I found myself wondering whether Matilda, if she should still be living, would welcome her long-missing brother for himself alone, or because he was close on a millionaire.
"That bothered me a heap, Hugh.

Finally a bright idea came to me, and I determined to fix myself up like the worst old tramp going, and pretend to be sick, as well as out of funds.

The game appealed to my liking for new adventures, and---well, you know how it succeeded.
You boys became connected with the affair from the start, and I'm glad of it, for I like you both.
"All through these weeks I've grimly held out, though ready to call the game more than a few times when it seemed that poor Matilda was having a bigger load on her shoulders than she could carry.

But I fixed up several little schemes to ease the strain, when I decided to hold back the grand disclosure till her birthday.

For one thing, I hid a ten-dollar bill in her Bible, and she never could remember putting the bill there, although she tried her best.