Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-10-17

G1ving Up a Fortune to the Children
Of n WrOnged Employer.

corner, on the marble counter In the Office OF
the Girard House and hurried away. clerk
tapped q bell, For Mrs. AshbroOke," he said,
as he tossed the letter to dapper cOlored SER
want who popped up in response to the silver
sound "A letter for you. Mrs. AshbrOOke."
said the servant to an elegantly dressed woman.
"a foreign letter." exclaimed Mrs. Ashbrooke.
looking at the stamps and post mark 'It seems
to be from Australia" She slowly tore the en-
veope and drew out the contents. She
curiOusy unfOlded a long and broad sheet of
paper such as she had never received before
UP In the left hand corner she read in neat.
precise little letters, Bolton 4 Bolton solicitors,
Melbourne. Australia. The paper began with a
formal Madame" i'm a cramped hand. and as it
went on the writing grew worse and ended in
long scrawl that the lady took to be the law
firms name again 1t was all hard to make
out. but some of the words were clear enough
to awaken Mrs. AshbroOke's intense curiosity.
She remained at it until she had mastered it
all. Then. pale and trembling, she called her
husband and said: II have been made an
heiress to $4,000, and so, too, has each OF my
two sisters
Indeed ~ exclaimed Mr. Ashbrooke. man.
ufacturer of wall paper and for several years
associated with Howell i Bourke. why are
you pale!"
Because 1 seem to have received it out of
the grave
THE STORY OF THE LETTER.
The story that the letter told was weird
romance. Thirty years or more ago Mrs Ash
broOke'sfather, Henry Devon. was the American
consul at Rio Janeiro, Brazil. He had in his
employ as confidential clerk or agent George W.
Anderson. who had been born in PENNSYLVANIA
and drifted to South America. Mr.. Devon had
oeen living in Brazil for many years and had ac-
CURED a large estate. Two daughters were
born to him there. Before the one who after
wards became Mrs. AshbrOoke was born his wife
sailed for home and his latest child first saw the
Hight OH shipbOard. Mrs. Devon had not been
at home month when she received adyices
that her husband was dead. He had been sick
fOr few days only. When his affairs were
settled up large amount of money was found
TO be missing 1t could not be traced nor the
amount definitely determined, though it was
known that few days before his death Mr.
Devon had great deal of money i'm cash on
hand. Legal inquiry was made. but without
result The estate was sold out and the matter
forgotten.
Mrs. Ashbrooke heard of it in childhood, but
leit her mind years ago. She heard no more
OF 1t again until the letter from Australia came
The letter recalled it all and cleared up the mys-
terry. The lawyers wrote that they had been the
solicitors of George W. Anderson. who had died
IN March OF this year in hospital at Melbourne
he mad confessed when dying that he had EN-
5ezzed $4,000 entrusted to him by Consul
Deven- Alter Mr.. Deven's death his fathless
agent wandered reStessly over the earth. He
wound up in Australia He had gone into the
gold diggns there and made large fortune and
lOst IT, He had after that become the owner of
an extensive sheep ranch. He grew rich again
rapidly. but lost heavily in speculation. At last
he went into trade. He made money more
slowly now. but kept what he earned and put
by thousands.
THE SISTER OF CHARITY.
Age and privatiOn and the wear of wander
ing, however. broke down his health He had
never married, and was almost friendless in
He
was forced against his own desire to enter a
hospital His nurse here was a Sister of Charity.
She was an English woman who had travelled
much upon her mission i'm other lands She was
the embodiment of cheerful meekness She
talked freely and hopefully with her white
haired patient OF life on earth and the life be-
y0nd the grave She seemed to him. the solic-
t0rs wrote. to be the only friend that he had
ever known. He watched her wander in her
black gown and wide white bonnet among the
slck beds Till his old eyes grew weary. He
asked her what made her SO cheerful
amidst her wearsOme tasks. and she an
swered faith and hope He added charity She
awakened in him thoughts of religion. At his
own desire clergyman was called to his bed
side after time. and he was baptized into the
communism OF the Roman Catholic church. In
telling OF his faults the ENLIGHTENMENT of thirty
years ago found place. The priest told him
that no forgiveness could be had for such a sin
until he had made restitution SO far as Law in his
power. No matter how old the crime, the spir-
ltual director said. reparatiOn must be DONE If
the man from whom the money had been taken
were dead his children, if living were as his
natural heirs entitled to the money. The peni-
tent, full of zeal, said that he would do eyery-
thing required He had a deed of trust drawn
up dividing seventy five thousand dollars among
the children of the man whom he had wronged
Two men. during his life had learned of the
emDeZZlement. but never spoken. He required
rs condition precedent to the payment of the
money under the trust. that the fact of the res
t1tutiOn be published. so that he might stand
confessed before the world and his memory be
cleared before these men. few DAYS after
everything had been arranged he died, and his
solicitors, In carrying out his wishes, wrote to
Mrs. AshbrOOke.
EVERYTHING FOR JUSTICE.
Indeed" said Mrs. AshbrOoke at the Girard
house last night, % was surprised when re-
ceiVed That strange letter. My mother. know.
mad correspondent with Mr.. Anderson after he
lett Brazil. though she never suspected that he
had wronged us. He had kept track of us in
that way. no doubt though the correspondence
dropped long ago 1t will be necessary before
can come into the trust to prove my identity. as
Twas born after my mother had lett Brazil /
never saw him. and he never saw-indeed. hard
ly heard of me.
There were only three children altogether
my two sisters and myself. and Mr.. Anderson
had known the others personally But he
wished 20 do justice among us ALL OF course I
snail take the necessary legal steps at once to
show who am The solicitors naturally re-
quire that everything be done in regular order
have not seen the deed and do not know ex-
aetly where the property is. The Chief points
OF the instrument. however, have been made
clear to me, and do not apprehend any diff
Guilty. Mr. Anderson's will, / learn has been
placed on file in Melbourne. should not speak
OF the matter at allexcept that it seems to have
been has wish. But be kind to his metnory. Do
not say more than is necessary. Poor man, how
thorough must his conversion have been. how
strong MS faith TO lend him the courage to do
these noble thilgs,'
What becomes of his fortune beyond that
WITH ain ne mas ieit TO you and your sistersi"
beyond that? There was mo moro No
gave up everything for Justices sake"
Leave n MIN,