From this hour Patsy devoted¹ 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 promptly² drawn³ 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 deferred⁴ signing it that evening. The next day no witnesses could be secured, and so another postponement⁵ followed, and upon one pretext⁶ or another the matter was put off until Patricia became suspicious.  
Noting this, Aunt Jane decided⁷ to complete her act of deception⁸. 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. The girl also took occasion to inform both Beth and Louise that a new will had been made in which they both profited largely, but she kept the secret of who the real heir was, and both her cousins grew to believe they would share equally in the entire property.
 
So now an air of harmony settled upon Elmhurst, and Uncle John joined the others in admiration⁹ of the girl who had conquered the stubbornness of her stern old aunt and proved herself so unselfish and true.
 
One morning Aunt Jane had Phibbs wheel her into her little garden, as usual, and busied herself examining the flowers and plants of which she had always been so fond.
 
"James has been neglecting his work, lately," she said............