And after the good old people died--what then? Their property here
on the Head and their money would no more belong to Sheila Macklin
than it did now. She shrank in horror from the thought of swindling
the real Ida May out of anything which might legally be hers when
the Balls were gone. Of course, Cap'n Ira and Prudence could will
their property to whom they pleased. Still, Ida May was Prudence's
niece!
As the day dragged on, Ida May did not appear, but the old folks
talked about her continually, until Sheila thought she must cry
aloud to them to stop.
"The poor thing must be half-witted, of course," Mrs. Ball said
ruminatively. "Can't be otherwise. But she must have known
something about Sarah Honey and her folks."
"Seems likely," agreed Cap'n Ira.
"Now, you know, Ira, Sarah was an orphan and I was her mother's only
relation--and only that in a kind of a left-handed way, for I wasn't
really her aunt. That branch of the Honeys--Sarah's father's
folks--had all died out. Sarah lived about--kinder from pillar to
post as you might say--till she went to Boston and met Mr. Bostwick.
Isn't that so, Ida May?"
"Yes. So I understand," agreed the girl faintly.
"Now, you don't remember your mother much, Ida May," pursued
Prudence confidently.
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