The Gay Sisters Page #9

I SEE.

VERY WELL.

I'LL TELEPHONE WHEELER THE

FIRST THING IN THE MORNING

AND TELL HIM THE BURDEN

OF PROOF RESTS ON THEM.

OUR CASE IS CLEAR.

THERE SHE IS!

HERE, TAKE THIS.

AND ONE THING MORE,

YOUR HONOR.

AS A DESCENDENT OF PENN

GAYLORD, THE CHILD AUSTIN MAY,

UNDER THE TERMS:

OF THIS WILL,

HAVE AN INTERES IN THIS ESTATE.

AND I THINK THAT THE

PARENTAGE OF THIS CHILD

SHOULD BE DETERMINED,

AND THAT HE SHOULD HAVE

SPECIAL GUARDIANS APPOINTED BY THE

COURT TO REPRESENT HIS INTERESTS.

AND I MIGHT ADD THA MY CLIENT HAS MADE EVERY EFFOR TO EFFECT AN AGREEMENT WITH MRS. FIONA

BARCLAY THAT WOULD AVOID A PUBLIC HEARING.

IT HAS BEEN HIS HOPE THAT A

SETTLEMENT MIGHT BE REACHED.

THAT WOULD BE VERY DESIRABLE

IF THERE IS A CHANCE FOR AGREEMENT.

THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY

OF THAT, YOUR HONOR.

THEN MR. WHEELER, YOU MAY

AS WELL PROCEED WITH YOUR EVIDENCE.

THEN I'LL CALL THE FIRS WITNESS: MR. FRED SIMMONS.

YOU SOLEMNLY SWEAR TO SPEAK

THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH,

AND NOTHING BUT THE

TRUTH SO HELP YOU GOD?

I DO.

WILL YOU GIVE YOUR

FULL NAME, PLEASE?

FREDERICK CLAUSSON SIMMONS.

RESIDENCE?

WOODLAND, VERMONT.

OCCUPATION?

COUNTY CLERK:

SINCE 1928.

NOW I'LL ASK IF YOU CAN IDENTIFY

THIS CERTIFIED PHOTOSTAT.

THIS IS A COPY:

OF PAGE 237.

"REGISTER OF BIRTH,

FRANKLIN COUNTY, 1935."

I CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO AN

ENTRY SHOWING THE BIRTH OF ONE

AUSTIN COPELAND,

FEBRUARY 23, 1935.

WILL YOU READ THA ENTRY TO THE COURT?

"NAME OF CHILD:
AUSTIN COPELAND. MALE.

"PLACE OF BIRTH:

WOODLAND, VERMONT.

"MOTHER'S NAME:

PENELOPE COPELAND.

FATHER'S NAME:

UNKNOWN."

THAT PROVES NOTHING!

CAN YOU TESTIFY THA THAT'S A TRUE COPY

OF THE ORIGINAL:

BIRTH CERTIFICATE?

YES, SIR. COPIED IT MYSELF.

OFFER THIS IN EVIDENCE,

EXHIBIT "A".

SO ADMITTED.

ANY CROSS-EXAMINATION?

NO QUESTIONS.

THAT WILL BE ALL,

THANK YOU.

DR. THOMAS BIGELOW.

BUT AM I TO UNDERSTAND,

DR. BIGELOW,

THAT YOU CAN:

RECALL THE CASE,

BUT YOU CANNO RECALL THE PATIENT?

WHEN I WAS SUMMONED FROM

NEW YORK FOR THIS CASE,

I KNEW NOTHING:

BEYOND THE FAC THAT IT WAS AN EMERGENCY

AT THE MATERNITY HOSPITAL.

I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THE NAME OF

THE PATIENT AFTER I ARRIVED THERE.

SHE WAS ALREADY:

IN THE OPERATING ROOM

AND UNDER COMPLETE

ANESTHETIC WITHIN

A FEW MOMENTS:

AFTER MY ARRIVAL.

AS SOON AS I HAD THE

CHILD SAFELY DELIVERED

AND THE MOTHER:

RESTING COMFORTABLY,

I HAD TO RETURN:

TO NEW YORK.

THE ONLY FACT I CAN TESTIFY TO IS

THAT I DID DELIVER A MALE INFAN ON THE NIGHT OF FEBRUARY

23, 1935, AT WOODLAND.

AND WHEN I RECEIVED

A CHECK FOR MY SERVICES,

IT WAS SIGNED WITH

THE NAME OF COPELAND.

THAT IS ALL YOU KNOW, DR. BIGELOW?

THAT IS ALL.

ANY CROSS-EXAMINATION?

NO QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU,

DOCTOR.

MISS IDA ORNER.

I'VE BEEN WITH THE WOODLAND

HOSPITAL FOR 23 YEARS.

AND IT WAS ON THE NIGH OF FEBRUARY 23, 1935,

AS THE RECORDS SHOW,

AND AS I REMEMBER,

BECAUSE IT WAS:

THE NIGHT OF THE DAY

THAT I FIRST TOOK GAS

IN THE DENTISTS' OFFICE.

OLD DR. OLMSBY,

STILL PRACTICING.

WELL... A CASE

CAME IN IN LABOR,

AND DR. RANSOM SAID

THERE WERE COMPLICATIONS,

AND HE'D SENT FOR A

NEW YORK SPECIALIST.

AH, DR. BIGELOW, WHO

JUST LEFT THE STAND.

DO YOU REMEMBER:

THE PATIENT?

OH, I SHOULD

SAY I DO.

WE HAD OUR HANDS FULL WITH THAT REDHEAD.

WOULD YOU KNOW THE PATIEN AGAIN IF YOU SAW HER?

I SHOULD:

SAY I WOULD.

MISS ORNER, WOULD YOU LOOK

ABOUT THIS COURTROOM AND TELL ME

IF THE WOMAN WHOM YOU KNEW AS

PENELOPE COPELAND IS PRESENT?

I'LL DO MY BEST.

I THINK THAT'S HER

SITTING THERE AT THE TABLE.

ARE YOU SURE?

I'D BE SURER IF

SHE HAD HER HAT OFF.

MR. PEDLOCH.

WOULD YOU ASK YOUR CLIENT TO

STAND UP AND REMOVE HER HAT?

THAT'S THE ONE

ALL RIGHT.

THERE COULDN'T BE

TWO LIKE HER.

I HOPE IT'S ON

THE LEVEL THIS TIME.

I THINK SHE'S COMING TO NOW, SIR.

THEN WE DON'T NEED

TO CALL A DOCTOR?

NO, IT'S

ONLY A FAINT.

I'VE HAD LOTS OF EXPERIENCE WITH THEM,

ESPECIALLY IN BREACH OF

PROMISE AND DIVORCE CASES.

WELL THEN, I'LL BE GETTING

BACK TO THE COURTROOM,

AND YOU'LL CALL ME

IF YOU NEED ME.

YES, SIR.

THANK YOU.

THERE NOW, DEAR.

FEELING BETTER?

I THINK SO.

THERE.

I WONDER,

COULD...

COULD SOMEONE PLEASE

GET ME SOME BLACK COFFEE?

WELL, SURE

THEY COULD,

AND THE BES THING FOR YOU.

I'LL GET IT MYSELF.

PIPING HOT.

OH!

AH AH! NOW YOU JUST LIE

THERE NICE AND COMFORTABLE,

AND I WON' BE A MINUTE.

FIFTH AVENUE!

I THINK:

THAT'S ENOUGH.

IF CHARLES BARCLAY

THINKS HE'S GOING TO

MARCH IN HERE WITH A COUR ORDER AND TAKE THIS BOY AWAY,

I'M GOING TO

SPOIL HIS PLEASURE.

ONCE YOU GET AUSTIN OU TO GIG'S PLACE, WE'RE SAFE.

NO ONE WILL EVER

SUSPECT HE'S THERE.

I'M GLAD YOU

THOUGHT OF IT.

I HOPE GIG:

LIKES CHILDREN.

HE LIKES ME.

HE FELT MY MUSCLE,

AND HE SAID IT WAS BIGGER THAN AN ER-

YES, I KNOW.

ERSTER.

OYSTER.

NOW, LISTEN, AUSTIN.

YOU'RE TO STAY INSIDE

UNLESS YOU'RE WITH UNCLE GIG,

AND DON'T TELL

ANYONE YOUR NAME.

NO, MA'AM.

YOU'LL HAVE

A GOOD TIME THERE,

MUCH BETTER:

THAN YOU DO HERE.

BUT I HAVE:

A GOOD TIME HERE.

YOU DO?

SURE, I DO.

I LIKE IT FINE.

HURRY UP.

MISS GAYLORD, SASKIA SAYS YOU

HAVE NO HEART, ONLY A STOMACH.

COME ON.

QUICK! GO OU THROUGH THE COURTYARD.

YOU CAN GET A TAXI

AT THE SIDE STREET.

SASKIA, LET ME GE INTO THE LIBRARY FIRST,

THEN ANSWER THE BELL.

ARE YOU QUITE SURE YOU'RE

WELL ENOUGH TO SEE US?

OH, I'M ALL RIGHT NOW,

THANK YOU.

I'M SORRY TO HAVE CAUSED

SO MUCH TROUBLE.

I BROUGH MR. BARCLAY

AND MR. WHEELER

WITH ME.

I'M AFRAID WE HAVE SOME

RATHER BAD NEWS FOR YOU.

BAD NEWS IS NOT EXACTLY A

NOVELTY TO ME, MR. PEDLOCH.

I HAVE A COURT ORDER. FOR MY SON.

I'VE BEEN

EXPECTING THAT.

AND I'VE COME

TO TAKE HIM.

I'VE BEEN

EXPECTING THAT, TOO.

AND YOU INTEND:

TO COMPLY WITH IT?

YES.

YES.

YOU'RE GOING TO

LET ME TAKE HIM?

OF COURSE:

YOU MAY TAKE HIM...

IF YOU CAN:

FIND HIM.

WHERE IS HE?

WELL, YOU SEE, THIS

IS A VERY OLD HOUSE,

AS YOU MAY:

HAVE NOTICED,

AND WE'RE TERRIBLY

TROUBLED WITH RATS.

SO THERE'S A MAN, I

BELIEVE HE'S CALLED

THE PIED PIPER OF HAMLIN-YOU

MAY HAVE HEARD OF HIM.

AND HE CAME HERE

AND PLAYED:

A LOVELY LITTLE TUNE

ON HIS PIPES.

AND AUSTIN HEARD HIM AND

FOLLOWED THE PIED PIPER

RIGHT OUT OF THE HOUSE

BEFORE I COULD STOP HIM.

YOU KNOW HOW:

LITTLE BOYS ARE.

OH, I FORGOT. YOU HAVEN'T ANY CHILDREN.

I HAVE A SON.

YES?

YOU REALIZE THA WHAT YOU'RE DOING

CONSTITUTES:

CONTEMPT OF COURT?

BUT I'M

DOING NOTHING.

YOU KNOW WHERE THAT CHILD IS.

NO, NOT A THE MOMENT.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO

DO ABOUT THIS, PEDLOCH?

IF I MAY HAVE A FEW MINUTES

WITH MY CLIENT, ALONE.

I CAME HERE PREPARED TO BE GENEROUS,

BUT YOU'VE MANAGED

TO KILL THAT DESIRE,

ALONG WITH EVERY OTHER DECEN IMPULSE I'VE EVER FELT FOR YOU.

HATE IS THE THING

YOU THRIVE ON,

AND IF THAT'S

WHAT YOU WANT,

THAT'S WHA YOU'RE GOING TO GET.

COME ON.

YOU KNOW WHERE:

THAT CHILD IS.

OF COURSE I DO.

I'VE BEEN VERY PATIEN WITH YOU, MISS GAYLORD,

AND I KNOW BY NOW HOW USELESS

IT IS TO ARGUE WITH YOU.

SO I'M GOING

TO BE VERY FRANK.

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