So not a word spoke Captain French, but rode on in grim and sorrowful silence, with Ann clinging to him, till he reached her master’s door.  Then he set her down with a stern and solemn injunction never to transgress again, and rode away.

Ann went into the kitchen with a quaking heart.  It was empty and still.  Its very emptiness and stillness seemed to reproach her.  There stood the desk—­she ran across to it, pulled the indentures from her pocket, put them in their old place, and shut the lid down.  There they staid till the full and just time of her servitude had expired.  She never disturbed them again.

On account of the grief and confusion incident on Deacon Wales’s death, she escaped with very little censure.  She never made an attempt to run away again.  Indeed, she had no wish to, for after Deacon Wales’s death, grandma was lonely and wanted her, and she lived most of the time with her.  And, whether she was in reality treated any more kindly or not, she was certainly happier.

DEACON THOMAS WALES’S WILL.

In the Name of God Amen! the Thirteenth Day of September One Thousand Seven Hundred Fifty & eight, I, Thomas Wales of Braintree, in the County of Suffolk & Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, Gent—­being in good health of Body and of Sound Disproving mind and Memory, Thanks be given to God—­Calling to mind my mortality, Do therefore in my health make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament.  And First I Recommend my Soul into the hand of God who gave it—­Hoping through grace to obtain Salvation thro’ the merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ my only Lord and Dear Redeemer, and my body to be Decently inter^d, at the Discretion of my Executor, believing at the General Resurection to receive the Same again by the mighty Power of God—­And such worldly estate as God in his goodness hath graciously given me after Debts, funeral Expenses &c, are Paid I give & Dispose of the Same as Followeth—­

Imprimis—­I Give to my beloved Wife Sarah a good Sute of mourning apparrel Such as she may Choose—­also if she acquit my estate of Dower and third-therin (as we have agreed) Then that my Executor return all of Household movables she bought at our marriage & since that are remaining, also to Pay to her or Her Heirs That Note of Forty Pound I gave to her, when she acquited my estate and I hers.  Before Division to be made as herein exprest, also the Southwest fire-Room in my House, a right in my Cellar, Halfe the Garden, also the Privilege of water at the well & yard room and to bake in the oven what she hath need of to improve her Life-time by her.

After this, followed a division of his property amongst his children, five sons and two daughters.

The “Homeplace” was given to his sons Ephraim and Atherton.  Ephraim had a good house of his own, so he took his share of the property in land, and Atherton went to live in the old homestead.  His quarters had been poor enough; he had not been so successful as his brothers, and had been unable to live as well.  It had been a great cross to his wife, Dorcas, who was very high-spirited.  She had compared, bitterly, the poverty of her household arrangements, with the abundant comfort of her sisters-in-law.