Five Hundred Dollars; or, Jacob Marlowe's Secret

Percy had followed his mother, and the old man found himself for a short time alone. Ther

you alone, Uncle Jacob,"

Albert. Being as we are such near relat

o, for I shall be obliged to

ncle Jacob,

zation, is taken suddenly ill, and I am afraid I shall have to

Albert. I thought Mrs. Marlow

evere headaches, and in that condition can't bear the least noise

ob, with-it might have been-a

Barton will be glad to have you pay her a short

n, dryly, "but it's only a littl

d by Uncle Jacob's declination of his offer, f

lbert. Oh, about my plan of open

the squire, hastily. "You wouldn't make e

moke? There's a good many of the

rt," said the squire, hurriedly.

candy with cigars. T

at the grocery st

only understood your business, you could giv

, Uncle Jacob, it's too hard

se me to do, Albert?" ask

would gladly have got rid of Mrs. Barton and her son, whose relationship to his family was unfortunately known, but there seemed to be no way clear to that without the expenditure of mo

had five hundred dollars,

ut t

ornia, where you are known, and where you can doubtless obtain some humble emplo

and vest will do me for

te. So you see you've onl

" suggested Uncle

s, you'll have part of your five

ngs came to the worst, there's that five hundred dollars I lent you

ou refer to," said S

n for money, when you were a lad of fifteen, and I let him have a

e, with a chilling frown. "You must excuse me for

ntently, with a gaze which disconce

prove what I say," he rej

ut a folded sheet of note paper, grown yellow with age and brittle with much handling. Then, adjusting h

ear

if not quite, all you possess in the world, and that you can ill spare it. It will save me from failure, and sometime I hope to

ectionat

es Ma

Albert. You know your fath

tantly took the pape

father's wri

ld man, indignantly. "Wh

remember his mentioning the

did he

loan, but that he repaid it within th

shing his spectacles up, in his a

d Albert Marlowe, with

the five hundred

d," repeated the s

er's, but of-somebody's. That mo

he said, "but you are growing old, and old people are forgetfu

"And you a rich man, too! I don't mind the money. I can get along with

he squire, smoothly. "I've no doubt you ha

ven't asked for it at all-but I shall not forget how you have treated my claim. Of course it amounts to

s shamed by the old ma

; "but if ever you get very hard up, let me know,

ll come. As you say, my wants are few, and I am still able to work. I'll g

down the street. "I was afraid he'd mention that money he lent father. With twenty-seven years' interest it

ked Mrs. Marlowe, returni

re indisposed, and coul

told him, as long as