“Jessica Fillmore Pell.  I suppose, as a lawyer, I ought not to express any surprise at what you are doing, but you can see how close home it comes to me, Mr. Tyler.  You know the relation in which I stand to this family, with whom I am connected by no ties of blood, but who have been so good to me.”

“And you have deserved it, young man.  I am not leaving money to a family of whom I know nothing.  Have you got that:  all my fortune unreservedly to Jessica Fillmore Pell?”

“Yes, Mr. Tyler.”

“Roy knows something of this, and if people think it strange or hint that I am out of my head to leave my money in this way, you can tell them what he did for me this afternoon.  That ought to satisfy them.  Now I want to tell you where my money is invested so that you can get at it easily, for I want you, Sydney, to be one of my executors, and I will take Dr. Martin for the other.  Here he comes now.  We will continue this business presently.”

Roy came in with the doctor; a cheery man, whom everybody in the neighborhood liked.

“Doctor,” began Mr. Tyler, before the physician could say anything, “I want you to witness my will.  Roy, run out to the kitchen and get Ann to come in here.”

“Ann,” said Roy, appearing in the rear regions, “Mr. Tyler wants you to come out and witness his will.”

“Is the poor man dying then?” exclaimed the woman, looking frightened.

“Oh, no, he only—­”

“Never mind bothering Ann about that now,” said the doctor presenting himself at this moment Roy returned to the bedroom with the physician, where he found that Mr. Tyler had decided he would have Sydney for a witness in place of Ann.

“I’d rather have a man,” he explained.  “I forgot that he could do it just as well as not.”

Then the instrument was duly signed and witnessed.

“I am perfectly sane, you can declare, can’t you, Dr. Martin?” asked the miser when the thing was done.  “I don’t want any mistake to be made about it.”

“You need have no fear on that score,”

“Dinner’s ready, Mr. Tyler,” announced Ann, making her appearance at this point.

“All right, you boys go out and eat it,” said the old man.  “The doctor wants to see me I suppose.  Ann can bring me a little broth in here afterwards.  And about signing that, Sydney, I want to add a clause leaving something to Ann.  I forgot about her.”

Silently the two Pells went out into the dining room, and in almost silence they ate the broth which the housekeeper placed before them.  Then when she had gone out Sydney said: 

“You know how much Mr. Tyler is worth, Roy, do you?”

“He told me something like $500,000.  I didn’t know whether to believe it or not That’s a great sum of money, Sydney.  I feel awfully queer about the whole thing.  Does it seem all right to you that he should leave it all to mother just because of the little thing I did for him this afternoon?  I don’t want to seem to feel that she oughtn’t to have it.  But the whole thing seems so odd.”