“Yes,” was the unexpected answer, “but I shall not make a will. A will may be contested. I will give it away during my life.”
Chester and the doctor looked surprised. They thought the other might refer to a ring or some small article.
“I want everything to be legal,” resumed Bruce. “Is there a lawyer in the village?”
“Yes, Lawyer Gardener.”
“Send for him. I shall feel easier when I have attended to this last duty.”
Within half an hour the lawyer was at his bedside.
“In the inside pocket of my coat,” said Walter Bruce, “you will find a document. It is the deed of five lots in the town of Tacoma, in Washington Territory. I was out there last year, and having a little money, bought the lots for a song. They are worth very little now, but some time they may be of value.”
“To whom do you wish to give them?” asked Mr. Gardner.
“To this boy,” answered Bruce, looking affectionately toward Chester. “He and his have been my best friends.”
“But your uncle—he is a relative!” suggested Chester.