“Read the will, Captain Gar’ner, if you have it,” said Mr. Job Pratt, with decision.  “It is proper that we should know who is executor.  Friends, will you be silent for a moment?”

Amid a death-like stillness, Roswell Gardiner now read as follows:—­

“In the name of God, amen.  I, Ichabod Pratt, of the town of Southold, and county of Suffolk, and state of New York, being of failing bodily health, but of sound mind, do make and declare this to be my last will and testament.

“I bequeath to my niece, Mary Pratt, only child of my late brother, Israel Pratt, all my real estate, whatsoever it may be, and wheresoever situate, to be held by her, her heirs and assigns, for ever, in fee.

“I bequeath to my brother, Job Pratt, any horse of which I shall die possessed, to be chosen by himself, as a compensation for the injury inflicted on a horse of his, while in my use.

“I bequeath to my sister, Jane Thomas, the large looking-glass that is hanging up in the east bed-room of my house, and which was once the property of our beloved mother.

“I bequeath to the widow Catherine Martin, my cousin, the big pin-cushion in the said east chamber, which she used so much to praise and admire.

“I bequeath to my said niece, Mary Pratt, the only child of my late brother, Israel Pratt, aforesaid, all of my personal estate, whether in possession or existing in equity, including money at use, vessels, stock on farm, all other sorts of stock, furniture, wearing apparel, book-debts, money in hand, and all sorts of personal property whatever.

“I nominate and appoint Roswell Gardiner, now absent on a sealing voyage, in my employment, as the sole executor of this my last will, provided he return home within six months of my decease; and should he not return home within the said six months, then I appoint my above-mentioned niece and heiress, Mary Pratt, the sole executrix of this my will.

“I earnestly advise my said niece, Mary Pratt, to marry the said Roswell Gardiner; but I annex no conditions whatever to this advice, wishing to leave my adopted daughter free to do as she may think best.”

The instrument was, in all respects, duly executed, and there could not be a doubt of its entire validity.  Mary felt a little bewildered, as well as greatly embarrassed.  So perfectly disinterested had been all her care of her uncle, and so humble her wishes, that she did not for some time regard herself as the owner of a property that she had all her life been accustomed to consider as a part of her late uncle.  The heirs expectant, “a’ter reading the insterment,” as Baiting Joe told his cronies, when he related the circumstances over a mug of cider that evening, “fore and aft, and overhauling it from truck to keelson, give the matter up, as a bad job.  They couldn’t make nawthin’ out of oppersition,” continued Joe, “and so they tuck the horse, and the looking-glass, and the pin-cushion, and cleared out with their cargo.  You couldn’t get one of that breed to leave as much as a pin behind, to which he thought the law would give him a right.  Squire Job went off very unwillingly; for so strong was his belief in his claim, that he had made up his mind, as he told me himself, to break up the north meadow, and put it in corn this coming season.”