Will, Jesse, and Frank paced the floor while Gertrude sat quietly, hands in her lap. The room — big enough for wall shelves, the lawyer’s huge desk, a table, and a half dozen padded chairs — smelled like cigars, even with the windows open.
Will walked toward the window, glanced out, then continued to stride across the room. “He said he’d be here at ten o’clock. It’s past ten-thirty.”
Miss Hennessey, Attorney Brower’s secretary, looked toward the window. “He’s coming now,” she said as she grabbed the coffee pot. “Will you have a cup, Mrs. O’Shaughnessy?”
Before Gertrude answered, Attorney Brower lumbered into the office, his face and armpits wet with sweat. Out of breath, he wheezed as he tore off his suit coat and threw it on a chair. Then he sorted through papers piled high on his desk. As he rummaged through the pile the overhead fan blew the documents into more disarray.
Brower nodded toward the boys. “We’ll get right to it.” He dug into the disheveled paper pile. “It should be here someplace.” He rummaged through a stack of papers and ledgers. “Aw, here it is. I never lose ’em for long.” The attorney pulled out of the pile a large envelope and tossed it onto his desk.
Brower settled into his cushioned, roll-back chair. He straightened his tie and cleared his throat. “As you know, I’ve handled Mr. Duffy’s legal affairs since I first came to Ashley Springs. More than twenty years now, hard to believe.” He rolled his chair tight to his desk — as tight as his ponderous belly allowed — and latched onto the envelope. “I tried to get him to make a will, but he avoided it until Doris’s death. Lots of people do, you know. But five years ago, he caved in.” Brower tapped the envelope against his desktop. “Maybe you knew the provisions — all pretty standard. Then last August he barged through those doors and demanded a change. I tried to get him to wait, to think about it, but he insisted. He seemed pretty worked up. Said if I wanted to keep his business that I’d do as he asked, and do it right now.”
August, Will thought. The cow.
“So I did what he wanted. Said I shouldn’t say anything until after his death. Of course, I wouldn’t, even though it went against custom.”
Brower lit a cigar, puffed three times, turned away, and blew smoke across the room. Then he lifted his letter opener, inserted it under the seal, and sliced the envelope open.
Will felt the blade’s sting.
Brower slowly drew the paper out. He cleared his throat before he began to read. “Last will of Walter Duffy. I, Walter Duffy, a resident of Ashley Springs, Wisconsin, being of sound mind and memory and over the age of eighteen, and not being actuated by any duress, menace, fraud, or undue influence, do make, publish, and declare this to be my last will, hereby expressly revoking all wills and codicils previously made by me.”
Jesse poked Will in the ribs and whispered, “Remember our agreement.”
“Shush, it’s not what you think,” Will said.
Brower puffed on his cigar until the room filled with smoke. Will’s eyes burned.
Then he read, “As for tangible personal property; my furniture, furnishings, household equipment, and personal effects, it should go to my only child, my daughter, Gertrude Duffy O’Shaughnessy.”
Brower set the papers down and removed his glasses. “Miss Hennessy, where’s that addendum that Walter brought in when I was on vacation?”
Miss Hennessy rushed to her desk and pulled out a crumpled envelope, tried to smooth it, then raced back to Brower. “You told me to hang on to it until you found the file with the will.” She smoothed the envelope again, and handed it to Brower. “It looked like this when he brought it in.”
“You witnessed his signature, didn’t you, Miss Hennessey? It’s dated?”
“Yes, just like you said it should be done. And I stamped it, too.”
Brower opened the envelope and withdrew a sheet of perforated paper that had been ripped from a spiral notebook. “Let’s see.” He turned toward Gertrude who, hands in her lap, sat unruffled on her chair. “Your father wrote this in his own script.”
Brower smiled as he turned the paper in his hand. “He had a bold hand. Easy to read.” He cleared his throat. “My red settee goes to cousin Mabel. She always insisted on sitting there when she came to visit — which wasn’t very often. The old ice box in the back room goes to Jake Witherspoon. I always said he should keep his food on ice, but he never wanted to spend the money. Told him he’s going to poison himself one of these days if he’s not more careful. And the kitchen chairs stored over the tool shed to Esther Spencer. Mother’s costume jewelry to her sister Alice. Her dresses to Alice, too, unless Gertrude wants them, which I greatly doubt. My fishing gear to Thomas. Maybe more time fishing will keep him away from the tavern, but that’s ’bout as likely as Gertrude wanting her mother’s dresses.”
Brower droned on.
“Now, let’s get to the important parts,” he said. He puffed and blew more smoke that now hung so heavy that it slipped off the ceiling and curled around the table and chairs. He glanced in Will’s direction, sighed deeply, and shook his head.
Will knew that Jesse would be outraged. He should be, too, but he just couldn’t get the hog pen from his mind. The smoke teased his nose and burned his eyes, floated around his head and taunted him. Will never understood why anyone smoked cigars. Cigars didn’t please the senses like the pipe tobacco he enjoyed. He dabbed at the tears that filled his burning eyes.
Brower paused a long while, then continued reading. “I bequeath all my property--my farm land, its buildings, cattle, and equipment — to my grandson, Frank O’Shaughnessy.”
Will heard his mother gasp.
Jesse grabbed the paper from Brower’s hand. “He can’t do this. Will’s the oldest and it’s rightfully his!”
“It’s all legal, son. I tried to talk him out of it, but he insisted. It’s signed and witnessed properly.” He took the will from Jesse and pointed at the signatures.
Will felt drained.
“That’s all?” Jesse shouted. “There’s nothing for us?”
But Walter Duffy left nothing but hard feelings for Jesse and Will.
“There is a sealed letter,” Brower said. He picked up an envelope and pushed it toward Will. “He said I should give it to you.”
Brower puffed on his cigar as he handed the letter across the table.
Will tapped the envelope on the desk, tore off the end, pulled out the letter, and scanned the short message. He handed the paper to Brower. “Isn’t there anything I can do?”
Brower read Grandpa’s note, then handed it back. “I’m afraid not. He isn’t required to do this much. He didn’t have to give a reason.”
Will stuffed the letter into his pocket. “Come on, Jess. Let’s get out of here.”
Gertrude started toward Will, but Frank grabbed her hand and tugged her out the door. Will walked silently from Brower’s office. Jesse stayed behind, and Will heard Jesse’s shouting as he unhooked Maud’s reins from the hitching post. Jesse caught him before he turned his horse onto the road.
“What’ll we do, Will? You shouldn’t have let this happen. You gotta fight it. What’d he say in the letter?”
Will removed the crumpled envelope from his pocket and read. “By rights, this farm should go to you, Will, but I’ve decided to give it to your brother Frank. I’m sorry, but that’s the way it’s got to be. I spent too many years building it up to chance losing it out of family. You may be the smartest grandson I’ve got, and you work plenty hard, but farming’s a business, son, make no mistake about that. You’ve got too many high-minded ideas. Too much schooling. And just when I needed you most, you went traipsing south to see that black fella teacher. All your book learning’s not worth a hill of beans if you’ve not got the disposition for business. And I don’t think you do. You’re too sensitive, not hard enough to make a living at it.”
Will stepped up to his seat. He reined Maud until Jesse settled next to him. “I knew the outcome as soon as Brower said Grandpa’d changed the will last August. That’s when he wanted me to take the cow back from old Mr. Jacobson, but I wouldn’t do it.”
“Jacobson didn’t make the payments,” Jesse said.
“He couldn’t make the payments. Why, the old man’s almost blind.”
“That’s why Grandpa gave our farm away?” Jesse said. “Over a cow? He’s a cantankerous old coot, but I don’t believe it. Not over a cow. He probably knew our agreement.”
“We had lots of disagreements.”
“Frank’s been angling all along. He took advantage.”
“Maybe you’re right.”
“Well, what are you going to do about it?”
“Not much I can do.”
“You’ll let Frank get away with it?” Jesse grabbed Will’s wrist with a grip that turned his hand white. “Well, I’m not so easy. I’ll make Frank pay if it takes a lifetime. You can bet your sweet ass on that. And you’re no better, you weak-kneed bastard.”
Will threw the reins down and exploded off the seat. “I lost the most, you ingrate. I’d have helped you, and you blame me for this?”
He’d shook free of Jesse’s grip, but when his brother grabbed him again, Will pushed back hard, so hard that Jesse flew off the seat and sprawled in the road’s dust.
“A weak-kneed bastard, you say?”
But when Jesse didn’t move, Will jumped to his side. “Are you okay?” He saw blood running down Jesse’s chin as he lifted him and brushed dust off his suit. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Jesse pulled away, staggered, fished a flask from his vest pocket, and, without a word, turned toward town.
The next day Will was in a desperate hurry to get started. Morning milking done, he led his horse, Fanny, from the barn. “We only have a half hour.” Will hoped it would be no more than a half hour. “I’ve got to get to the field, old girl.”
Two years old, Fanny was too young for field work, but Will had been preparing her by hitching her to the empty wagon and walking her around the barnyard. Fanny snorted, tossed her head, looked toward him, and whinnied. She’d be a fine horse, already good on the buggy. He wished the sun would show, but clouds hung heavy, and the nighttime mist seemed content to linger in the steaming grass.
“Fanny, if I can’t get to the field soon, I’ll never see Mary tonight.” With Frank gone and Jesse out all night feeling sorry for himself, and the next day sleeping it off, Will and his father couldn’t keep up with the field work. “Do you think Mary could take to this life?” Will asked Fanny.
Fanny stopped, looked back, and neighed.
“You understand, don’t you, old girl?”
Will wasn’t sure why he called her old girl, but supposed it was out of habit after driving Maud so many years.
He knew that the loss of Walter’s farm left him no prospects, no significant source of income. He couldn’t support a family on $15 a month. He had to increase that somehow. “Do you think Frank will hire me?”
Would Frank want him? Could he find the time to work two farms?
“What do you think, old girl?”
Fanny remained silent.
“You don’t seem very enthusiastic about it, now do you?”
Hard to get enthused over Frank, Will knew. Suppose he shouldn’t count on his brother. Maybe he could try beef. Raise a few steers for market. He had never done it before, but it couldn’t be too hard. He could pay his dad a little for the feed and still make a profit. Maybe some chickens, too. But no pigs. He’d seen enough pigs for his lifetime.
Will took one more swing around the barnyard, unhitched Fanny, and stabled her. He found his father behind the barn greasing the hay loader. “Let’s get a move on, Dad. I need an early milking tonight.”
“Oh? Must be seeing that Tregonning girl again. Getting serious, is it?”
“Let’s get going or we’ll never finish.”
“Hay’s still damp.”
Will looked at the sky. “We better git it in while we can.”
“We can’t put damp hay in the barn. Do you want to burn it down?”
“I want to finish before seven.”
“Use your head, Will.” He handed the grease gun to his son. “Here, grease the loader while I hitch Jake and Billy.”
Will shot lubricant into every fitting that protruded from the labyrinth of metal parts. Will thought about how hard it was before the loader, the days when they pitched loose hay into the wagon. That was when Frank, Jesse, and his dad helped. And Walter Duffy, too. He had greased so often, he was sure he could lubricate the machinery while taking a nap. And he probably did that a time or two, but not today. Today he better not leave any dry serks, that’s for sure. All he needed was a breakdown to completely screw up his plans.
His father returned with the horses and wagon. “Hook the loader to the wagon, Will. By the time we hit the field it should be dry enough.”
Will didn’t stop to discuss the matter but flew to the horses, backed the wagon to the loader and hooked it on. Thomas pulled a flask from his coverall pocket and took a long swig. That was no surprise to Will. Thomas always lubricated his throat as thoroughly as he greased his machinery. It would be a long day.
Thomas drove Jake and Billy while Will pitched hay away from the loader that spewed the day’s harvest into the wagon’s hinder. While the horses followed the grass snake across the uneven field, Will lurched over the pitching deck until he gained his sea legs, stopped on each wave’s peak and stepped through the trough. But the unending flow of hay from the machine’s giant maw filled the deck with hills and valleys that thwarted his every move. He staggered a step or two, paused, then threw his forkful of timothy and broom into the low spots. Over and over he repeated this task until hay piled high above the wagon’s rails, his legs were weary, and his drenched shirt gripped his back.
Then, when his father stopped the wagon to unhitch the loader and head for the barn, Will peeled off his shirt. He knew the hay stubble would sting like a thousand needles piercing his skin and bloody his arms, but he needed to escape from the wet heat caused by the sun and his sweat.
Will thought about Mary. The longer he was away from her, the more frenzied with desire he felt. After two weeks without a break, he’d see her tonight, and he planned to make an impression. Plenty other fellows had an eye for Mary, and they’d be there, too, but he’d prepared for a month and now he had an ace up his sleeve. Walter had taught him the violin and he’d practiced all week. And the band leader, Uncle Billy, said he could call a square. He knew Mary would be impressed. She loved music; why, she played a lively piano herself.
Thomas pulled his flask and tipped it longer than most men would, but when his father offered him a drink, Will shook his head. “Not today. I’ll be seeing Mary tonight, and she’s death on liquor.”
“Oh?”
“She’s Methodist.”
“Might as well wed a temperance woman.”
Will didn’t say it, but he thought she was that, too. “Who said I was going to marry her?”
“It sounds serious to me.”
“Now that I don’t have claim to Grandpa’s farm, I’ve been thinking.” Will twisted his shirt, wringing out the wet, and wiped it across his brow. “Well, I’ve been thinking.”
“Get on with it.”
“Will you give me this farm? Not right now, you know. I mean. When you retire.”
“You’ll wait awhile for that. I still owe on it.”
“I’d pay for it. Pay a fair price.”
“And where’ll you get that kind of money?”
That was a problem. How’d he ever save enough on his fifteen dollar salary?
“Son. It wasn’t right what Walter did. He never told me. Didn’t tell anyone. Wasn’t right.” Thomas lifted his bottle again. “When I retire, you can buy this farm. If you’re able. Wish I could give it to you, but I’d not have enough to get Gertrude a house in town. But don’t plan on it for a while.”
The ride back to the barn was way too slow for Will’s liking, but he knew they couldn’t go fast down the slopes. An overturned wagon would cut a swath through the day’s progress. It was almost noon, and they hadn’t put a load in the barn yet. Six more loads and milking. How’d he ever be ready when George May stopped to pick him up at seven?
After driving the loaded wagon under the hay door near the top of the barn’s gable, Thomas, now atop the load, thrust a huge fork into the pile; then he jumped up and down on the fork’s crossbar to drive it deep into the loose hay. Will waited in the haymow for the first stack to arrive.
From back to front, a track traversed the barn below its highest peak, protruded through and past the hay door. After Thomas buried the steel tentacles into the hay, he shouted at Gertrude to drive Fanny ahead, to pull the rope that lifted a mountain of hay upward to where the large fork snapped into the track’s carriage. Thomas pulled the carriage rope that slid the hay along the track until the mountain poised over Will, who then shouted at Thomas to pull the trip rope. He hoped he was agile enough to avoid the falling stack. While Will spread the hay through the mow, Gertrude backed Fanny to their starting point and Thomas pulled the hayfork back through the hay door and down to the wagon. Then the process was repeated until the hayfields were shaved clean and the last wagon emptied.
Jesse usually ran the horse on the rope, but he was nowhere to be found, so Thomas had recruited Gertrude. Gertrude could do most of the farm jobs if she had a mind to. But, today, she didn’t.
“I don’t know where that no good son of ours is these days. If he expects a bed and three squares, he should do his work.”
Will knew that his mother was onto Jesse, even if she didn’t admit it. How could she not be?
Gertrude pointed in Thomas’s direction. “If you had any gumption, you’d have him out here on the horse. I’ve got house work to do. Don’t got time for this. I should have known better, but I married a farmer anyhow.”
Thomas slipped into the well house and Will saw him take a long swig from the bottle that he hid behind the door. Then he offered his wife a dipper of ice cold spring water. She turned her back and marched toward the house.
His mother intimidated him, just like her father had. But farm life was hard. Could Mary take it? She wasn’t a farm girl, had never been a farm girl. He looked down at his calloused hands and sunburned skin. He’d have to find a way to keep her out of the barn and fields. Then he smiled to himself. Maybe they’d have a passel of sons.
Without Gertrude’s help, Thomas had to jump off the wagon and lead the horse, and that brought them closer to milking but farther from an empty field. Bloodied and tired, Will knew they’d never finish in time. But after a half hour of drudgery, Will got his legs, the horses their second wind, and his father, having emptied his flask, sang something about happy days while hay poured into the wagon and out again at the barn. At this rate, maybe they could begin milking by five o’clock, and he could be ready by seven. Happy day, for sure.
While he rode the wagon back to the field, Will scanned the sky. The heat drove salty rivulets down his neck, arms, and back. And there was no breeze to whisk it away. Will blinked to clear his eyes, to refocus through the shimmering heat waves. He inhaled, gasped to fill his lungs with air. It felt as if the sun demanded all the earth’s oxygen in exchange for its gift of daylight. It was the kind of day that spawned summer storms. That worried Will, but he soon forgot the weather as he piled hay high in the barn’s loft. They had begun to strip the first windrow of the day’s last load when Will heard a metallic rattle followed by a loud clang, then the chain fell loose and hay stopped piling into the wagon. He knew immediately that the worst thing possible had happened: The loader’s drive chain broke. It was then he saw lightening in the far western sky.
“Unhook the loader!” his father shouted. “We’ll have to pitch the rest into the wagon.”
Load the hay by hand? Will knew who’d do the pitching. And it was a slow job, even when his brothers helped. He jumped from the empty wagon and pulled the pin from the loader.
“Let’s get on with it,” Thomas said. “There’s a storm heading this way.”
And Will knew they must get this hay off the field before the storm hit. Wet hay in the field rotted. Wet hay in the barn burned. Thomas edged forward along the windrow, stopping whenever Will couldn’t keep up. And Will was bushed. But tired was an occupational hazard for those who started each day at sunrise and worked into the night. Will read that some people worked a ten hour day, but he’d not seen it.
Will heaved fork after forkful into the wagon while his father drove and pitched it around. With luck they could still load all the hay that Thomas had downed three days before. The storm moved closer. Will, engulfed in hay and dust, seldom noticed the lightening, but the thunder assaulted his fatigue, reminded him that his night with Mary was rapidly slipping away. Will damned the loader, damned the weather, damned his farmhand existence.
They returned to the barnyard in time to see George May’s buggy disappear down the road, but not in time to avoid the rain. Their hay was soaked before they reached the buildings.
“Might as well dump it,” Thomas said. “Can’t put it in wet. Have to use it for bedding. Tomorrow, we’ll scatter it and hope it doesn’t mildew. Better get to milking.”
“Damn the milking!” Will screamed into the night. “Damn the farm.” He had to find a job, any job that paid a decent living. He wanted Mary.