“Mr. Gilder,” commenced Aunt Sally’, “I consider it my duty to inform yo’ that yo’ are makin’ as big a fool of yo’self as my brother is of hisself.”
“Come, sister,” said the Colonel, “come, come.”
“Benjamin,” said Aunt Sally, looking hard at him over her spectacles, “I shall have my say. I consideh it a duty that I owe Mr. Gilder to inform him that he is squanderin’ his money. There is not a chance in ten thousand; no, suh, not one, fo’ yo’ to eveh get back a penny of the money yo’ve given my brother. Besides, yo’re only encouragin’ Benjamin to fool his time away. I have mighty neah worn my life out takin’ care of him, Virgie and Louise. Virginia has a good deal of sense—a heap mo’, I am proud to say, than Benjamin or Louise has.”
“I hope, Mr. Gilder,” observed the Colonel, “that yo’ll remember an obse’vation I made some time ago in regard to my sister——”
“What have yo’ been sayin’ about me?” asked Aunt Sally, and she looked threateningly at him. The Colonel paid no attention to his sister’s remark, and went on:
“Yo’ will remember I obse’ved at one time, suh, that my sister was a most ext’ao’dina’y woman; yes, suh, most ext’ao’dina’y; she is possessed of a most rema’kable intellect.
There is, however, a slight disagreement in regard to our judgment relative to Gray Rocks. She is vehy set in her ways, vehy, indeed; and, I am sorry to say, doesn’t share in our belief relative to the final outcome of our minin’ property.”