Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-11-02
DEATH-RED IUNTICE.
A Penitent, Full of ucmUr-- tisr- up
a Fortune stolen Years rtc.O.r.
tFtom tho phll,leluhi, 'rlme,1

tFiom the Philadelphia Ilmei.l
''For Mrs. Joseph Ashbrookc," a letter
carrier threw down heavy envelope, with
three or four foreign stamps on the upper
right hand corner, on the mail BILE counter in
the ofllc' Of the Girard House, Philadelphia,
and hurried away. "a foreign letter." ex-
claimed Mrs Ashbrooke, looking a. the
stamps and postmark. at seems to be from
Australia" She slowly tore the envelope
open and drew out the contents. She curl
ously unfolded long und broad sheet Of pa.
per such as she had never received before.
up In the lett hand corner she read in neat,
precise little letters, Bolton Il Bolton, solic-
itors, Melbourne, Australia. The paper be-
gan with formal MADAME" in crimpad
hand, and as it went on tho
writing grew worse and ended in u
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. Ash
brooke's intense curiosity. She remained at
it until she had mastered it all. Then, pale
and trembling, she called her husband and
said 81 have been made an heiress to
$50, 900. and so, too, has each of my two
sisters"
"lndeed!" exclaimed Mr. Ashbrooke
why are yon so pale !"
because l seem to have received it out of
the grave"
The story that the letter told was weird
romance. Thirty years OF more ago Mrs
Ashbrooke's father, Henry Deven, was the
American consul at Rio Janero, Brazil. He
had in his employ as confidential clerk or
agent, George w. Anderson, who had been
born in Pennsylvania and driftcd
to South America Mr.. Deven had
been living in Brazil for many years
and had acquired large estate. Two
daughters were born to him there. Before
the one who afterwards became Mrs. Ash
brooke was born his wife sailed for home
and his latest child first saw the light on
shipboard. Mrs. Deven had not been at
home month when she received adviccs
that her husband was dead. lie had been
sick for few days only. When his affairs
were settled up large amount of money
was found to be missing. The estate was
sold out and the matter forgotten
Mrs. Ashbrookc heard of it in childhood,
but it left her mind years ago. She heard
no more of It again until the letter from Aus.
trala came. The letter recalled it oil aud
cleared up the mystery. The lawyers wrote
mat they had been the Solicitors of George
w. Anderson, who had died in March If
this year In hospital at Melbourne. lie
had confessed when dying that he had en-
6ezzled SAP, 600 intrusted to Inn by Consul
Devcu. After Mr. Devcn's death his faith
less agent wondered restlessly over the earth
He wound up in Australia.
Age and privation and the wear of wander
ing, however, broke down his health. lie
grew so weak aud i'll that he was forced
against his own desire to enter hospital.
His nurse here was Sister of Charity. She
seemed to him. the solicitors wrote, to I've the
only friend that he had ever known. She
awakened in him thoughts of religion. At
his own desire a clergyman WAS called to his
bedside after time aud he was haptized
into the communion of the Roman Catholic
church. In telling Of his faults the cmNcz-
element of thirty years ago found place.
The priest told him that no forgiveness could
he had for such a sin until he made ies'itu-
ton so far MS lay 10 his power. The pcpi,eni,
full OF zeal, said that he would do
everything required lie had deed Of
trust drawn up dividing s750 600 am )ng
the children of the man whom he had
wrorged. Two men during his life had
learned Of the enlightenment, but never spok-
en-. He required, as n condition precedent
to the payment OF the money under the trus.
that the fact Of the restitution he published,
so that he might stand confessed before the
world and his memory be cleared before
these men. A few days after everything had
been arranged he died, ard his solicitors in
carrying out his wishes wrote to Mrs. Ash
brooke.
Indeed" said Mrs. Ashbrooke at the Cir
ard House, 81 was surprised when | received
that strange letter. My mother, know had
correspondent with Mr.. Anderson after he left
Brazil though she Fever suspected that he had
wronged us. He had kept track of us in
that way, no doubt, though the correspond
encc dropped long ago. 1t will be necessary
before can come into the trust to prove my
identity, as was born after my mother had
left Brazil. | never saw him and he never
hardly heard Of me.
There were only three children altogether,
my two sisters and myself, and Mr.. Andcr-
son had known the others personally. But
he wished to do justice among US all. OF
course | shall take The necessary legal steps
at once to show who am. The solicitors
require that everything be
done in regular order. l have not seen
the deed and do not know eY-
actly where the property is. The chief points
Of the instrument, however, have been made
clear TO me, and do not apprehend any
difficulty. Mr.. Audc,sou's will, learn, ha-
been placed on file in Melbourne. | should
not speak Of the matter at all, except that it
seems to have been his wish. But be kind
10 his memory. Do not say more than is
necessary. Poor man, how thorough must
his conversion have been; how strong his
Iaith to lend him the courage to do these
noble things"
"What becomes Of his fortune beyond
hat which he has left to you and your sis
ers!"
Beyond that? There was no more. lie
ave up everything for JUSTICES sake"