Will hardly knew what to say. He could not guess what was in it, and all
he could do was to stammer a few confused words of thanks. The envelope
had a very important look, and he was both impressed and mystified.
Ted could not repress his eager curiosity, and came around to Will's
side. Even Mrs. Carter was intensely interested, and forgot to refrain
from showing it. Mr. Hand looked on with a swelling sense of benevolence.
He had anticipated no such delightful sensations.
With his pocketknife Will opened the envelope very carefully along
the end. With nervous fingers he drew out a legal document, with
red seals and several smaller documents attached.
For a moment the legal verbiage of the instruments bewildered him.
Then he exclaimed:
"Why, it's the mortgage! I don't exactly understand! O, Mr. Hand,
this is _too_ good of you. You relinquish the mortgage, the whole debt,
for nothing. That is _too_ generous, really!"
Mrs. Carter was a little overwhelmed. She rose to try and mingle
thanks and protestations, but Mr. Hand cut her short.
"O no, William," he explained, "you have not read all the papers! You
will see that I have not released the mortgage at all. I have made it
over to another person, to _you_, that's all. This farm is still under
mortgage, but you, William, are now the mortgagee. I have nothing more
to do with the matter at all. The claim is all yours, with some two
hundred and fifteen dollars arrears of interest, which you must collect
for yourself the best way you can.
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