Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-01-22
CHAPTER V.

A new point Of view gradually came
to Brewster All his life had been
spent in wondering how to get enough
| money to pay his bills. and 1t had not
occurred to him that 1t might be as
difficult to spend as to acquire wealth.
The thought staggered him for a mo-
ment Then he cried triumphantly, Il
can decline to accept grandfathers mil
lion"
You cannot decline to accept what
is already yours. l understand that
the money has been paid to you by
Mr.. Buskirk. You have a million dol
lars, Mr. Brewster, and it cannot be
denied"
You are right" agreed Montgomery
deiectedly. Really, Mr.. Grant, this
proposition is too much for me. If you
aren't required to give an immediate
answer l want to think 1t over. 1t
sounds like a dream"
1T is no dream, Mr.. Brewster" smil-
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-
ber 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 uncle's 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
bit? He brings endless trouble on my
innocent head just because Of a row
before l was born"
He was a strange man. AS a rule,
one does not carry grudges quite so
far But that is neither here nor there.
His will is law in this case"
Suppose l succeed in spending all
but a thousand dollars before the 23d
Of next September! I'd lose the seven
millions and be the next thing to
pauper. That wouldn't be 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
doubt the accuracy of this inven-
tory"
by all means go ahead, and please
urge Nh. Jones not to be too hard on
me- | believe I'll risk it If the restric-
tions are not too severe. But If Jones
has puritanical instincts 1 might as
well give up hope and be satisfied with
what 1 have"
"Mr 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, l presume"
"Tll have to employ an army Of
spendthrifts to devise ways and means
for profiigacy."
You forgot the item which restrains
you from taking anybody into your
confidence concerning this matter.
Think it over. 1t may not be so diff
cult after a nights sleep"
IF it isn't too difficult to get the
nights sleep"
All the rest of the day Brewster
wandered about as one in dream.
He was preoccupied and puzzled, and
more than one of his old associates. re-
ceiving a distant nod in passing, re-
sentfully concluded that his wealth
was beginning to change him. His
brain was so full of statistics, figures
and computations that 1t whirled diz-
Zily, and once he narrowly escaped be-
ing run down by a street car. He dined
alone at a 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
an incomprehensible maze of figures.
After 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 immensely OF
that million thrust itself upon him. If
on that very day, Oct. l, he were
to begin the task Of spending it he
would have but 357 days in which to
accomplish the end. Taking the round
an easy matter to calculate his aver
age daily disbursement. The situation
did not look so utterly impossible until
he held up the little sheet Of paper and
ruefuly contemplated the result of
that simple problem in mathematics.
1t means an average daily eXpendi-
ture Of $2,SO1.l2 for nearly year. and
even then there would be l6 cents left
over. for in providing the result of his
Il
rough sum in division he could ac-
count for but $999,999.S4. Then it oc-
CURED to him that his money would
be drawing interest at the bank.
But for each days $2,S0l.12 l am
getting seven times as much" he So
lilOquized as he finally got into bed
That means $19,607.S4 a day, a clear
profit of $16,SO6.72. That's pretty good
yes, too good. l wonder if the bank
couldn't Oblige me by not charging in
terest?"
The figures kept adding and sub
tracing themselves as he dozed of,
and once during the night he dreamed
that Swearengen Jones had sentenced
him to eat million dollars worth OF
game and salad at the French restau-
rant. He awOke with the conscious
ness that he had cried aloud. Il can
do it, but a year is not very long in
an affair of this kind"
1t was 9 o'clock when Brewster final