The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-04-12

i will with the sensible conviction that
it was necessary for him to die before
anybody else could possess his money
and that once dead it would be folly
for him to worry over the way in
which benefciaries might choose to
manage their own affairs.
The house in Fifth avenue went to
| sister, together with 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, and he was instructed, in con-
clusion, to turn over to Montgomery
Brewster the day after the will was
| probated securities to the amount of
$1,0OO,0O0, provided for in clause 4
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 Grape that chung to it.
Since his grandfather's death he had
been staying at 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 stiffness, gentle stealthiness.
about the house that made him long
for more cheerful companionship. He
wondered dimly if fortune ALWAYS
carried the suggestion of tuberoses.
The richness and strangeness Of if all
hung about him unpleasantly. He had
mad no eXtravagant affection for the
grim old dictator who was dead. vet
his grandfather was a man and had
commanded his respect. It seemed
brutal to leave him out Of the reckoning
to dance on the grave of the mentor
who had treated him so we'll. The at
t1tude 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expected him to rejoice, repealed him.
1t seemed trag ic comedy, haunted,
too, by memories and by sharp regret
for his own foolish thoughtlessness.
Even the fortune itself weighed upon
him at moments with q half defined
melancholy.
Yet the situation was not without
Its compensations. For several DAVIS
when Ellis called him at Z he world
answer him and thank fortune that
he was not required at the bank that
morning. The luxury of another hour
OF sleep seemed the greatest perquisite
or wealth. His morning mail amused
MIN 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 were generous and thought
only Of his own good. =
For three days he was in hopeless
state of bewilderment. He was visit
ed by reporters, photographers and in
genlous strangers, who benevolentlv
oHered to invest his money in enter
prlses with certified futures. When he
was not engaged in declining a gold
mine in Colorado, worth $4,000, 900.
marked down to $3.50, he was avoiding
a guileless inventor who offered to sac
rltce the secrets of a marvellous de-
vice for $500 or denying the report that
he had been rendered the presidency
of the First National bank.
Oliver Harrison stirred him out early
one morning and, while the sleepy mil
nonaire was rubbing his eyes and still
lodging the bombshell that a dream
anarchist had hurled from the pima
Gle of a bedpost, urged him in excited
confidential tones to take time by the
forelock and prepare for possible
breach of promise suits. Brewster sat
on the edge Of the bed and listened to
d1abolical stories of how constituencies
females had fleeced innocent and even
godly men of wealth. From the bath
room between splashes he retained
Harrison by the year, month, day and
hour to stand between him and black
mall
The directors of the bank met and
adopted resolutions lamenting the
death Of their late president, passed the
leadership on to the first vice president
and speedily adjourned. The question
of admitting Monty to the directory
was brought up and discussed, but it
was left for time to settle.
One of the directors was Colonel
Prentiss Drew, ''the railroad mag
nate'' of the newspapers. He had
shown fondness for young Mr.. Brew
ster, and Monty had been frequent
visitor at his house. Colonel Drew
called him my dear boy and Monty
called him "a bully old chap" though
not in his presence. But the existence
Of Miss Barbara Drew may have had
something to do with the feeling be-
tween the two men.
AS he left the directors room on the
afternoon of the meeting Colonel Drew
came up to Monty, who had notified
the officers Of the bank that he was
leaving.
"Ah, my dear boy" said the colonel.
shaking the young mans hand warmly,
"now you have chance to show what
you can do. You have fortune, and.
with judgment, you ought to be able