"But I do wHi I had those old ladies, good
souls, off my hands. I've got three of them
already, and may have more before winter
thaws out in the lap of ppring. However, I
prefer them to some of tho beats I come in
contact with. You can't imagine tho numer
ous forces against which I am obliged to
work sometimes. Dishonest legacy hunters,
unscrupulous trustees and such. There is a
wide scope for a man who wants to be
crooked. Now, if I buy a legacy from a fel
low there is nothing to prevent him from
selling it again to some other man. The
courts in this state have decided that the in
vestment belongs to the first purchaser.
Therefore, if a fellow conies in here to offer
, me a legacy for sale, how do I know that he
j has net already sold it to somebody else?
"But you ought to see the array of cranks
with whom I have to deal," he went on.
"Why, they come here from all parts," from
all classes and conditions, imagining that they
havo got 'oniD money tied up somewhere.
Why, I had a woman come ia here not long
jagowhotoM me that Jay Gould hell 500,-
00J in trust for her, and that she would sell
j it for two-thirds. Of course, she did not fool
me. Then a colored woman, who claims to
bj Queen of Africa, and who sjeaks of her
daughter as the princess, 13 a frequent caller.
