Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1905-11-17

but | think Mr.. Jones, the executor,
explains any mystery that may be sug-
gested by its terms. While Sedgwick's
whereabouts were unknown to his old
friends in New York, 1t seems that he
was fully posted on all that was going
on here. He knew that you were the
only child of your mother and therefore
his only nephew. He sets forth the
dates of your mothers marriage, of
your birth, of the death of Robert
Brewster and of Mrs Brewster. He
also was aware Of the fact that old
Edwin Peter Brewster intended to be-
queath large fortune to you, and
thereby hangs a tale. Sedgwick was
proud. When he lived In New York he
was regarded as the kind of man who
never forgave the person who touched
roughly upon his pride. You know, Of
course, that your father married Miss
Sedgwick In the face of the most Bit
ter opposition on the part of Edwin
Brewster. The latter refused to recog-
nize her as his daughter, practically
dlsowned his son and heaped the harsh
est kind of caumny upon the Sedg-
wicks. 1t was commonly believed about
town that Jim Sedgwlck left the coun-
try three or four years after this mar
rage for the sole reason that he and
Edwin Brewster could not live in the
same place. So deep was his hatred
of the old man that he fed to escape
killing him. 1t was known that upon
one occasion he visited the office of his
EiofnI'G In
Ing him, but something prevented. He
carried that hatred to the grave, az
you will see"
Montgomery Brewster was trying to
gather himself together from within
the fog which made himself and the
world unreal
II believe I'd like to have you read
this eXtraor-the will, Mr. Grant" he
said. with an effort 10 hold his nerves
T. leash.
Mr.. Grant cleared his throat and be-
gan in his still voice. Once he looked
up to find his listener eager, and again
to find him grown Indifferent. lie Won
dered dimly if this were u pose.
In brief. the last will of James T.
Sedgwlck bequeathed everything. real
and personal, of which he died pos
sessed to his only nephew, Montgomery
Brewster of New York, son of Robert
aud Louise SedGwick Brewster. Sup
plelnenting this all important clause
there was set of conditions govern
ing the final disposition of the estate.
The most extraordinary of these con-
ditions was the one which required
the heir to be absolutely penniless upon
The twcnty-siXth anniversary of his
birth. Sept. %.
The instrument went into detail in
respect TO this supreme condition. 1t
set forth that Mont gomery Brewster
was to have no other worldly posses
sion than the clothes which covered
him on the September Cay named. He
was to begin that day without a penny
to his name. without a single article
Of ieweiry. furniture or finance that
he could call his own or could there
after reclaim. At o O'Clock, New York
time, on the morning of Sept % the
executor, under the provisions of the
will. was to make over and transfer
TO Montgomery Brewster all of the
moneys. lands, bonds and interests
mentioned in the inventory which ac-
companied the will. In the event that
Montgomery Brewster had not in every
particular complied with the require
mentS of the will to the full satisfac-
ton of the said executor, Swearengen
Jones, the estate was to be distributed
among certain institutions of charity
designated in the instrument Under
lying this imperative injunction of
James Sedgwick was plainly discerni-
BILE the motive that prompted it. In
almost 90 many words he declared that
his heir should not receive the fortune
If lie possessed single penny that had
come to him in any shape or form
from the man he hated, Edwin Peter
Brewster. While Sedgvick could not
have known at the time of his death
that the banker had bequeathed ST.
900 900 to his grandson, it was more
than apparent that he expected the
young man TO be enriched literally by
his enemy. 1t was to preclude any
possible chance of the mingling of his
fortune with the smallest portion OF
Edwin +. Brewster's that James Sedg
wick on his deathbed put his hand to
this astonishing instrument.
There was also a clause In which he
undertook TO dictate the conduct Of
Montgomery Brewster during the year
leading up to his twenty-sixth anniver-
sary He required that the young man
should give satisfactory evidence TO
the executor that he was capable of
managing his affairs shrcwdly and
wisely; that he possessed the ability
to add TO the fortune through his Own
enterprise: that he sholld come to his
twenty-siYth anniversary with Il fair
name and record free from anything
worse than mild forms Of dissipation,
that his habits be temperate; that he
possess nothing at the end of the year
which might be regarded as a visible