Aunt Jane's Nieces
It would
make them so happy."
"Double the amount I had allowed to each of them," the woman commanded
her lawyer.
"Can it all be ready to sign tonight?" asked Patsy, excitedly.
"I'll try, my dear," replied the old lawyer, gravely. Then he turned
to Jane Merrick.
"Are you in earnest?" he asked.
Patsy's heart suddenly sank.
"Yes," was the reply. "I am tired of opposing this child's wishes.
What do I care what becomes of my money, when I am gone? All that I
desire is to have my remaining days peaceful."
The girl spring forward and kissed her rapturously.
"They shall be, aunt!" she cried. "I promise it."
CHAPTER XX.
IN THE GARDEN.
From this hour Patsy devoted herself untiringly to Aunt Jane, and
filled her days with as much sunshine as her merry ways and happy
nature could confer. Yet there was one thing that rendered her uneasy:
the paper that Lawyer Watson had so promptly drawn had never yet been
signed and witnessed. Her aunt had allowed her to read it, saying she
wished the girl to know she had acted in good faith, and Patsy had no
fault at all to find with the document. But Aunt Jane was tired, and
deferred signing it that evening. The next day no witnesses could be
secured, and so another postponement followed, and upon one pretext or
another the matter was put off until Patricia became suspicious.
Noting this, Aunt Jane decided to complete her act of deception.
She signed the will in the girl's presence, with Oscar and Susan to
witness her signature. Lawyer Watson was not present on this occasion,
and as soon as Patsy had left her Miss Merrick tore off the signatures
and burned them, wrote "void" in bold letters across the face of the
paper, and then, it being rendered of no value, she enclosed it in a
large yellow envelope, sealed it, and that evening handed the envelope
to Mr. Watson with the request that it be not opened until after her
death.
Patricia, in her delight, whispered to the lawyer that the paper
was really signed, and he was well pleased and guarded the supposed
treasure carefully.
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In a village there lived two men who had the self-same name. Both were named Claus. But one of them owned four horses, and the other owned only one horse; so to distinguish between them people called the man who had four horses Big Claus, and the man who had only one horse Little Claus. Now I'll tell you what happened to these two, for this is a true story.
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