As she finished her soup and slice of bread, Aggie looked at Old Joe and asked, �What is it you want?� She sipped her coffee and again continued to look at him. �Lets cut to the chase and put your cards on the table, I don�t like games, OK?�

�Fair enough, they said you didn�t beat around the bush,� Joe casually replied as he sopped the rest of his soup and finished off his bread. He put his spoon in his bowl, stood took Aggie�s bowl and his and set them in the sink, took the coffee pot and poured both of them a refill, put the coffee pot back on the stove and sat down. He paused and took a drink of coffee. �You put a little chicory in this didn't you?�

�Yes, I like the chicory taste,� Aggie said.

�OK, Your husband was Paul Lane, the only child of Caroline and Chauncy Lane. Chauncy spent some time in Australia and New Zealand, came back, married Caroline Snow and built that brick house where your son and daughter-in-law live with their two children. Chauncy had a feed store and was shot during a hold up, correct?� He kept his eyes trained on Aggie's face and eyes as he spoke.

� Caroline lived there with Paul before you," he said, going on. "Your mother and father moved into three rooms on the second floor, and your dad took care of the place for the rent. Your father was George Lane, no kin to Chauncy, and your mother was Annabelle Teale from over in Braunchworger. Your father, George was the town druggist and owned the Drug Store and a few buildings in town. After you and Paul married, your father sold out and he and your mother moved to Florida.�

Aggie looked at this man and turned her head slightly. �You surely do know a lot about the Lanes, and yes you are correct so far. Please continue.� She took another sip of coffee.

He paused, took a drink of coffee, then went on. �I am interested in you with respect to your husband�s side of the family, for Paul was the only child and Caroline had no relatives we could trace.�

Aggie wondered how this man knew so much. Why would anyone want to trace her family. We were all average citizens.

Aggie continuted to look at the man, to listen, but she thought, I have a lot of wood to saw, so hurry up man. �I am listening,� she said.

�Do you know what your father-in-law did while he was down under, in Australia and New Zealand?� Joe asked. He had referred to his open notebook only once since they sat down and he opened it.

�He was a miner, or prospector. All I know is when he came here he had a stake to build the house and buy the feed store, which he ran until Cleef Raster shot him, trying to steal the till.�

�Now Aggie, if you will bear with me for a few minutes and just go along with me, this will be easier, OK?�

She nearly laughed for Joe now looked like a schoolteacher for his glasses had slid down on his nose and he was looking over the top of them at her. Aggie looked at the man indignantly and said, �If it is reasonable,� and her right hand slid forward closer to the large wicked butcher knife which she had used to cut bread.

�Do you have a copy of your marriage license or can you get it? And do you have a copy of your birth certificate, or can you get it?� He asked as he looked into her eyes. The amiable Joe was now all business and very serious and he saw a woman who would take no guff and give no ground. Very slow and deliberate with each word he spoke, very articulate and proper in his grammar, making sure each clause, phrase and sentence were correct and could not be misconstrued.

�Yes, and I won�t ask why, but just a second, as she stood, walked into the other room and about three or four minutes came back with the two documents, plus Paul�s Birth Certificate and death Certificate. �Here you are,� she handed the papers to Joe and sat back down.

�May I make a copy of these?� Joe asked as he looked them over focusing on the seals, dates and that the documents were valid.

�I don�t have anything to copy them with, but only after you tell me why you need them,� she replied.

Joe smiled, �I have a camera to copy them with, and now left me properly introduce myself. I am Joseph F Beattleman, and I work for F T Shingleman Company a law firm in San Francisco. I am not an attorney but a friend of one of the owners of the firm and I do work for them. I am not an attorney, I am not a private investigator but rather and old coot who likes to wander around and keep busy. And I do have a vested interest in this case.� He reached inside his mountain parka, which was hanging on the back of his chair, and took out a large brown envelope. He hefted it from one hand to another as if trying to decide should he open it or should he just give her the sealed envelope and let her open it.

�You are from San Francisco, San Francisco, California?� Aggie asked as she screwed her face up. You seem too nice to be from California, or rather San Francisco.�

Joe smiled, �Mrs. Paul Lane, on behalf of F T Shingleman and their client, LanTavBea Ltd of Sydney, Auckland and London, I am here to present you with the deed to your mine, the mine Chauncy Lane did buy when he was in Australia,� and he handed Aggie the large envelope.

�What does this mean, I own what?� She looked puzzled. �Cut the fancy words and tell me what it is I own?�

�Mrs. Aggie Lane you are a tri-owner of a diamond mine, three banks and along with, part of a steamship line and about four million acres of land in England, Australia, and New Zealand and other sundered things.� He paused, �You, Mrs. Lane, me and the McTavish clan of Sydney are rich people.� The last words, �rich people� nearly made Aggie laugh for Joe looked like the typical older man who did not try to impress people with his dress and appearance.

� Huh, run that by me again?� Aggie gulped real hard and could tell Joe was not joshing her. �Say it again real slow, please Mr. Beattleman.� And Joe did.

�These are the important papers I just gave you, and I would like for you to travel with me to Sydney, Australia so we can get the Company�s affairs straightened out and into the rightful owners hands. That is so we the directors and owners can plot the company�s growth and its future.�

�Mr. Beattleman, I do not have enough money to travel to Denver much less San Francisco or Sydney. Is this some kind of mean hoax you are pulling on me?� And as she spoke she grasped the butcher knife and started to rise.

�Just relax a moment Mrs. Lane, just a moment please, just listen OK? First open the envelope, and in it you will find ten thousand dollars in cash and a certified bank draft for one million dollars.� Joe then paused for it to sink in and for Aggie to react. Aggie gasped and sat down.

�Now if you will allow me to pour us another cup of coffee I will tell you the story,� Joe arose, and poured them some more coffee. He took the butcher knife and sliced himself a slice of bread and placed it where it had been. �May I have some jelly or jam, preferably your damson blackberry jam for this good bread?�

�How do you know about that?� Aggie asked as she arose and went to the cabinet and brought back a jar of jam and a spoon.

He sat down, pulled a camera from his coat pocket, opened the documents and took pictures of them front and back. He looked at the camera�s viewer to make sure the pictures were OK, he folded each piece of paper and handed them back to Aggie who was just sitting there is somewhat of a trance. Then he opened the jam and spread it on his bread and casually took a bite then a drink of coffee.

Aggie opened the envelope and slowly pulled the papers out. There were some fancy papers and she saw a bank draft, drawn on the First Security Bank of Denver, pay to the order of Mrs. Paul Lane, one million dollars. She saw an envelope, which had cash, brand new hundred dollar bills, more money than she had ever seen at one time in her whole long miserable life. She swallowed, stood up and went over to the cupboard and got a small plate, and put it in front of Joe. She sat down, and as she did tears ran down her face. For the first time since Paul had died she had enough money to go to the store and buy some groceries without having to keep a running total in her head of what she was buying..

Meantime Joe had smeared a liberal amount of jam on his bread and was eating it. Aggie got up and got him a small dishtowel, �These are my napkins, large enough to use.� And as the tears slowly rolled down her cheeks she did have a sweet smile.

Joe finished his bread and jam, wiped his hands and his face, took a long swig of his coffee, and said, �Now I will tell you what happened.�

Aggie, cut a slice of bread, and smeared it with jam, and motioned to Joe if he wanted another. He grinned as she cut him another slice, and the two of them sat there in her little shack eating homemade bread with damson-blackberry jam and drinking coffee, telling her how she had become a rich woman. Heck this was better than anything in the movies, much less television.

�It seems Chauncy had a couple scrapes with the police and my grandfather had bailed him out of the pokey a few times. My grandfather was Cleve Beattleman recently out of the Arkansas state prison. Therefore my grandpa and Chauncy became buddies, when their funds ran low, the two had mugged a miner who happened to have had a big sack, and they went prospecting. With their stolen sack they bought a lot of claims and when the Little Roo hit, Being as how their characters were tainted, both me were smart so they set up a company and took another partner, Liam McTavish. They took �Lan� from Lane, �Tav� from McTavish and �Bea� from Beattleman and the company was �LanTavBea�. Liam was an accountant and a book man, knew nothing about mining or prospecting. So it was Liam who would run their business for a third of the profits. So Chauncy and Grandpa George had taken their gains and worked for two or three years and Liam with the money had bought into all sorts of things, for if they took too much cash the taxes and silly laws would eat them up.

When the mining slowed, Grandpa George, Chauncy and Liam McTavish agreed that there was not enough income to keep the three going and Liam was a married man with a family, so Grandpa George and Chauncy took the money they had stashed and left Liam to run the firm for them cause Liam could live on what was coming in. They obviously felt it would peter out and they were becoming tired of life away from home. The agreement was they would return later when things picked up. They returned to the states and Chauncy disappeared, and Grandpa George got into a fight and was killed. But the company grew. Eventually Liam took his two sons into the business as partners for Liam�s third and the company continued to grow and since they only took money for salaries they just reinvested and reinvested. After a long time Liam�s family wanted the whole thing settled for Liam had continued to take a salary, and he reinvested the income into anything and everything, he was like a kid, figuring and planning. A typical Scotsman.� And his two sons were sharper than Liam.� Joe took a big sip of coffee, again wiped his hands and face and said; �Now you have the story.�

Aggie sat sort of numb and bug eyed. She shook her head with this look of complete disbelief. �This sounds like a dime store novel, and I am supposed to believe it?�

Joe grinned, and in a reassuring manner shook his head. Joe spoke, �Mrs. Aggie Lane, could I take you into town for dinner?�

Aggie looked at Joe for a moment with tears running down her cheeks, �Mr. Joe Beattleman, that is the first time I have been asked out to eat for many, many years, but if it is all the same to you, could be go to the big Albertson�s in town and buy two large rib eye steaks, two large baking potatoes, and fresh green stuff for a salad and some Blue Cheese dressing, and come back here and have a feast?� The she paused and added, �And two bottles of mountain Rhine wine, for Paul and I loved mountain Rhine wine?� Again with a grin she added, �And a pound of steak for A and B, my two dogs.

Joe just shook his head for here was a woman, no a lady who had just been given a million dollars and she wanted to go to the store and buy supper; he liked it. �I have my pickup parked on the other side of the woods, would you like to ride with me?�

Aggie looked at him, �Why not, I haven�t been in that Albertson�s since they built it, because I went into it when it first opened it and they had a guard follow me around like I was going to steal something.� Let me powder my nose and comb my hair and I will be ready.� She looked at Joe, �It is out back,� and she went into her room and Joe made a quick much needed retreat to the outhouse.

In a few minutes Aggie and Joe left the house, she with her old coat, and purse over her shoulder but with the check in it and the cash in her pocket. They walked up the road to where Joe had parked his pickup. She had to laugh for it was not a new pickup, but an old yellow Chevy four-wheel drive with rust spots, but it ran well. They laughed as they drove into town. �Aggie what are you going to buy? What is important to you?�

Aggie grinned, �First I want electricity and indoor plumbing and a furnace, and a nice big fridge, a double door one, with the freezer on the left and the fridge on the right, and a hot water heater and a shower. Do you know how many years it has been since I have had a shower? I have been washing in a tub and sink for many years.�

Joe grinned, �Well the first thing I bought was this truck, for when Seth Kangston bought it years ago it was the neatest truck I had ever seen, so when I came into the money I bought it. And yes I paid too much but I had always admired this truck.�

Aggie smiled, shook her head and replied, �I can understand, it is being able to get something you have wanted, it is not just having money with which to buy stuff.�

�Aggie, I had an easier life than you for I spent a career in the military and got ahead and since I retired I have lived in Scoville and been the town drunk and inept handyman.� Aggie caught the drunk and inept part, for she knew many who filled that bill. �After I retired my wife and I divorced she took what we had and left, and as I said, I became a drunk.�

Angie got a look on her face, �Joe tomorrow will you help me with one other piece of business? I must go to the bank and talk to the banker, and with his and your help I can do something I have wanted to do for many, many years.�

�Yes what is that?� Joe asked.

�I want you to buy my old home back, buy it from my son without him knowing it and I want you to buy his business for me.�

�Why is that Aggie,� Joe asked? Joe thought oh this mother wants to make her son secure.

�Because he said he hated me because we were poor and he left and has shunned me, and will not even let me see my grandchildren. That is why and I want that old home back and I want his fancy business.� Joe grinned for he liked her mettle and yes he did feel revenge was or would be very fruitful.

They dined on their steak, and green salad and baked potato and the dogs ate their two pounds each, round steak. And they drank two bottles of wine. Aggie got a big kick out of some of the town�s folk who saw her in Albertson�s and how their eyes lit up when she paid for the purchases with a crisp new hundred-dollar bill. It was nearly midnight when Joe got in his truck and headed back to his motel in town. He slept in the next morning, well slept in for Joe; he didn�t get up till nearly half past seven. After he had showered and had some breakfast, he went out to Aggie�s, to find a note on the door, �Am at the First National Bank.

Joe parked in front of the bank and walked in and over to the receptionist,� I am Joe and Mrs. Lane is expecting me, she was to see your President.�

The girl was very polite, �Mrs. Lane is in conference with the bank President Mr. Bill Pearson, I will let them know you are here.� She picked up the phone and said, �He is here,� and the receptionist immediately escorted him into the office of the bank president. This respect Joe liked, no waiting for some young college graduate who didn�t know their . . . ., well you know what I mean.

As Joe entered the room he saw Aggie standing over the bank president and they both were smiling. �Oh Joe, this is Bill Pearson, Bill always treated me fair, and Bill this is Joe Beattleman, my partner I guess.� They shook hands and all three sat down at the conference table as Aggie recapped her actions. �Joe I deposited the check and have made arrangements with Bill to buy the old home, and the business for me, plus the building and land which the business is on, and to get a few improvements done to my place, and for someone to take care of my critters while we are in Australia.� Joe laughed to himself, and thought, yes when you have money every one treats you nice.

Bill Pearson was a man who seemed to not be a genius but one who had enough smarts, and used lots of horse sense and discretion in his dealings. �Mr. Beattleman, I have a man who can pull off the purchases on the sly and Sam Stallington will do the work on the house for her and no one will know who or how it was paid for.�

Joe looked at Bill and thought, this looks like a decent man so why not throw him some more business. �Bill I would like to buy a place around here a place with grazing land, woods and a stream, a place where I can live without being bothered, would you see what you can find? I would like a thousand or two acres, adjoining.� Joe looked at the banker, �I am Joe, just plain Joe.� Bill grinned, �And how much are you looking to spend?�

Joe grinned, �Not over five million, much less I would hope, I will give you a five hundred thousand deposit so you will know I am sincere,� as he pulled out a check book and wrote a check handing it to Bill. �I don�t care if it is good farm land brush or woods, just a lot of land where I can live and call home.� And Bill thought, this is one idjut, but heck, wouldn�t that be great and he immediately three farms close to Aggie which were in debt and the bank was holding what looked like some bad paper on.

�You do what ever paper work is required and I will sign it when we, Aggie and I come back.� And with that the two left the bank, and went back to Aggie�s place for some soup and bread for lunch.

Joe spent the afternoon sawing wood, learning to milk goats and gathering eggs. they had a dinner he could only barely remember. Aggie, had canned green beans with potatoes on top, corn pudding, sliced onions, and coffee for supper with a cherry cobbler for dessert. They had talked and reminisced till bedtime. And Joe had gone back to his motel in town.

The following morning Aggie and Joe drove to the city and flew to San Francisco where the law firm had greased a path for Aggie to go to Sydney since she had no passport and had never had one. Matter of fact because she had never driven, or had a credit card, her name did not appear in any computer anyplace. But with the polish and sleight of hand, the next morning Aggie, Joe and a member of the firm were winging to Australia.

When they had landed in San Francisco, the attorneys had been appalled at Aggie�s attire, and had wanted her to go shopping. She looked at Mr. Shingleman, Sr. and said, �Sir, I have dressed like this since I lost everything after my husband died, and sir I do not need to impress anyone. The shoes are horrible but since I walk to and from town every day with something in my arms, four miles each way, they are comfortable. And I will not waste good money to try and make me look like something which I am not.�

Mr. Shingleman swallowed hard and that was the last of that. Matter of fact Joe kept the same style clothes and the accompanying attorney Mr. Brusque, wore a ski jacket and slacks with a turtleneck, of course YSL and Eddy Bauer labels adorned them.

After two weeks in Australia, Aggie Lane and Joe were each worth $152,634,516.27 each. Aggie decided to take twenty-five million and set up a trust fund, and let the rest remain and continue to work. Well, matter of fact all three partners withdrew that amount and alas Aggie and the others were only worth, $127,634,516.27 each. She could not believe what all the old partner had purchased and what a conglomerate she was a third owner in. She really liked the McTavish clan and Joe, Aggie and McTavish�s hit it off and enjoyed each other�s company. The McTavish clan had a compound, which was designed and built like the laird�s of Scotland, they were rich yet they led somewhat simple lives.

�Joe I cannot believe how large and how much nothing there is in Australia, and how much of the nothing land we own.� They had had a three day helicopter trip to the various enterprises they owned and one day flew to New Zealand to visit their holding there.

�Aggie, it is just unbelievable, completely unbelievable, and they want us to fly to Great Britain but, I think I will just go home and maybe we can take a vacation next year and go see our European investments.� They laughed and went for a long walk.

Tomorrow they would return home.

Did you miss Part One? Click HERE.