Trimountain Bank; there was a funeral from the "late residence,"
largely attended; there were letters and calls of condolence; there
was making of crape and bombazine and silk into "mourning;" there
were friends and neighbors asking each other, after mention of the
sad suddenness, "how it would be;" "how much he had left;" "was
there a will?"

And there was a will; made three years before. One hundred thousand
dollars, outright, to Increase M. Argenter's beloved wife; also the
use of the homestead; fifty thousand dollars to his daughter Sylvia
on her reaching the age of twenty-five, or on her marriage; all else
to be Mrs. Argenter's for her life-time, reverting afterward to
Sylvia or her heirs.

There was just time for this to be ascertained and told of; just
time for Sylvie to be named as an heiress, and then all at once
something else came to light and was told of.

There was a mining speculation out in Colorado; there was Mr.
Argenter's signature for heavy security; there were memoranda of
good safe stocks that had stood in his name a little while ago, and
no certificates; there had been sales and sacrifices; going in
deeper and to more certain loss, because of risk and danger already
run.

Mr. Sherrett, senior, came home to dinner one day with news from
the street.

"I've been very sorry to hear this morning that Argenter left things
in a bad way, after all. There won't be much of anything