s papa’s property just as much as hers, you know. If she should die now, that estate would be in a terrible mess. No one knows what she’s done: how much she’s bought and sold. I don’t think she knows herself. She keeps her notes and papers hidden away in little drawers and boxes.”
Her distrust and fear had been so great that, much to Eliza’s annoyance, she had persuaded Gant, a year or two before, to make a will: he had left $5, 000 to each of his five children, and the remainder of his property and money to his wife. And, as the summer advanced, she again persuaded him to appoint as executors the two people in whose honesty she had the greatest trust: Hugh Barton and Luke Gant.
To Luke, who, since his discharge from the navy, had been salesman, in the mountain district, for electrical farm-lighting plants, she said:
“We’re the ones who’ve always had the interests of the family at heart, and we’ve had nothing for it. We’ve been the generous ones, but Eugene and Steve will get it all in the end.’Gene’s had everything: we’ve had nothing. Now he’s talking of going to Harvard. Had you heard about that?”
“His m-m-m-majesty!” said Luke ironically. “Who’s going to p-p-p— pay the bills?”
Thus, as the summer waned, over the slow horror of Gant’s death was waged this ugly warfare of greed and hatred. Steve came in from Indiana; within four days he was insane from whiskey and veronal. He began to follow Eugene around the house, backing him ominously into corners, seizing him belligerently by the arm, as he breathed upon him his foul yellow stench, and spoke to him with maudlin challenge.
“I’ve never had your chance. Every one was down on Stevie. If he’d had the chance some folks have, he’d be right up there with the Big Boys now. And at that, he’s got more brains than a lot of people I know who’ve been to college. You get that, don’t you?”
He thrust his pustulate face, foul and snarling, close to Eugene’s.
“Get away, Steve! Get away!” the boy muttered. He tried to move, but his brother blocked him. “I tell you to get away, you
