It's this, an' I'm the only person livin' that 's knowin' to it, an' in fact I may say that I'm the only person that ever was really knowin' to it.

It was before you was married, an' I'm sure he never told ye, fer I don't doubt he fergot all about it, but your husband, Billy P.Cullom, that was, made a small investment once on a time, yes, ma'am, he did, an' in his kind of careless way it jest slipped his mind.

The amount of cap'tal he put in wa'n't large, but the rate of int'rist was uncommon high.

Now, he never drawed no dividends on't, an' they've ben 'cumulatin' fer forty year, more or less, at compound int'rist." The widow started forward, as if to rise from her seat.

David put his hand out gently and said, "Jest a minute, Mis' Cullom, jest a minute, till I git through.