Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-03-18
CHAPTER I
when a Man Finds Himself

Il 4.rr fne. fair evening in September
tan sinewy young man of re-
~. hut somewhat melancholy fea.
~. was leaning upon the stone para
8, mrrounding the roof of the Bel
#s.,.apIitz HOTEL the pedestal Of prom.
-. from which a spectator awake
4. ,ook after sundown with thrill
+ !, real enjoyment along the distant
HS,..rv sash of the Delaware River,
ann League Island to Cramps ship.
..rs and beyond, and If mischievously
...,,nsd. can drop a ladies' pocket
!. E.uaterchief or cigar ashes into Broad
#..,.t far below, our wide main corri-
b 81 Of activity.
our majestic Broad street, carpeted
An generous runner of white as
b ZA.,t for yehicular traffic, and bordered
s.sa the curbing with a falSy stone
s.rring for humans and small-sized
s.msstIc pets; Broad street that SUR
se.a 10 tie north and south the be-
Eslrnant pose of the giant bronze Will
s,aun Penn atop City Hall.
4 acheer I'D, Monte; 1t might have been
Hxorse, you KNOW" remarked a kindly
z,oIce. that spoke from the flesh with
nv accompanying heavy handfall be-
tween the shoulders.
\ sun the crack polo player, namesake
#.uA nephew as we'll as heir of the late
5ohn Montgomery, did not move. He
#ws provoked and puny In his
l*houKhts. Monte Crispen was yet to
rrow into possession of a philosophy
IA, surmounts the pangs of checked
&4s4re. finds the glow of interest on
.aeh moments horizon, and knows that
somance and adventure surely await
around every corner. He had been
spoled by a doting uncle.
+ Monte was a nickname, short for
E1chn Montgomery. Once there was a
roommate back in the days of his unfin-
I.hsd career at Harvard who had called
Monte by his given name, John. But
E'hIs roommate had long since sub
merged into the squirrel-cage existence
81 small town in New England, and
m the reJt OF the universe called young
zcrispen, Monochrome Crispen, peril
Busly near Monte Cristo. Interrupted
rom his rooftop reverie, Monte turned
snd grinned weakly at his disturber,
rJob's comforter. eh?" he snorted;
'sume to bury Caesar?"
Not exactly bury: 1t all depends
upon yourself"
E If Uncles will now had only read
Marry this nice GIRL and supplied the
=nce girl Just as they always do in the
bsstsellers."
Tnstead--" began Craig Andrews,
bis unce's lawyer, also executor OF the |
hst will and testament of the dead cap |
ain OF American industry.
& Instead" interrupted Monte, Uncle |
must tie up his whole fortune on the |
Dol idea of keeping me home"
& Andrews laughed. Then his face be- |
rame grave. a weighty earnestness ac-
zsnred from the perusal Of countless
'llW books and the writing of many
|priets, He demonstrated:
Your uncle was an eccentric bach
|sor and the last man in the world to
|inateh-make for another. I found John
Montgomery a bit whimsical in his
'deas yet always sure in his judgments,
anyhow, Monte, his death kept you
prt Of that mad foreign legion of the
french army you were so intent on
9clning In Paris last month"
Just paragraph or so to explain
|ahs mantle of despair that had dropped
|apon the well-groomed Monte Crlspen.
Perhaps you read about 1t all at the
nne in the newspapers; the sudden
azath OF old Montgomery from apo
zlszy at his magic desk of power in
1s Montgomery National Bank build
as his eccentric will, and the sum-
zoning home by cable of his idolized
zsphew from Paris to learn of its most
saange provisions, Monte's parents
ere dead.
said the will, after making Monte sole
kzaiee to an estate OF S10O,OOO,O00,
provided said John Montgomery Girls
psn resides In the city of Philadelphia
= one continuous year, going forth
u % miles In any direction, save for
= occupancy during the summer
Asnihs Of my seaside cottage at At
hatie City"
IN The event said John Montgomery
.nspen violates this condition OF resi-
zsaee. either In spirit or deed" also
"a the viii, my entire estate shall
'-zrFt into a trust fund FOR the estab-
. sa'aenf Of University for the Eduea-
= OIL llliterate Immigrants"
Think 1t out carefully before you
zlae 70 decision" remarked Andrews.
aaz lot of money to whim away.
.sss an appointment downstairs: will
zloln you shortly"
as left the young man alone. deep
mediation.
mere Is not another point of view In
z'aaaslphia to compare with the hotel
- We teef ourselves on the quarter
= q gilded ocean liner anchored
great aerial harbor. for with us
sas Feof and under our feet are the
.'sA-sool vrappings of the goth CEN
rows Of tables in spotless linen.
szssisa women and escorts arriving
auartet Of elevators. floor sections
= slse and fan with the precision OF
waves, soft music issuing from
IMP Of palms. an eyefuI OF rain
g zesns ana white laundered fronts.