Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1905-11-20

anybody else could possess his money
and that once dead it would be folly
for him to worry over the way IN
which benehciaries might choose to
manage their own affairs.
The house In Fifth avenue went to a
sister, together with a million or two,
and the residue OF the estate found
kindly disposed relatives who were
willing to keep it from going to the
Home For Friendless Fortunes. Old
Mr.. Brewster left his affairs in order.
The will nominated Jerome Buskirk as
executor. ard he was instructed, in con-
clusion. to turn over to Montgomery
Brewster the day after the will was
probated securities to the amount OF
$1,000,OU0. provided for in clause
of the instrument. And SO it was that
on the Goth of September young Mr..
Brewster had an unconditional fortune
thrust upon him, weighted only with
the suggestion Of crape stllslt clung tot.
Since his grandfather's death he had
been staying ut the gloomy old Brew
ster house in Fifth avenue, paying but
two or three hurried visits to the rooms
at Mrs. Gray's where he had made his
home The gloom of death still darken-
ed the Fifth avenue place, and there
was a stiffness, a gentle stealthiness,
about the house that made him long
for more cheerful companionship. lie
wondered dimly if a fortune always
carried the suggestion of tuberoSeS.
The richness and strangeness of it all
hung about him unpleasantly. He had
had no extravagant affection for the
grim old dictator who was dead, yet
his grandfather was a man and had
commanded his respect. 1t seemed
brutal to leave him out of the reckoning
% Cc2ee % - grave of the mentor
| who lad treated him so we'll. The at
! titude of the friends who clapped him
on the back, of the newspapers which
congratulated him, of the crowd that
expected him to rejoice, repealed him.
! It seemed a tragic comedy, haunted,
too, by memories and by sharp regret
for his own foolish thoughtlessness.
| Even the fortune itself weighed upon
him at moments with a half defined
melancholy.
Yet the situation was not without
its compensations. For several days
when Ellis called him at he would
answer him and thank fortune that
he was not required at the bank that
4 morning. The luxury Of another hour
of sleep seemed the greatest perquisite
of wealth. His morning mail amused
him at first, for since the newspapers
had published his prosperity to the
world he was deluged with letters. Re
quests for public or private charity
were abundant, but most Of his cor
respondents We're generous and though
only of his own good.
For three days he was in a hopeless
state of bewilderment He was visit
ed by reporters, photographers and in
genious strangers, who benevolently
offered to invest his money in enter
prises with certified futures. When he
was not engaged in declining a golC
mine in Colorado, worth $5,000O 600
marked down to $50; he was avoiding
a guileless inventor who offered to sac
rifice the secrets of a marvellous de
vice for $500 or denying the report that
Of the First National bank.
Oliver Harrison stirred him out early
one morning and, while the sleepy mil
Iionaire was rubbing his eyes and still
lodging the b0mbshell that a dream
anarchist had hurled from the pima
Gle of a bedpost, urged him in excited
confidential tones to take time by tn
: forelock and prepare for p0ssibl
breach of promise suits. Brewster 50
on the edge Of the bed and listened t
diabolical stories Of how constituencies
females had faeced innocent and eve
cody men Of wealth From the bait
room between splashes he rctaine
! Harrison by the year, month. day an
: hour to stand between him and blacl
mail.
: The directors Of the bank met an
: adopted resolutions lamenting I'll
? death Of their late president, passed Il
e leadership on to the first vice presidel
> and speedily adjourned. The questio
of admitting Monty to the director
, was brought up and discussed, but
was left for time to settle.
/ One Of the directors was Colon
Prentiss Drew, ''the railroad ma
Il nate" of the newspapers. He ha
u shown a fondness for young MI. Bre7
ster, and Monty had been a frequel
visitor at his house. Colonel Dire
Il called him my dear boy" and Mon
e called him "a bully old chap" thous
u not in his presence. But the eXisten
of Miss Barbara Drew may have hf
D, something to do with the feeling b
le tween the two men.
IL AS he left the directors room on t
afternoon of the meeting Colonel Dire
came up to Monty, who had notifi'
the officers of the bank that he w
leaving.
R "Ah, my dear boy" said the colon
:" shaking the young mans hand warml
ut NOW you have a chance, to show VIII
at YOU can do. You have a fortune, an
IL with judgment, you ought to be ali
IS to triple it. If can help you in a.
It. way. come and see me-"