第99章

"I understand it's durn mean business!" he shouted."I'm ashamed of you, John Kendrick!""All right! all right! The shame can wait.And I want YOU to wait, too--until I've finished.There was a flaw in that title, as I said.Captain Bangs, as you know, the house in which Mrs.Barnes is now living originally stood, not where it now stands, but upon land two or three hundred yards to the north, upon a portion of the property which afterward became the Colfax estate and which now belongs to Mr.Kendrick here.You know that?"Captain Obed nodded."Course I know it," he said."Cap'n Abner could have bought the house and the land it stood on, but he didn't want to.He liked the view better from where it stands now.So he bought the strip nigher this way and moved the old house over.But he DID buy it and he paid cash for it.I know he did, because--""All right.I know he bought it and all the particulars of the purchase perhaps better than you do.A good deal of my time of late has been given to investigating the history of that second strip of land.Captain Abner Barnes, Mrs.Barnes' uncle, bought the land upon which he contemplated moving, and later, did move the house, of Isaiah Holt, Darius Holt's father, then living.Mr.Holt bought of a man named David Snow, who, in turn, bought of--"Holliday Kendrick interrupted."Snow bought of me," he growled.

"Worse luck! I was a fool to sell, or so I think now; but it was years ago; I had no idea at that time of coming here to live; and shore land was of no value then, anyhow.The strip came to me as a part of my father's estate.I thought myself lucky to get anything for it.But what's all this ancient history got to do with it now?

And what do you mean by sending me this letter and that check?""I'll explain.I am trying to explain.The peculiar point comes in just here.You, Mr.Kendrick, never owned that land."E.Holliday bounced in his chair.

"Didn't own it!" he roared."What nonsense are you talking? The land belonged to my father, Samuel Kendrick, and I inherited it from him.""No, you didn't."

"I tell you I did.He left everything he had to me.""Yes, so he did.But he didn't own that land.He owned it at one time, probably he owned it when he made his will, but he didn't own it at the time of his death.Your father, Mr.Kendrick, was in financial straits at various times during his residence here in Orham and he borrowed a good deal of money.The most of these were loans, pure and simple, but one at least wasn't.At one time--needing money badly, I presume--he sold this strip of land.The purchaser thought it was worth nothing, no doubt, and never mentioned owning it--at least, until just before he died.He simply had the deed recorded and forgot it.Everyone else forgot it, too.

But the heirs, or the heir, of that purchaser, I discovered, was the legal owner of that land."Captain Obed uttered an exclamation.

"Why, John Kendrick!" he shouted."Do you mean--""Hush, Captain! Mr.Kendrick," addressing the red-faced and furious gentleman at his left, "have I made myself clear so far?

Do you follow me?"

"Follow you? I don't believe it! I--I--don't believe it! Who was he? Who did my father sell that land to?""He sold it to his brother, Bailey Kendrick, and Bailey Kendrick was my father.Under my father's will what little property he had came to me.If anything is sure in this world, it is that that land occupied by Mrs.Barnes belonged, legally, to me."Neither of his hearers spoke immediately.Then E.Holliday sprang to his feet.

"It belongs to you, does it!" he shouted."It belongs to you? All right, so much the better.I can buy of you as well as anybody else.That's why you sent me back your retainer, was it? So you and I could trade man to man.All right! I don't believe it yet, but I'll listen to you.What's your proposition?"John shook his head.

"No," he said."You're wrong there.I sent you the retainer because I wished to be absolutely free to do as I pleased with what was mine.I couldn't remain in your employ and act contrary to your interests--or, according to my way of thinking, I couldn't.

As I saw it I did not own that land--morally, at least.So, having resigned my employment with you I--well, I gave the land to the person who, by all that is right and--and HONEST, should own it.Ihad the deed made out in her name and I sent it to her an hour ago."Captain Obed had guessed it.Now HE sprang from his chair.

"John Kendrick," he shouted, in huge delight, "you gave that land to Thankful Barnes.The deed was in that big envelope Winnie S.

Holt was takin' to her this very mornin'!"The happenings of the next few minutes were noisy and profane.E.

Holliday Kendrick was responsible for most of the noise and all of the profanity.He stormed up and down the office, calling his cousin every uncomplimentary name that occurred to him, vowing the whole story to be a lie, and that the land should be his anyway;threatening suit and personal vengeance.His last words, as he strode to the door, were:

"And--and you're the fellow, the poor relation, that I gave my business to just from kindness! All right! I haven't finished with you yet."John's answer was calm, but emphatic.

"Very well," he said."But this you must understand: I consider myself under no obligation whatever to you, Mr.Kendrick.In the very beginning of our business relationship you and I had a plain talk.I told you when I consented to act as your attorney that Idid so purely as a matter of business and that philanthropy and kinship were to have no part in it.And when you first mentioned your intention of forcing Mrs.Barnes to give up her home I told you what I thought of that, too."East Wellmouth's wealthiest summer resident expressed an opinion.

"You're a fool!" he snarled."A d--d impractical fool!"The door slammed behind him.John laughed quietly.