This new access of gratitude and affection carried Aleck quite
beyond the bounds of prudence, and before she could restrain
herself she had made her darling another grant--a couple
of thousand out of the fifty or sixty which she meant to clear
within a year of the twenty which still remained of the bequest.
The happy tears sprang to Sally's eyes, and he said:
"Oh, I want to hug you!" And he did it. Then he got his
notes and sat down and began to check off, for first purchase,
the luxuries which he should earliest wish to secure.
"Horse--buggy--cutter--lap-robe--patent-leathers--dog--plug-hat
--church-pew--stem-winder--new teeth--SAY, Aleck!"
"Well?"
"Ciphering away, aren't you? That's right. Have you got the twenty
thousand invested yet?"
"No, there's no hurry about that; I must look around first,
and think."
"But you are ciphering; what's it about?"
"Why, I have to find work for the thirty thousand that comes out
of the coal, haven't I?"
"Scott, what a head! I never thought of that. How are you
getting along? Where have you arrived?"
"Not very far--two years or three. I've turned it over twice;
once in oil and once in wheat."
"Why, Aleck, it's splendid! How does it aggregate?"
"I think--well, to be on the safe side, about a hundred and eighty
thousand clear, though it will probably be more."
"My! isn't it wonderful? By gracious! luck has come our way at last,
after all the hard sledding, Aleck!"
"Well?"
"I'm going to cash in a whole three hundred on the missionaries
--what real right have we care for expenses!"
"You couldn't do a nobler thing, dear; and it's just like your
generous nature, you unselfish boy.
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