The Judge of Probate said that very few of the papers that he received were signed so well.
Mary Erskine was appointed administratrix, and the Judge gave her a paper which he said was her "Letters of Administration." What the Judge gave to her seemed to be only one paper, but she thought it probable, as the Judge said "Letters" that there was another inside.
When she got home, however, and opened the paper she found that there was only one.

She could not read it herself, her studies having yet extended no farther than to the writing of her name.

The first time, however, that Mary Bell came to see her, after she received this document, she asked Mary Bell to read it to her.

Mary Bell did so, but after she had got through, Mary Erskine said that she could not understand one word of it from beginning to end.

Mary Bell said that that was not strange, for she believed that lawyers' papers were only meant for lawyers to understand.
The appraisers came about this time to make an inventory of the property.