California -- Fiction; Domestic fiction; Sisters -- Fiction
"My first feeling, when Frenny told me," said Anne, chatting pleasantly
in the shade, "was one of such RELIEF! For I hadn't wanted all that
money one bit," she confessed, gaily. "I only wanted to do what was
FAIR. Only two or three nights ago I said to Frenny that it really
belonged to us all, and last night we talked and talked about it, and
the result was that I said that I must see the girls--we three are the
only ones concerned, after all, and"--Anne's old half-merry and
half-pouting manner was unchanged--"what we decide is what really
matters!" she finished.
"Why, there is no question that it's Daddy's handwriting," Cherry said,
with what, for her, was sharpness, "and it seems to me--it seems to me
Anne--" she added, hesitatingly.
"That you have a nerve!" Alix finished, not with any particular venom.
"That document throws the case out of court," she said, flatly. "Peter
is confident of that!"
Anne's pale face flushed a trifle, and her eyes narrowed.
"Yes, but it doesn't throw the WILL out of court," she said quickly.
"You proposed to break the Will!" Alix reminded her, getting angry.
"I know I did, but it might be valid, after all, and under that Will I
inherit only a fifth less than you and Cherry!" Anne answered, also
with feeling. "That's just what I came over to talk about," she added,
still smiling. "Isn't it better," and all friendliness and appeal were
in her voice, "isn't it better to do it all in a kindly manner, than to
fight about it? Why, we can easily settle it among ourselves," she
assured them, sensibly.
Alix shrugged, and looked down at the wheel of her car with a doubtful
shake of her head. Cherry, now standing beside it on the platform, was
flushed and uncomfortable. There was an awkward pause.
"Board?" shouted a trainman, with a rising inflection. The sisters
looked at each other in a panic of haste.
"I can't leave this car here." Alix exclaimed. "I've got to park her
and lock her and everything! Run get on board, Cherry, I don't have to
go in anyway--you've got a date!"
Cherry's heart leaped, sank coldly, and leaped again, as with a swift
nod of parting she hurried for her train. The other two women watched
her with forced interest as she climbed on board, and as the train
slipped noiselessly out of sight. It curved among the redwoods, and was
gone before either spoke again. Then, as her eyes met Anne's friendly,
questioning smile, Alix said awkwardly:
"I think the only thing to do is for you and Justin to take this up
with Peter, Anne. I mean--I mean that you were the ones who proposed to
bring it into court in the first place, and--and I don't understand
much about it!"
"Alix, don't let's talk in a cold, hard, legal way," Anne pleaded. She
had gotten into the back seat, and was leaning on the front seat in an
informal sort of way. "Let's just try to get each other's point of
view!" she suggested. "The idea is that Uncle Lee wanted all his girls
to inherit alike--"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account