arms, and looking up into his face,
fondly and tearfully, said:--

"Dear Henry! For your sake, my heart is glad to-night."

He laid the will down, as if it were a thing of little value, and
kissing her, said:--

"This cannot add to our happiness, Blanche, and may bring care and
trouble."

"Not more trouble than blessing," she replied, "if rightfully used."

The locket attached to the will excited our curious interest. It was, we
felt sure, the same that Captain Allen's mother had sent to him by the
hands of Jacob Perkins. Doubtless, some memory of his mother, stirred by
the sight of this locket, had caused him to revoke his former will, and
execute this one in favor of his sister. There was no room to question,
for a moment, its genuineness. It had all legal formality, and the men
who witnessed the signature were living and well known to us all. I was
named as one of the executors. So there was some perplexing business
before me; for, in taking things as they were, it was not probable that
the executors under the former will would be able, promptly, to give a
satisfactory account of their trust, or to hand over the property in a
shape acceptable to the right heirs.

But, of this, more anon. Our good friends went home early after this
singular discovery, showing more bewilderment than elation of manner. I
think that Constance and I were gladder in heart than they.

CHAPTER XXV.

The first thing done was to place the will on record; the next to give
proper legal notice of its existence to the executors under the previous
will, Judge Bigelow and Squire Floyd. Mr. Dewey, on the announcement
of this discovery, unhesitatingly declared the paper a forgery; but the
witnesses to the signature of Captain Allen were living, and ready to
attest its genuineness. They remembered, very distinctly, the time when
their names were appended to the document. It was only a year before the
Captain's death. They were walking past the Allen House, when the old
man called them in, and asked them to witness the signing of a paper. Of
its contents they had no knowledge, as he did not make any communication
on the subject. But he signed it in their presence, and their signatures
showed this will to be the paper then executed.

Notwithstanding this, it came to our ears, that Mr. Dewey persisted in
alleging fraud, forgery, and the complicity of these witnesses. And
from the manner of Judge Bigelow and Squire Floyd, in the first br