examined the details of your late father-in-law's
property? Have you searched through all the
items, made yourself familiar with all the -- er,
petty and laborious details?"

"No, not just yet, I have been intending--"

Simmons stopped him with an upraised palm.
"No more, I understand your thought exactly. It's
a tiresome business. Yours is the time for liberality,
no cares. However, I had a slight knowledge
of Pompey Hollidew's arrangements. He was accustomed
to discussing them with me. He liked my
judgment in certain little matters; and, in that way,
I got a general idea of his enterprises. He was a
great hand for timber, your father-in-law; against
weighty advice at the time of his death he was buying
timber options here and there in the valley.
Though what he wanted with them... beyond
ordinary foresight. -- No transportation, you see; no
railroad nor way of getting lumber out. But then,
he had some visionary scheme or other. He held
some thousand acres, most of it bought at a nominal
figure. No good to anybody now; but I have got
the timber fever myself -- something may turn up
in the far future, perhaps in another generation.
...What would you say to a flat eight dollars an
acre for the options, the money banked right to your
credit? A neat little sum for current pleasures.
Ah--" in spite of himself, Valentine Simmons be-

[[154]]

p153 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p154w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p155

v?