e of the other three
sisters, who were to have a certain tenement and land in Harlem and
three thousand a year for life out of the estate. None of those present
thought for a moment of questioning either the genuineness of the will
or the validity of the testaments, save only a poor relation, a nephew,
whose name was down for $500. He was indignant with the old lady and
loudly declared that he would not put up with it. The next day he
employed a briefless lawyer, one that had wit and brass enough and who
had his way to make in the world, and was determined to make it.

Without waiting for the will to be probated or having legal authority to
do so, Brea and his wife, the very day of the funeral, moved into the
house and took possession. But before the week was out he had persuaded
the three old maids that they would be happier if away from the scene of
their parent's death, so he had them installed in their own house at
Harlem, he remaining in undisturbed possession, waiting only for the
will to be probated in order to take possession of upward of $200,000 in
cash and bonds still in the custody of the old lady's bank. He had full
possession of the house, and with entire confidence waited to be put in
legal possession of all. But little did he dream that at that moment
there was one poor torn sheet of foolscap in the library, casually
thrust in a book, lying completely at his mercy to destroy, if he could
only have known it, which was going to tear all his wealth from his
grasp and drive him forth a foiled plotter, to become an adventurer and
ultimately to perish a miserable outcast.

The executors of the will (the same in the forged will as in the
genuine) were two simple shopkeepers living near. Eagan was the name of
the nephew, and to the surprise of the executors his attorney notified
them he should contest the will on behalf of his client, and warned them
to dispossess Brea of the house until such time as the law decreed it
to be his wife's property. The attorney knew the standing of James in
his profession, and, being capable of pretty sharp practice himself, he,
by some extraordinary intuition, boldly asserted his belief that the
will was a forgery. The three sisters declared they would not contest
the will, and had Brea acted wisely by fixing it up to give the attorney
a liberal fee, and Eagan a paltry thousand dollars, it would have ended
there. But, feeling perfectly secure, no doubt he thought an appearance
of