with, Mrs. Hollister."

"Why do you keep talking about the Willis will?" asked Mrs.
Hollister with curiosity.

"Because I've lived with it for twenty-eight years and I know all
about it," said Winnie. "Twenty-eight years ago, this spring, have I
lived with this family and in that time I've seen Doctor Hugh grow
from the baby that was laid in my arms into a fine young man with
the Willis will made a help to him instead of a hindrance. Mr.
Willis--you never knew him, he died six months after Shirley was
born and Mrs. Willis has never been the same woman since--had it,
too, and the temper along with it, but he made them both his
servants and himself the master, as the Bible says. Many's the time
I've heard the story of Governor Willis, (his picture hangs in the
hall) and of how he held out against the whole legislature and the
public and proved himself right in the end. Old Judge Willis, the
father of Doctor Hugh's father, once came near being lynched for a
decision he made, but no howling mob could make him retract. As I
tell Mrs. Willis, when she gets to worrying about the strong wills
the girls have, it's worse not to have a mind of your own than to
have too much; I'm not one to preach breaking anyone's will--bend it
the right way, I always say."

"Yes, that sounds all right," admitted Mrs. Hollister who had
listened eagerly, "but I don't know as I'd want to have the bending
of three wills all at once. It strikes me that the young doctor is
going to be pretty busy if he tries to 'tend to 'em all at the same
time. And you say he's going to take Dr. Jordan's practice, too."

"He'll be busy, but he can handle anything," declared Winnie
confidently. "Dr. Hugh was my baby--I took care of him till he was
five years old--and I know he'll manage all right. The girls are
delighted to have a big brother, and they'll try to please him, I
know they will."

"It's funny to say, but he's almost a stranger to them, isn't he?"
said Mrs. Hollister reflectively. "How many years has he been away
from Eastshore?"

"Counting from the time he went away to school, about twelve years,"
answered Winnie. "He came home vacations, of course, but the last
two years he wasn't home at all. He's been studying abroad and Mrs.
Willis was so happy to think he'd be home with her this summer. She
was pleased as could be that he wanted to settle in Eastshore. She's
talked a lot to me, since Mr. Willis died, about what she hoped the
children would do