Tobias o' the Light: A Story of Cape Cod — John Shaqi
Tobias o' the Light: A Story of Cape CodCooper, James A.
General
Tobias o' the Light: A Story of Cape Cod
Cooper, James A.
Cape Cod (Mass.) -- Fiction
"Are we all here?" proceeded Judge Waddams, looking slowly about the
room. His gaze fastened upon Tobias. "I don’t see your sister, Miss
Heppy, Mr. Bassett?"
"You’ll have to look twice at me, then, Judge," chuckled the
lightkeeper. "She couldn’t make it to come, nohow."
Judge Waddams gravely nodded, unlocked a drawer in his table, and drew
forth a folded document of portentous appearance. There was
considerable stiffening in the chairs and a general clearing of throats.
The Judge adjusted his eyeglasses.
"Captain Jethro Potts entrusted me with the drawing of this will, and it
was sealed in my presence, and in that of two witnesses who have
absolutely no interest in the provisions of the instrument," he said
officially. "I will now read it."
The introduction and opening paragraphs held the breathless attention of
his audience. There followed itemized gifts of personal property, such
as the ancient furnishings of Captain Potts’s little home—keepsakes that
might or might not satisfy a sentimental feeling in the hearts of the
recipients.
Icivilla Potts preened herself over the fact that the walnut highboy
which had been the chief piece of furniture in Captain Jethro’s parlor
had been left to her by the maker of the will. Then:
"’Item: One certain two-gallon jug containing Jamaica rum, to my
mother’s second cousin, Isaac Bassett—that remaining portion as he shall
not have already drunk at the unsealing of this instrument.’"
"Heh? By mighty! An’ I drunk the last drop o’ that rum just before we
took him to the church to-day," exploded Isaac, more in sorrow than in
anger. "Wal, I always did say that you couldn’t get the best of Cap’n
Jethro Potts, dead or alive—an’ this proves it!"
"Sarves ye right," declared Mrs. Andrew Dawson, as the lawyer frowned
down Isaac’s interruption.
All those present—and some others—had been named for legacies of
personal property, saving Tobias. The other relatives of the dead man
began to gaze curiously upon the lightkeeper as the list was
concluded—Icivilla with scorn.
The lawyer read gravely the next partition of the will. It was to the
effect that the testator, having seen clearly that his relatives
hereinbefore named were covetous of his money, and would little consider
the sentimental value of the above legacies, bequeathed to each person
the sum of one dollar to be paid out of his estate by the administrator,
Edward Waddams.
This stunning statement smote dumb every listener save Isaac Bassett.
He burst into a raucous "Haw! haw!" and slapped his knee as he weaved
back and forth in his chair.
"By mighty!" he exploded, "I ain’t the only one old Jethro fooled. Haw!
Haw!"
The high squeal of Andrew Dawson, who occasionally asserted himself in
spite of his wife, rose above the general murmur of disappointment and
anger:
"I wanter know, then, what’s to become of all Jethro’s money! I wanter
know _that_!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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