aper
you'd understand how. The old lady's will is published. It's terribly
thrilling."

The color mounted to my face. "What do you mean, Edith?"

"Never you mind. You go along and read for yourself, and then meet me at
one o'clock--no, make it twelve. I've got to talk to some one--quick. I
never saw the article myself until I was on the train coming down. I'm
just about bursting. Good gracious, Lucy, hustle up, and make it eleven
o'clock, sharp."

We agreed on a meeting-place and I hung up the receiver, went upstairs
to my room, sat down, and opened the paper. I found the article Edith
referred to easily enough. It was on the inside of the front page
printed underneath large letters. It was appalling! The third sentence
of the headlines contained my sister's name. There must be some
mistake. Wasn't such news as this borne by a lawyer with proper ceremony
and form, or at least delivered by mail, inside an envelope sealed with
red wax? Ruth had known nothing of this three days ago when I called to
see her. It could not be true. All the way into Boston on the electric
car, I felt self-conscious and ill-at-ease. I was afraid some one I knew
would meet me, and refer to the newspaper announcement. I would dislike
to confess, "I know no more about it than you." I hate newspaper
notoriety anyhow.

Edith greeted me as if we hadn't met for years, kissed me ecstatically
and grasped both my hands tight in hers. Her sparkling eyes expressed
what the publicity of the hotel corridor, where we met, prevented her
from proclaiming aloud.

"Where can we go to be alone for half a minute?" she whispered.

"Let's try in here," I said, and we entered a deserted reception-room,
and sat down in a bay-window.

"Did you telephone to Ruth?" was Edith's first remark.

I shook my head. "No. I didn't like to," I said.

"Nor I," confessed Edith. "She's always been touchy with me on the
subject of Mrs. Sewall since the row. Isn't it too exciting?"

"Can it be legal, Edith?" I inquired.

"Of course, silly. Wills aren't published until they're looked into.
Legal? Of course it is. I always said Ruth would do something splendid,
one of these days, and she has, she has--the rascal."

"You've got so much money yourself, Edith, why does a little more in the
family please you so?" I asked. Edith was extremely excited.

"A little. It isn't a little. It's a _lot_. But it isn't just the money.
It's more. It's what the money does. There has always