“See your lawyer without delay,” he repeated. “There is such a thing as ‘power of attorney,’ I think they call it. It gives you authority over everything without having the mother relinquish her title to anything.”
“But she can always withdraw such papers—I know that much law.”
“To be sure,” Richard explained; “but lawyers know how to delay. What we want to stave off is any sudden on-the-minute decision.”
Jerry agreed that the idea was a good one. For her own gain she would not have lifted a finger, but always Walter was forcing decisions.
“I’m really growing enthusiastic over Walter,” she remarked abruptly. “He has picked up wonderfully. Doesn’t it strike you as odd that mother’s complete surrender and Walter’s change have come about at the same time?”
“Not at all. It agrees with my theory; and whoever heard a man going against his own theory? Mrs. Wells had a sort of mental strangle-hold on Walter’s mind. I believe that she clutched his mind and held it as literally as she could have held his wrist. When she gave up, he was set free. That’s not only my theory, but it’s the belief of ‘Jawn’ Galloway. Wait till you see him! He’ll make it clear to you. He’s coming, you know.”
“Oh, is he? No; I didn’t know. Did mother invite him?”
“Jove!” Richard remembered. “I wrote him that I was about to ask her; but I clean forgot it. But we can’t expect him for several days yet. There’ll be plenty of time to break the news that she has invited ‘Jawn’ up; and when she sees ‘Jawn’ she’ll rejoice. I’m dying to see Phœbe and ‘Jawn’ get together. They’re a pair of Irish comedians.... But I’ve good news for you. Walter declined his nip last night.”
“What do you mean?”
He explained to her his system, backed up by the authority of the ship doctor, of permitting a small drink a day to keep down the agonies of thirst.