ses of the Sepoy Mutiny, stilled every voice, slowed every heart.
Awed, the heirs began to search gingerly, under the furniture and behind
the drapes, for all that was mortal of Gramps, father of the clan.

* * * * *

But Gramps had left not his Earthly husk but a note, which Lou finally
found on the dresser, under a paperweight which was a treasured souvenir
from the World's Fair of 2000. Unsteadily, Lou read it aloud:

"'Somebody who I have sheltered and protected and taught the best I know
how all these years last night turned on me like a mad dog and diluted
my anti-gerasone, or tried to. I am no longer a young man. I can no
longer bear the crushing burden of life as I once could. So, after last
night's bitter experience, I say good-by. The cares of this world will
soon drop away like a cloak of thorns and I shall know peace. By the
time you find this, I will be gone.'"

"Gosh," said Willy brokenly, "he didn't even get to see how the
5000-mile Speedway Race was going to come out."

"Or the Solar Series," Eddie said, with large mournful eyes.

"Or whether Mrs. McGarvey got her eyesight back," added Morty.

"There's more," said Lou, and he began reading aloud again: "'I, Harold
D. Ford, etc., do hereby make, publish and declare this to be my last
Will and Testament, revoking any and all former wills and codicils by me
at any time heretofore made.'"

"No!" cried Willy. "Not another one!"

"'I do stipulate,'" read Lou, "'that all of my property, of whatsoever
kind and nature, not be divided, but do devise and bequeath it to be
held in common by my issue, without regard for generation, equally,
share and share alike.'"

"Issue?" said Emerald.

Lou included the multitude in a sweep of his hand. "It means we all own
the whole damn shootin' match."

Each eye turned instantly to the bed.

"Share and share alike?" asked Morty.

"Actually," said Willy, who was the oldest one present, "it's just like
the old system, where the oldest people head up things with their
headquarters in here and--"

"I like _that_!" exclaimed Em. "Lou owns as much of it as you do, and I
say it ought to be for the oldest one who's still working. You can
snooze around here all day, waiting for your pension check, while poor
Lou stumbles in here after work, all tuckered out, and--"

"How about letting somebody who's never had _any_ privacy get a little
crack at it?" Eddie demanded hotly. "Hell, you old p