she heard the summons which went forth, that the
whole family should meet in the parlor to listen to a statement from Mr.
Penhallow. They all gathered as requested, and sat round the room, with
the exception of Mistress Kitty Fagan, who knew her place too well to be
sittin' down with the likes o' them, and stood with attentive ears in the
doorway.

Mr. Penhallow then read from a printed paper the decision of the Supreme
Court in the land case so long pending, where the estate of the late
Malachi Withers was the claimant, against certain parties pretending to
hold under an ancient grant. The decision was in favor of the estate.

"This gives a great property to the heirs," Mr. Penhallow remarked, "and
the question as to who these heirs are has to be opened. For the will
under which Silence Withers, sister of the deceased, has inherited is
dated some years previous to the decease, and it was not very strange
that a will of later date should be discovered. Such a will has been
discovered. It is the instrument I have here."

Myrtle Hazard opened her eyes very widely, for the paper Mr. Penlallow
held looked exactly like that which Murray Bradshaw had burned, and, what
was curious, had some spots on it just like some she had noticed on that.

"This will," Mr. Penhallow said, "signed by witnesses dead or absent from
this place, makes a disposition of the testator's property in some
respects similar to that of the previous one, but with a single change,
which proves to be of very great importance."

Mr. Penhallow proceeded to read the will. The important change in the
disposition of the property was this: in case the land claim was decided
in favor of the estate, then, in addition to the small provision made for
Myrtle Hazard, the property so coming to the estate should all go to her.
There was no question about the genuineness and the legal sufficiency of
this instrument. Its date was not very long after the preceding one, at
a period when, as was well known, he had almost given up the hope of
gaining his case, and when the property was of little value compared to
that which it had at present.

A long silence followed this reading. Then, to the surprise of all, Miss
Silence Withers rose, and went to Myrtle Hazard, and wished her joy with
every appearance of sincerity. She was relieved of a great
responsibility. Myrtle was young and could bear it better. She hoped
that her young relative would live long to enjoy