enough to open this case before the duration of the specific terms of my will, regarding the ten years, they will be allowed to open one book at six-month intervals and share equally and with Mr. Prinney, Esquire, the proceeds. I threw the key in the river. Not all the books in this bank of shelves contain anything, and my heirs aren’t allowed to open another one when that is the case. All the other bookcases are all real books. If they wish to read them, they may do so. At the end of the ten years, if they’ve followed the conditions of the will, the rest will be theirs at that time.’
”‘Signed this last day of September, 1929, by Horatio Brewster.’”
”Does this mean we get the tens in the first book now?” Lily asked.
”I suppose so,” Mr. Prinney replied.
Robert retrieved the first book, and he and Mr. Prinney counted out the ten-dollar bills. A nice round nine hundred dollars. Three hundred for Lily, me, and you, Mr. Prinney.”
”I don’t think I can accept my share,” Mr. Prinney said. After all, I live in a great big house that isn’t mine for free.”
”But that’s what Great-uncle Horatio wanted,” Lily said. ”What’s more, you do your share by taking care of the estate for us. You should be paid for it.”
”Lily’s right,” Robert agreed. ”You must take your share. Sometimes, according to this letter, it won’t be anything.”
”I’m giving a quarter of mine to a charity,” Lily said. ”Maybe the Red Cross or something else that’s providing help for the poor.”
”I’ll do the same,” Robert said, not quite as enthusiastically as Lily.
”So shall I then,” Mr. Prinney said.
”Will you keep our shares in the safe here?” Lily asked. ”I want to think who to give it to first. And I don’t want to hide it under my mattress.”
”I’d be glad to. I don’t suppose we need to take account of all these books right now. We already know what’s in the first ones we opened.”
”Couldn’t we at least shake the rest of them and see if they’re real books, or just empty boxes?” Robert asked. ”I don’t think we’re supposed to do that,” Mr. Prinney said. ”The letter from your great-uncle doesn’t specifically mention such a thing.”
”I thought you’d say that,” Robert said with a hint of self-pity.
”Let’s divvy up the money and Mr. Prinney can put it in the safe,” Lily said. ”I want to see what else Dr. Toller has found under the other bush.”
”You’re letting yourself in for a lot more work helping him,” Robert warned.
”I know. But I find this skeleton business interesting. I might spend some of my money taking some classes about anthropology.”
”God forgive. You can’t mean that you’re going to be dragging bones in here for your homework, can you?”
”I just might,” Lily said, handing her share of the tens to Mr. Prinney.
To prove it, Lily went outside to see what Dr. Toller was doing today. The second bush had been turned over and apparently inspected for anything interesting.
Anything in the roots of the bush, sir?” she asked.
”Not a thing,” Dr. Toller said. ”I’m up to the pelvis of the body but can’t go on until I’ve dug down to the legs and feet. Would you like to help?”
”I’m a little afraid of digging into something I shouldn’t. But I’ll sift and dispose of dirt you take out if you’d like.”
”That would indeed be a help. I was hoping those two nice young Harbinger boys would be back today to help out again.”
”Harry probably will be here eventually but Jim isn’t especially interested, I’m sorry to say. Harry found this as fascinating as I do,” Lily said, not at all sure this was the complete truth. Harry was the smarter of the two and if decisions about a roof were required, he was the one who needed to be there to decide how it was to be done properly.
Dr. Toller had accumulated a lot of buckets to wash off the bones and others to put the dirt in. Then the dirt
”‘Signed this last day of September, 1929, by Horatio Brewster.’”
”Does this mean we get the tens in the first book now?” Lily asked.
”I suppose so,” Mr. Prinney replied.
Robert retrieved the first book, and he and Mr. Prinney counted out the ten-dollar bills. A nice round nine hundred dollars. Three hundred for Lily, me, and you, Mr. Prinney.”
”I don’t think I can accept my share,” Mr. Prinney said. After all, I live in a great big house that isn’t mine for free.”
”But that’s what Great-uncle Horatio wanted,” Lily said. ”What’s more, you do your share by taking care of the estate for us. You should be paid for it.”
”Lily’s right,” Robert agreed. ”You must take your share. Sometimes, according to this letter, it won’t be anything.”
”I’m giving a quarter of mine to a charity,” Lily said. ”Maybe the Red Cross or something else that’s providing help for the poor.”
”I’ll do the same,” Robert said, not quite as enthusiastically as Lily.
”So shall I then,” Mr. Prinney said.
”Will you keep our shares in the safe here?” Lily asked. ”I want to think who to give it to first. And I don’t want to hide it under my mattress.”
”I’d be glad to. I don’t suppose we need to take account of all these books right now. We already know what’s in the first ones we opened.”
”Couldn’t we at least shake the rest of them and see if they’re real books, or just empty boxes?” Robert asked. ”I don’t think we’re supposed to do that,” Mr. Prinney said. ”The letter from your great-uncle doesn’t specifically mention such a thing.”
”I thought you’d say that,” Robert said with a hint of self-pity.
”Let’s divvy up the money and Mr. Prinney can put it in the safe,” Lily said. ”I want to see what else Dr. Toller has found under the other bush.”
”You’re letting yourself in for a lot more work helping him,” Robert warned.
”I know. But I find this skeleton business interesting. I might spend some of my money taking some classes about anthropology.”
”God forgive. You can’t mean that you’re going to be dragging bones in here for your homework, can you?”
”I just might,” Lily said, handing her share of the tens to Mr. Prinney.
To prove it, Lily went outside to see what Dr. Toller was doing today. The second bush had been turned over and apparently inspected for anything interesting.
Anything in the roots of the bush, sir?” she asked.
”Not a thing,” Dr. Toller said. ”I’m up to the pelvis of the body but can’t go on until I’ve dug down to the legs and feet. Would you like to help?”
”I’m a little afraid of digging into something I shouldn’t. But I’ll sift and dispose of dirt you take out if you’d like.”
”That would indeed be a help. I was hoping those two nice young Harbinger boys would be back today to help out again.”
”Harry probably will be here eventually but Jim isn’t especially interested, I’m sorry to say. Harry found this as fascinating as I do,” Lily said, not at all sure this was the complete truth. Harry was the smarter of the two and if decisions about a roof were required, he was the one who needed to be there to decide how it was to be done properly.
Dr. Toller had accumulated a lot of buckets to wash off the bones and others to put the dirt in. Then the dirt
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