though," she continued, "for I can't endure noise in the house."

"Not more than an hour," I replied.

"Oh, I'm glad to hear it!" said she. "Perhaps, then, you might do it
while we are at the funeral, day after to-morrow? We will be gone at
least two hours."

"Easily, ma'am," said I, with my heart in my mouth at the idea of
managing the matter so soon, and having the papers for Helen as soon as,
in any sort of decency, Mrs. Markson would be likely to have the old
will read.

For the rest of the day I was so absent-minded to everything except this
business of Markson's that my acquaintances remarked that, considering
how long I had been gone, I didn't seem very glad to see any one.

Finally I went to old Judge Bardlow, who was as true as steel, and told
him the whole story, and he advised me to get the papers, and give them
to him to examine. So, on the day of the funeral, I entered the house
with a mallet and a mortizing chisel, and within fifteen minutes I had
in my pocket the package Markson had put in the sill years before, and
was hurrying to the judge's office.

He informed me that Mrs. Markson's lawyer, from the city, had called on
him that very morning, and invited him to be present at the reading of
the will in the afternoon, so he would be able to put things in proper
shape at once.

I was more nervous all that day than I ever was in waiting to hear from
an estimate. It was none of my business, to be sure; but I longed to see
Mrs. Markson punished for the mischief which I and every one else
believed she had done her husband; and I longed to see Helen, whom every
one liked, triumph over her stepmother, who, still young and gay, was
awfully jealous of Helen's beauty and general attractiveness.

Finally the long day wore away, and an hour or two after the carriages
returned from the funeral, the city lawyer called the judge, and, at the
judge's suggestion, they both called for me.

We found Mrs. Markson and Helen, with some of Mrs. Markson's
relatives--Helen had not one in the world--in the parlor, Mrs. Markson
looking extremely pretty in her neat-fitting suit of black, and Helen
looking extremely disconsolate.

The judge, in a courtly, old-fashioned way, but with a good deal of
heart for all that, expressed his sympathy for Helen, and I tried to say
a kind word to her myself. To be sure, it was all praise of her father,
whom I really respected very highly (aside from my having had my first
contract f