said
property, so long as she can find at least four orphan children to
maintain therewith, and 'make a good time for, every day.'

"Provided, that in case the said Gloriana McWhirk shall marry, or
shall no longer so employ this property, or in case that she shall
die, said property is to revert to my above-named grandniece, Faith
Henderson Gartney, for her and her heirs, to their use and behoof
forever.

"And if there be any failure of a legal binding in this paper that
I write, I charge it upon my nephew, Henderson Gartney, on his
conscience, as I believe him to be a true and honest man, to see
that these my effects are so disposed of, according to my plain
will and intention.

"(Signed) FAITH HENDERSON.

"(Witnessed)
ROGER ARMSTRONG,
HIRAM WASGATT,
LUTHER GOODELL."

CHAPTER XXXIV.

MRS. PARLEY GIMP.

"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley."
BURNS.

Kinnicott had got an enormous deal to talk about. The excitement of the
great fire, and the curiosity and astonishment concerning Miss Gartney's
share in the events of that memorable night had hardly passed into the
quietude of things discussed to death and laid away, unwillingly, in
their graves, when all this that had happened at Cross Corners poured
itself, in a flood of wonder, upon the little community.

Not all, quite, at once, however. Faith's engagement was not, at first,
spoken of publicly. There was no need, in this moment of their common
sorrow, to give their names to the little world about them, for such
handling as it might please. Yet the little world found plenty to say,
and a great many plans to make for them, none the less.

Miss Henderson's so long unsuspected, and apparently brief illness, her
sudden death, and the very singular will whose provisions had somehow
leaked out, as matters of the sort always do, made a stir and ferment in
the place, and everybody felt bound to arrive at some satisfactory
conclusion which should account for all, and to get a clear idea of what
everybody immediately concerned would do, or ought, in the
circumstances, to do next, before they--the first everybodies--could eat
and sleep, and go comfortably about their own business again, in the
ordinary way.

They should think Mr. Gartney would dispute the will. I