greendale, Albemarle County, Va. $1,000 in cash.
(Signed) Abner Dean.
The signature was in violet ink and very shaky. Helen recognized it as old Dean’s writing, as when he sent up any produce to the camp from his store at Greendale, it had been her duty to go over the bill which invariably accompanied the goods.
“Why, Gwen, Gwen! That old wretch has cheated you out of your land! Do you know, he handed over to Father, for money he owed him, land that did not belong to him, and this minute our camp is built on your property?” Helen was very much excited, and as for Gwen,—she was pale and trembling. “I’d like to get up out of this bed and go horse-whip him——”
“Please, can I do it for you?” from the doctor. “But wouldn’t it be better to get a lawyer to take the matter up and have the thing legally adjusted?”
“We-e-ll, ye-s! Maybe—— But I’d certainly like to make that old man suffer some. Wouldn’t you, Gwen?” But the little English girl was so busy sorting the papers that had fallen from her father’s old wallet that she did not hear.
“What is that in the back of the pocketbook where the other fastening is?” asked the doctor.
“Money and more money! Why, Gwen, look at the bills!”
Helen was right. In a neat and orderly manner in yet another closed compartment of the wallet were placed greenbacks and yellowbacks of high denominations. The girls feverishly counted out $1,500.
“No wonder it was so fat! We had better not say anything about having all this money in camp. It ought to be in the bank, Gwen, as it might be stolen from you. Dr. Wright will deposit it for you in Richmond and you can draw on it as you need.”