Salina rose promptly upright, gave Mrs. Farnham a sharp look, and stooped to pick up the comb that had been knocked loose from her hair. When her eyes fell once again on the young man and his mother, she began deliberately twisting up her hair, while the brief dialogue we have recorded passed between them. After they went out, Salina removed her tin oven from before the fire, took up a huge pair of tongs and deliberately fished out Mr. Farnham's will from behind the back-log. It had been a good deal blackened and scorched at the edges in its passage through the flames, but the writing was only slightly obliterated. Salina, who had no scruples against reading a document so obtained, recognized the signature, and gathered enough from the contents to be certain that it was an important paper. She thrust the will into her bosom with great deliberation, replaced her tin oven on the hearth, and went on with her work as usual. Once or twice she paused in her occupation, and seemed pondering over some idea in her mind, but when the other servants came in she said nothing of the subject of her thoughts. The moment dinner was over, which Mrs. Farnham partook of alone. Salina put on her sun-bonnet and shawl, merely saying that "she was going out a spell," and took a short cut across the fields towards Judge Sharp's house, leaving the Old Homestead on her right, determined not to visit that till after her errand was accomplished. The judge was a little surprised when Salina appeared before him with a peremptory request that he would leave his women folks and give her a few words with him alone. He went into the library and closed the door, wondering in his mind what could have brought that interesting female into his presence, with her face so full of mysterious importance. Salina folded her shawl close over her bosom while she drew forth the will. "Here, Judge, you may as well take charge of that concern, I reckon; being a friend of the family, you'll know best what to do with it." The Judge unfolded the paper and glanced at the first page. His eyes began to fill with astonishment. "Why, where on earth did you get this?" he said. "I got it honestly, and that's enough; if it's all right I'll go." "But tell me something more about it," persisted the judge. "Least said soonest mended; I ain't a female traitor and spy, nor nothing of that sort! what you've got you've got! It ain't of no consequence where you got it, or how you got it, it's there, and that's enough?" "But, but"-- "I'm in a hurry, the dishes ain't washed up yet." "Indeed Salina you must tell me!" Salina folded her blanket-shawl tightly around her upright person. "Judge Sharp, it's of no use--I'm flint." With these words that strong-minded female turned, with her nose in the air, and left the room, planting her footsteps with great firmness, as if she meant by their very sound to impress the judge with the strength of her determination.