tried to get into her bedroom."
"How long ago was that?"
"Over a year."
"You're cured now?" Mason asked.
"Yes, all except for this confounded twitching and spells of nervousness."
"When do you want me at your house?"
"Tonight at eight o'clock. Bring a good doctor with you, so he can say I'm not crazy. My niece says the stars indicate this would be a good move."
Mason nodded his head slowly. "Your niece," he said, "seems to have a great deal of influence – with the stars."
"She just interprets them. She's very clever."
"Have you any other relatives?" Mason asked.
"Yes, my half-brother, Philip Rease, lives with me. Incidentally, I want him to have virtually all of my property."
"How about your niece?" Mason asked.
"My niece won't need it. The chap she's going to marry has plenty of money for both of them. In fact, it was his idea that I should make a new will. You see, Edna's just a little bit spoiled. Harris, the chap she's marrying, got the idea he'd stand more chance of having a happy marriage if he controlled the purse strings."
"Suppose she and Harris shouldn't get along?" Mason inquired.
"Then I could change my will again."
"It might be too late," the lawyer suggested.
Kent frowned, then said, "Oh, I see what you mean. I've thought some about that, too. Can't we make a will leaving my property in trust?"
"Yes, we can do that," Mason said.
"That's what we'll do, then. I want Helen Warrington, my secretary, to have twenty-five thousand dollars. She's been loyal to me and I don't want her to have to work after I'm gone. Then we can create a trust, and the income will all be paid to my half-brother so long as Edna's married to Gerald Harris. In case of a divorce, she'll share in the income."
"Does your half-brother know you're going to leave your property to him?"
"Yes."
"Suppose he'll be disappointed if you change it into a trust?" Mason asked.
"Oh, no, I wouldn't leave him anything except income," Kent said hastily. "He's not very good at investments."
"Why? Does he drink?"
"Oh, no, not that. He's a bit peculiar."
"You mean mentally?"
"Well, he's a nervous type, always very much concerned about his health. A doctor told me he was what they called a hypochondriac."
"Did he ever have money of his own?" Mason inquired.
Kent nodded, and said, "Yes, he had some rather unfortunate financial experiences, and he's become very bitter – something of a radical, you know. He was unfortunate with his own investments and he's inclined to resent any success other people have had."
"He doesn't resent yours, does he?" Mason asked smilingly.
"Very much," Kent told him.
"Notwithstanding he's to benefit by your will?"
"You don't know him," Kent said, smiling. "He's rather a peculiar temperament."
Mason toyed with a lead pencil, stared thoughtfully at Kent and said, "How about your future wife?"
"She isn't going to get a cent," Kent said. "I want you to draw up an agreement to that effect, one for her to sign before she marries me and one for her to sign afterwards. That's the only way I can be certain she isn't marrying me for my money. Incidentally, it's her idea. She says she won't marry me until I arrange things so she can't get a cent of my property, either by way of alimony or by inheritance if I die."
Mason raised his eyebrows, and Kent laughed and said, "Confidentially, Counselor, just between you and me, after she signs the agreements by which she can't get any money from me legally, I'm going to give her a very substantial cash settlement."
"I see," Mason remarked. "Now, about this trust arrangement providing that Edna will have an independent income in the event she divorces Harris. It may accomplish just the result Harris wished to avoid."
"I see your point," Kent said, "I guess I'll have to talk it over again with Harris. Frankly, Edna's been a problem. She was hounded to death by fortune hunters, but I chased them out as fast as they showed up. Then Harris came along. He told me where he
"How long ago was that?"
"Over a year."
"You're cured now?" Mason asked.
"Yes, all except for this confounded twitching and spells of nervousness."
"When do you want me at your house?"
"Tonight at eight o'clock. Bring a good doctor with you, so he can say I'm not crazy. My niece says the stars indicate this would be a good move."
Mason nodded his head slowly. "Your niece," he said, "seems to have a great deal of influence – with the stars."
"She just interprets them. She's very clever."
"Have you any other relatives?" Mason asked.
"Yes, my half-brother, Philip Rease, lives with me. Incidentally, I want him to have virtually all of my property."
"How about your niece?" Mason asked.
"My niece won't need it. The chap she's going to marry has plenty of money for both of them. In fact, it was his idea that I should make a new will. You see, Edna's just a little bit spoiled. Harris, the chap she's marrying, got the idea he'd stand more chance of having a happy marriage if he controlled the purse strings."
"Suppose she and Harris shouldn't get along?" Mason inquired.
"Then I could change my will again."
"It might be too late," the lawyer suggested.
Kent frowned, then said, "Oh, I see what you mean. I've thought some about that, too. Can't we make a will leaving my property in trust?"
"Yes, we can do that," Mason said.
"That's what we'll do, then. I want Helen Warrington, my secretary, to have twenty-five thousand dollars. She's been loyal to me and I don't want her to have to work after I'm gone. Then we can create a trust, and the income will all be paid to my half-brother so long as Edna's married to Gerald Harris. In case of a divorce, she'll share in the income."
"Does your half-brother know you're going to leave your property to him?"
"Yes."
"Suppose he'll be disappointed if you change it into a trust?" Mason asked.
"Oh, no, I wouldn't leave him anything except income," Kent said hastily. "He's not very good at investments."
"Why? Does he drink?"
"Oh, no, not that. He's a bit peculiar."
"You mean mentally?"
"Well, he's a nervous type, always very much concerned about his health. A doctor told me he was what they called a hypochondriac."
"Did he ever have money of his own?" Mason inquired.
Kent nodded, and said, "Yes, he had some rather unfortunate financial experiences, and he's become very bitter – something of a radical, you know. He was unfortunate with his own investments and he's inclined to resent any success other people have had."
"He doesn't resent yours, does he?" Mason asked smilingly.
"Very much," Kent told him.
"Notwithstanding he's to benefit by your will?"
"You don't know him," Kent said, smiling. "He's rather a peculiar temperament."
Mason toyed with a lead pencil, stared thoughtfully at Kent and said, "How about your future wife?"
"She isn't going to get a cent," Kent said. "I want you to draw up an agreement to that effect, one for her to sign before she marries me and one for her to sign afterwards. That's the only way I can be certain she isn't marrying me for my money. Incidentally, it's her idea. She says she won't marry me until I arrange things so she can't get a cent of my property, either by way of alimony or by inheritance if I die."
Mason raised his eyebrows, and Kent laughed and said, "Confidentially, Counselor, just between you and me, after she signs the agreements by which she can't get any money from me legally, I'm going to give her a very substantial cash settlement."
"I see," Mason remarked. "Now, about this trust arrangement providing that Edna will have an independent income in the event she divorces Harris. It may accomplish just the result Harris wished to avoid."
"I see your point," Kent said, "I guess I'll have to talk it over again with Harris. Frankly, Edna's been a problem. She was hounded to death by fortune hunters, but I chased them out as fast as they showed up. Then Harris came along. He told me where he
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