Oh, Money! Money! | Page 5

"Humph! Well?"
"But you won't refuse." The blue eyes opposite were still twinkling. "In
the first place, you're my good friend--my best friend. You wouldn't be
seen letting me start off on a wild-goose chase like this without your
guiding hand at the helm to see that I didn't come a cropper."
"Aren't you getting your metaphors a trifle mixed?" This time the
lawyer's eyes were twinkling.
"Eh? What? Well, maybe. But I reckon you get my meaning. Besides,
what I want you to do is a mere routine of regular business, with you."
"It sounds like it. Routine, indeed!"
"But it is--your part. Listen. I'm off for South America, say, on an
exploring tour. In your charge I leave certain papers with instructions
that on the first day of the sixth month of my absence (I being unheard
from), you are to open a certain envelope and act according to

instructions within. Simplest thing in the world, man. Now isn't it?"
"Oh, very simple--as you put it."
"Well, meanwhile I'll start for South America--alone, of course; and, so
far as you're concerned, that ends it. If on the way, somewhere, I
determine suddenly on a change of destination, that is none of your
affair. If, say in a month or two, a quiet, inoffensive gentleman by the
name of Smith arrives in Hillerton on the legitimate and perfectly
respectable business of looking up a family pedigree, that also is none
of your concern." With a sudden laugh the lawyer fell back in his chair.
"By Jove, Fulton, if I don't believe you'll pull this absurd thing off!"
"There! Now you're talking like a sensible man, and we can get
somewhere. Of course I'll pull it off! Now here's my plan. In order best
to judge how my esteemed relatives conduct themselves under the
sudden accession of wealth, I must see them first without it, of course.
Hence, I plan to be in Hillerton some months before your letter and the
money arrive. I intend, indeed, to be on the friendliest terms with every
Blaisdell in Hillerton before that times comes."
"But can you? Will they accept you without references or
introduction?"
"Oh, I shall have the best of references and introductions. Bob
Chalmers is the president of a bank there. Remember Bob? Well, I shall
take John Smith in and introduce him to Bob some day. After that,
Bob'll introduce John Smith? See? All I need is a letter as to my
integrity and respectability, I reckon, so my kinsmen won't suspect me
of designs on their spoons when I ask to board with them. You see, I'm
a quiet, retiring gentleman, and I don't like noisy hotels."
With an explosive chuckle the lawyer clapped his knee. "Fulton, this is
absolutely the richest thing I ever heard of! I'd give a farm to be a fly
on YOUR wall and see you do it. I'm blest if I don't think I'll go to
Hillerton myself--to see Bob. By George, I will go and see Bob!"

"Of course," agreed the other serenely. "Why not? Besides, it will be
the most natural thing in the world--business, you know. In fact, I
should think you really ought to go, in connection with the bequests."
"Why, to be sure." The lawyer frowned thoughtfully. "How much are
you going to give them?"
"Oh, a hundred thousand apiece, I reckon."
"That ought to do--for pin money."
"Oh, well, I want them to have enough, you know, for it to be a real test
of what they would do with wealth. And it must be cash--no securities.
I want them to do their own investing."
"But how are you going to fix it? What excuse are you going to give for
dropping a hundred thousand into their laps like that? You can't tell
your real purpose, naturally! You'd defeat your own ends."
"That part we'll have to fix up in the letter of instructions. I think we
can. I've got a scheme."
"I'll warrant you have! I'll believe anything of you now. But what are
you going to do afterward--when you've found out what you want to
know, I mean? Won't it be something of a shock, when John Smith
turns into Mr. Stanley G. Fulton? Have you thought of that?"
"Y-yes, I've thought of that, and I will confess my ideas are a little hazy,
in spots. But I'm not worrying. Time enough to think of that part.
Roughly, my plan is this now. There'll be two letters of instructions:
one to open in six months, the other to be opened in, say, a couple of
years, or so. (I want to give myself plenty of time for my observations,
you see.) The second letter will really give you final instructions as to
the settling of my