The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-04-11
CHAPTER Y.


"A NEW point Of view gradually
II came to Brewster. All his
! life had been spent in Won
A 4 dering how to get enough
money to pay his bills, and it had not
occurred to him that it might be as
difficult to spend as to acquire wealth.
Tie thought staggered him for mo-
ment. Then he cried triumphantly, Il
can decline to accept grandfather's mil
lion"
.You cannot decline to accept what is
already yours. 1 understand that the
money has been paid to you by Mr..
Buskirk. You have million dollars,
Mr.. Bewster, and it cannot be denied"
"You are right" agreed Montgomery
dejectedly. Really, Mr.. Grant, this
proposition is too much for me. If you
aren't required to give an immediate
answer I want to think it over. It
sounds like a dream
cit is no dream, Mr.. Brewster s1nil-
ed the lawyer. "You are face to face
with an amazing reality. Come in to-
morrow morning and see me again.
Think it over; study it out. Remem-
Der the conditions Of the will and the
conditions that confront you. In the
meantime I shall write to Mr.. Jones,
the executor, and learn from him just
what he expects you to do in order to
carry out his own conception of the
terms Of your uncles will"
Don't write, Mr. Grant; telegraph.
And ask him to wire his reply. a year
is not very long in an affair Of this
kind" A moment later he added:
Hang these family feuds! Why
couldn't Uncle James have relented a
bit? He brings endless trouble on my
innocent head just because Of a row
before I was born"
lie was a strange man. AS rule,
one does not carry grudges quite so
far. But that is neither here nor there.
His will is law in this case"
Suppose succeed in spending all
but thousand dollars before the 23d
Of next September! I'd lose the-seven
millions and be the next thing to a
pauper. That wouldn't lie quite like
getting my moneys worth
1T is a problem, my boy. Think it
over very seriously before you come
to decision one way Or the other. In
the meantime we can establish beyond
a doubt the accuracy OF this inven-
tory"
by all means go ahead, and please
urge Mr.. Jones not to be 100 hard on
me. I believe TT risk it if the restlic-
tions are not too severe. But if Jones
has puritanical instincts l might as
we'll give up hope and be satisfied with
what have
MIR. Jones is very far from what
you'd call puritanical, but he is in
tensely practical and clear headed. He
will undoubtedly require you to keep
an expense account and to show some
sort of receipt for every dollar you
disburse"
Good Lord! Itemize?"
In a general way, presume"
III have to employ an army Of
spendthrifts to devise ways and means
for profigacy"
You forget the item which restrains
you from taking anybody into your
confidence concerning this matter.
Think it over. 1t may not be so diff
c,,l+ after 2 nights SleeD"
'.If it isn't too difficult to get the
nights sleep"
All the rest of the day Brewster
wandered about as one in a dream.
He was preoccupied and puzzled. and
more than Ole of his old associates, re-
ceiving distant nod in passing, re-
sentfully concluded that his wealth
was beginning to change him. His
brain was so iull of statistics. figures
and computations that it whirled diz-
zily. and once he narrowly escaped be-
ing run down by q street car. He dined
alone at small French restaurant in
one Of the side streets. The waiter
marveled at the amount Of black coffee
the young man consumed and looked
hurt when he did not touch the quail
and lettuce
That night the little table In his room
at Mrs. Gray's was Uttered with scraps
Of pad paper. each covered with au
incomprehensible maze Of figures. Aft
er dinner he had gone to his own
rooms, forgetting that he lived on Fifth
avenue. Until long after midnight he
smoked and calculated and dreamed.
For the first time the immensity Of
that million thrust itself upon him. If
o. chat vere aav. @e ae vs.