Prev | Current Page 122 | Next

Harte, Bret, 1836-1902

"Drift from Two Shores"

" "I need
not tell you," said Phillips, "that the death of your principal
renders this instrument invalid, and I suppose you know that,
leaving no will, and no property, his estate has not been
administered upon."
"Mebbe it is, and mebbe it isn't. But I hain't askin' for anythin'
but information. There was a bit o' prop'ty and a mill onto it,
over at Heavytree, ez sold for $10,000. I don't see," said the
captain, consulting his memorandum-book, "ez HE got anything out of
it."
"It was mortgaged for $7,000," said the lawyer, quickly, and the
interest and fees amount to about $3,000 more."
"The mortgage was given as security for a note?"
"Yes, a gambling debt," said the lawyer, sharply.
"Thet's so, and my belief ez that it wasn't a square game. He
shouldn't hev given no note. Why, don't ye mind, 'way back in '60,
when you and me waz in Marysville, that night that you bucked agin
faro, and lost seving hundred dollars, and then refoosed to take up
your checks, saying it was fraud and a gambling debt? And don't ye
mind when that chap kicked ye, and I helped to drag him off ye--
and--"
"I'm busy now, Mr.


Pages:
110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134