Cynthia Wakeham's Money. Anna Katharine Green
there was nothing, actually nothing for him to put the lamp on, and I was forced to subdue my disgust and get used as best I could to his presence and to his great shadow looming on the wall behind us. But I could not get used to her eyes hurrying me, and my hand trembled as I wrote.
"'Have you any name but Cynthia?' I inquired, looking up.
"She painfully shook her head.
"'You had better tell me what her husband's name was,' I suggested to the brother.
"'John Lapham Wakeham,' was the quick reply.
"I wrote down both names. Then I said, looking intently at the dying widow:
"'As you cannot speak, you must make signs. Shake your hand when you wish to say no, and move it up and down when you wish to say yes. Do you understand?'
"She signalled somewhat impatiently that she did, and then, lifting her hand with a tremulous movement, pointed anxiously towards a large Dutch clock, which was the sole object of adornment in the room.
"'She urges you to hurry,' whispered the man. 'Make it short, make it short. The doctor I called in this morning said she might die any minute.'
"As from her appearance I judged this to be only too possible, I hastily wrote a few words more, and then asked:
"'Is this property all that you have to leave?'
"I had looked at her, though I knew it would be the man who would answer.
"'Yes, yes, this house,' he cried. 'Put it strong; this house and all there is in it.'
"I thought of its barren rooms and empty cupboards, and a strange fancy seized me. Going straight to the woman, I leaned over her and said:
"'Is it your desire to leave all that you possess to this brother? Real property and personal, this house, and also everything it contains?'
"She did not answer, even by a sign, but pointed again to the clock.
"'She means that you are to go right on,' he cried. 'And indeed you must,' he pursued, eagerly. 'She won't be able to sign her name if you wait much longer.'
"I felt the truth of this, and yet I hesitated.
"'Where are the witnesses?' I asked. 'She must have two witnesses to her signature.'
"'Won't I do for one?' he inquired.
"'No,' I returned; 'the one benefited by a will is disqualified from witnessing it.'
"He looked confounded for a moment. Then he stepped to the door and shouted, 'Briggs! Briggs!'
"As if in answer there came a clatter as of falling dishes, and as proof of the slavery which this woman had evidently been under to his avarice, she gave a start, dying as she was, and turned upon him with a frightened gaze, as if she expected from him an ebullition of wrath.
"'Briggs, is there a light in Mr. Thompson's house?'
"'Yes,' answered a gruff voice from the foot of the stairs.
"'Go then, and ask him or the first person you see there, if he will come in here for a minute. Be very polite and don't swear, or I won't pay you the money I promised you. Say that Mrs. Wakeham is dying, and that the lawyer is drawing up her will. Get James Sotherby to come too, and if he won't do it, somebody else who is respectable. Everything must be very legal, sir,' he explained, turning to me, 'very legal.'
"Not knowing what to think of this man, but seeing only one thing to do, I nodded, and asked the woman whom I should name as executor. She at once indicated her brother, and as I wrote in his name and concluded the will, she watched me with an intentness that made my nerves creep, though I am usually anything but susceptible to such influences. When the document was ready I rose and stood at her side in some doubt of the whole transaction. Was it her will I had expressed in the paper I held before me, or his? Had she been constrained by his influence to do what she was doing, or was her mind free to act and but obeying its natural instincts? I determined to make one effort at finding out. Turning towards the man, I said firmly:
"'Before Mrs. Wakeham signs this will she must know exactly what it contains. I can read it to her, but I prefer her to read the paper for herself. Get her glasses, then, if she needs them, and bring them here at once, or I throw up this business and take the document away with me out of the house.'
"'But she has no glasses,' he protested; 'they were broken long ago.'
"'Get them,' I cried; 'or get yours—she shall not sign that document till you do.'
"But he stood hesitating, loth, as I now believe, to leave us together, though that was exactly what I desired, which she, seeing, feverishly clutched my sleeve, and, with a force of which I should not have thought her capable, made wild gestures to the effect that I should not delay any longer, but read it to her myself.
"Seeing by this, as I thought, that her own feelings were, notwithstanding my doubts, really engaged in the same direction as his, I desisted from my efforts to separate the two, if it were only for a moment, and read the will aloud. It ran thus:
"The last will and testament of Cynthia Wakeham, widow of John Lapham Wakeham, of Flatbush, Kings County, New York.
"First: I direct all my just debts and funeral expenses to be paid.
"Second: I give, devise, and bequeath to my brother, Hiram Huckins, all the property, real and personal, which I own, or to which I may be entitled, at the time of my death, and I appoint him the sole executor of this my last will and testament.
"Witness my hand this fifth day of June, in the year eighteen hundred and eighty-eight.
"Signed, published, and declared by the Testatrix to be her last will and testament, in our presence who, at her request and in her presence and in the presence of each other, have subscribed our names hereto as witnesses, on this 5th day of June, 1888.
"'Is that the expression of your wishes?' I asked, when I had finished.
"She nodded, and reached out her hand for the pen.
"'You must wait,' said I, 'for the witnesses.'
"But even as I spoke their approach was heard, and Huckins was forced to go to the door with the lamp, for the hall was pitch dark and the stairs dangerous. As he turned his back upon us, I thought Mrs. Wakeham moved and opened her lips, but I may have been mistaken, for his black and ominous shadow lay over her face, and I could discern but little of its expression.
"'Is there anything you want?' I asked her, rising and going to the bedside.
"But Huckins was alert to all my movements, if he had stepped for a moment away.
"'Give her water,' he cried, wheeling sharply about. And pointing to a broken glass standing on the floor at her side, he watched me while I handed it to her.
"'She mus'n't give out now,' he pursued, with one eye on us and the other on the persons coming upstairs.
"'She will not,' I returned, seeing her face brighten at the sound of approaching steps.
"'It's Miss Thompson and Mr. Dickey,' now spoke up the gruff voice of Briggs from the foot of the steps. 'No other folks was up, so I brought them along.'
"The young woman, who at this instant appeared in the doorway, blushed and cast a shy look over her shoulder at the fresh-faced man who followed her.
"'It's all right, Minnie,' immediately interposed that genial personage, with a cheerful smile; 'every one knows we are keeping company and mean to be married as soon as the times improve.'
"'Yes, every one knows,' she sighed, and stepped briskly into the room, her intelligent face and kindly expression diffusing a cheer about her such as the dismal spot had doubtless lacked for years.
"I heard afterward that this interesting couple had been waiting for the times to improve, for the last fifteen years."