Owen had arranged all that."
"You mentioned to her, did you, my offer to help?"
"Oh, yes! But she had already arranged with Akins, the banker, about the
administrator's bond, and we went at once to business."
"That's all right; only I wanted to be sure Mrs. Owen understood I had
offered to help you. She's very kind to my wife and children; Mrs.
Bassett has been almost like a daughter to her, you know. There's really
some property to administer, is there?"
"Very little, sir. The Professor had been obliged to drop part of his
life insurance and there was only two thousand in force when he died.
The house he lived in may bring another two. There are some publishers'
contracts that seem to have no value. And the old gentleman had invested
what was a large sum for him in White River Canneries."
Bassett frowned and he asked quickly:--
"How much?"
"Five thousand dollars."
"As much as that?"
Bassett's connection with White River Canneries was an incident of the
politician's career to which Harwood had never been wholly reconciled.
Nor was he pleasantly impressed by Bassett's next remark, which, in view
of Mrs. Bassett's natural expectations,--and these Dan had frequently
heard mentioned at the capital,--partook of the nature of a leading
question. "That's unfortunate. But I suppose Mrs. Owen, by reason of her
friendship for the grandfather, won't let the girl suffer.
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