er in a fine casket, keeping the doors shut until the
hour for service. Mrs. Seymour had the nurse bring the children in her
house. So they said prayers reverently, sang some lovely parting hymns
and laid her away, her long life on earth finished.

The relatives were asked to meet at Mr. Borden's office the next day
at ten to hear the will read.

Was ever any will satisfactory where property was divided up into
small gifts? Five hundred dollars to this one and to that one, three
hundred apiece to some others. Jack, Jr., had five hundred, the
babies, three hundred, and Marilla Bond, three hundred.

"It was very nice of her in a way," said Mrs. Borden, "but I think one
hundred dollars would have been remembrance enough for the little
waiting on she did, and I find Lizzie is of much more service than she
was. Of course she costs more. I shall go out to the Home some day
and give her up on account of her health. Miss Armitage might as well
take her. She'll make a nice little waitress maid. And now that the
house is clear I feel that we needn't economize so closely. You and
John get your five hundred with the rest, and she gave me her diamond
ear rings after we came back in the summer. It was smart in her not to
have John make her will, so none of them can say he persuaded her.
Well, now we can settle ourselves to the next thing."

CHAPTER XII

A WONDERFUL HAPPENING

Mrs. Borden was surprised that Mrs. Johnson received back Marilla
Bond's indentures with no remonstrance or objection. She certainly had
not known about this weak heart. The child had never been ill, but
something else might come to hand. She was glad there was no other
reason and that the little girl had proved trustworthy.

Miss Armitage was also surprised that Mrs. Johnson would not agree to
an immediate transferrence.

"You may go on keeping her for awhile," said the lady in a lofty
manner. "_You_ may tire of her. We will see presently."

That was all the permission she could get and it was a blow to Miss
Armitage. She had come to love the child with a fervor she had hardly
dreamed of and Marilla simply adored her. Dr. Richards teased her a
little about her fortune. She was quite a welcome guest at the Bordens
and the twins almost devoured her when she came, but poor Bridget was
nearly heart broken.

"If I had a little girl of my own I could hardly love her any better,
and Marilla Bond, if I was a rich woman I'd steal you some day and
we