There was a moment's silence as they sat there, and then Jack
began. "There is something I want you to do for me, Uncle Peter,"
he said, drawing his arm closer till his own fresh cheek almost
touched the head of the older man. "Please, don't refuse."
"Refuse, my dear boy! I am too happy to-day to refuse anything.
Come, out with it."
"I am going to give you half of this money. I love you better than
any one in this world except Ruth, and I want you to have it."
Peter threw up his hands and sprang to his feet.
"What!--You want to--Why, Jack! Are you crazy! Me! My dear boy,
it's very lovely of you to wish to do it, but just think. Oh, you
dear Jack! No!--no, no!" He was beating the air now deprecatingly
with his outspread fingers as he strode around the room, laughing
short laughs in his effort to keep back the tears.
Jack followed him in his circuit, talking all the while, until he
had penned the old gentleman in a corner between the open desk and
the window.
"But, Uncle Peter--think what you have done for me! Do you suppose
for one moment that I don't know that it was you and not I who
sold the property? Do you think Mr.
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