"
"Besides the land and the buildings, he left about twenty thousand
dollars in cash," she informed him quietly.
"Where is it?" demanded Calumet quickly.
Betty smiled. "That," she said dryly, "is what I want to talk to you
about." Again the consciousness of advantage shone in her eyes.
Calumet felt that it would be useless to question her and so he leaned
back in his chair and regarded her saturninely.
"Soon after your father became afflicted with his last sickness,"
continued Betty; "he called me to him and took me into his confidence.
He talked to me about you--about the way he had treated you. Both he
and your mother had been, he said, victims of uncontrollable tempers,
and were beset with elemental passions which he was certain had
descended to you. In fact, because of the hatred your mother bore
you--" She hesitated.
"Well, that too, belongs to the story which you will hear about Taggart
when you have the patience," she continued. "But your father repented;
he saw the injustice he had done you and wanted to repair it. He was
certain, though, that this curse of temper was deep-seated in you and
he wanted to drive it out. He felt that when you finally came home you
would need reforming, and he did not want you to profit by his money
until you forgave him. He had strange notions regarding your
reformation; he declared he would not take your word for it, but would
insist on a practical demonstration.
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