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266 more money so that he would not have to take from the others to leave to her. Now if Rolfe Bolling had the law on his side and was able to do this mean, underhand thing, there would be little to leave to anyone.

Major Taylor was not a person to await developments. As soon as he knew that the deed book, in which the purchase of the land must have been recorded, was missing, he determined to go and see Rolfe Bolling, after consulting a lawyer, whose opinion was that Bolling might have a good case, but the chances were fifty-fifty that the court of equity would decree otherwise.

Major Taylor regretted that he had been so unneighborly in his attitude towards Rolfe Bolling, now that he must have dealings with him. He could hardly think that the man meant to ruin him. All he had to go on was the drunken ravings of a vindictive old negress, no doubt in her second childhood, since her age was many years over a hundred. Spottswood and Rebecca had taken her remarks seriously, but the chances were they meant nothing. He hoped Philip Bolling had some influence over his father if he could be contemplating an attempt to oust the owner of the hub factory. He liked Philip and he was to be ever in his debt for the