THE HEN FEVER. 267 



"heirs" to this estate were held, -vvho, each and all, believed 

 that a windfall was now in certain prospect before them. 

 The excitement ended as all this sort of thing docs. No 

 one among the Burnhams could identify himself, or substan- 

 tiate the fact of his ever having had a grandfather ; and the 

 bubble was soon exploded. Among the parties who were 

 addressed on the subject of this supposed " Burnham for- 

 tune," was mj humble self; the ambitious lawyer who 

 undertook to unravel the mystery, and to recover the money 

 for us, informing me by mail that " it would be of material 

 pecuniary advantage to me to establish my pedigree." I 

 wrote him as follows : 



" My Dear Sir : 



" Your favor, under date 4th instant, came duly to hand, 

 and I improve my earliest moment of leisure (after the un- 

 avoidable delays attendant upon procuring the information 

 you seek) to reply. You are desirous of being made ac- 

 quainted with my ' pedigree.' 



" I have to inform you that I have taken some days to 

 examine into this matter, and, after a careful investigation 

 of the ' records,' find that I am a descendant, in the direct 

 line, from a gentleman, very well remembered in these 

 parts, by the name of Adam. The old man had two sons. 

 ' Cain ' and ' Abel ' they were called. The latter, by the 

 other's hands, went dead one day ; but as no coroner had 



