“My sister was alive at that time,” Mr. Hooper said, noticing the date. “And it seems to me she was working on an autograph quilt to give to a friend.”
“Here is the signature,” Miss Gordon said, spreading the quilt over the counter.
Mr. Hooper glanced at it and said without an instant’s hesitation:
“There’s no question about it! This is my sister’s handwriting!”
Miss Gordon asked if it appeared to be the same as her signature upon the will.
“Why, it’s a dead-ringer for the way she signed her name on the document that left me the orchard,” Mr. Hooper replied. “But it doesn’t much resemble the handwriting on that later will which Carl Wingate claims is genuine.”
“Then doesn’t this prove the second one was false?” Connie asked.
Mr. Hooper smiled and kept staring at the quilt block. He was thinking very hard.
“I’ve always been certain Carl Wingate’s will was a forgery,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, this provides positive proof. But the courts might decide differently.”
“Why?” asked Veve.