Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-09-23
Copyright by Paget News Service.)
CHAPTER I.
The sealmC Clause

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It was q very nrm refusal that the
there was not q little adlnixture Of
pity In the severity Of the gaze which
he fixed upon tho tall, muscular young
figure seated before him. It wa so
charged with splendid, unused ener-
gies that ITS m%eticulously fashionable
clothing scarcely succeeded in dis
guising: the bowed blonde hoad vas
80 charmtngly perfect in its groom
ing. Mr., Monroe shook his grey
one sadly inc sighed.
II am sorry, ADAM" he said. ;-
Adam raised his handsome face to
his. guardian. He was extremely good
looking, was Adam. with a clear COM
plexion which no amount Of careless
dissipation had affected, and a pair
OF grey eyes that looked at one square
and straight. His smile was ready,
and 'displayed very white and even
teeth, and he had q grace Of manner
having come from contact with the
extensively gay world.
"of course If you. won't lend me
the money, .you-well. you certainly
have the right to Refused" he said
slowly. But I thought I'd shown you
that I am absolutely fiat"
Il understand that perfectly" said
Mr.. Monroe dryly, twirling the ribbon
Of his eyeglasses. you are at the
you come to me, your guardian and
trustee. And I tell you that you have
no more money, n that, in view Of
the perfectly reckless extravaganza
and idleness of your life since you
anything"
But look here, Monroe" protested
Adam. cts only for six months, you
know. I shall be twenty-five then,
you can take 1t out of that!"
Hump" said Mr.. Monroe. Hold
hard q minute, Adam Van Week. Now
listen! I don't deny you will be
twenty-five in six months. I held you
on my knee when you were only a
day old. my boy, and I ought to know
your birthday. But al for getting the
rest of your money-well. that's an
other question:"
Another question? Why, what do
you mean?" said Adam. "Surely the
property is safe-nothing has hap
pened to it!"
ooh, the property is safe enough!"
replied the lawyer. II am referring to
a clause in your fathers will. 1 have
1t here" He adjusted his glasses,
brushed aside the dangling ribbon and
gathered up a little bundle Of papers
from his desk, in the m~addeningly
me see-Ah, yes! Here it is. I will
read it to you. Regarding the sealed
clause of my WILL. which shall be read
to my only son on his t~wenty-ffth
birthday, I do hereby direct that the
executor, and guardian, H. Jarvis
Monroe, shall have. discretionary
power to explain said clause to my son
six months previous to the date for
opening said clause, if he, the ex-
ing to my son, for any reason whatso-
ever HIM yes, that's it," +.
But what does it mean?" asked
Adam.
That's just what 1 now feel it wise
as a warning to explain to you. By
some idosyncrasy Of your fathers I
have been unable to do so before. al
though, when I watched the utter
recklessness with which you spent the
money he earned with so much pains,
I have often been sorely tempted to
speak. I am afraid it is nov too late,
but speak I will. Adam. your father,
as you know. was deeply distressed at
your apparent careless and selfish
absorption in your wi pleasure, from
the time you were at Yale. He felt
that to trust you all at once with his
enormous fortune would be a grave
mistake. 1t was the symbol OF his
life's effort and accomplishment, and
he by mo relished the idea Of
its simply being dissipated. And SO
you were to have half the property on
coming Of age. and the other half
upon reaching the age Of twenty-five
provided that before you had reached
your twenty-nfth birthday you had
done something to improve the prop
erty. And that is the substance Of the
sealed clause in. the will. You were
not to be told Of this condition at.
wished you to improve it Of your own
initiative. And this belated warning
is the only n which I have been per-
mitted to give you. It may be a pc
culiar will; Of its justice I will say
nothing. Your father was my oldest
friend and I always respected his
Judgment. But there you are. I am
glad to be able. at last, to tell you the
facts"
Adam, who had listened with grow
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