Lon. It's mine!
Seth. It ain't!
Lon. Yuh kin't—
Seth. Shut up!
[They rush into the kitchen, Seth in advance, Lon close on his heels. The younger throws the cooking-dish to the floor, grabs the box, and hurries to the table. As though they were about to discover a world's secret, they unlock the box, each as near to it as possible, his arms tense, fingers itching, ready to ward off a blow or seize the treasure. From the box, Seth takes an old tobacco-pouch, a jack-knife, a bit of heavy cord, a couple of letters. These are contemptuously thrown on the table. The will lies at the bottom of the box. Lon snatches it. Seth would take it from him.]
Lon. Hold off! I'm jest a goin' t' read it.
[Seth curbs his impatience. Lon opens the document and reads, slowly and haltingly.]
"I, Nathaniel Polland, o' Sandy Point in the County o' Rhodes an' State o' Michigan, bein' o' sound mind an' memory, do make, publish, an' declare this t' be my last Will an' Testament in manner followin', viz—." What does "viz" mean?
[Unable to bear the suspense longer, Seth seizes the paper. He scans it until his eyes catch the all-important paragraph.]
Seth. "—Bequeath all my earthly possessions to my wife, Jennie Polland."