CHAPTER IV
A SECOND
"You are both fortunate and unfortunate, Mr. Brewster," said Mr. Grant,after the young man had dropped into a chair in the office of Grant &Ripley the next day. Montgomery wore a slightly bored expression, andit was evident that he took little interest in the will of James T.Sedgwick. From far back in the recesses of memory he now recalled thislong-lost brother of his mother. As a very small child he had seen hisUncle James upon the few occasions which brought him to the home of Mr.and Mrs. Robert Brewster. But the young man had dined at the Drews thenight before and Barbara had had more charm for him than usual. It wasof her that he was thinking when he walked into the office ofSwearengen Jones's lawyers.
"The truth is, Mr. Grant, I'd completely forgotten the existence of anuncle," he responded.
"It is not surprising," said Mr. Grant, genially. "Every one who knewhim in New York nineteen or twenty years ago believed him to be dead.He left the city when you were a very small lad, going to Australia, Ithink. He was off to seek his fortune, and he needed it pretty badlywhen he started out. This letter from Mr. Jones comes like a messagefrom the dead. Were it not that we have known Mr. Jones for a longtime, handling affairs of considerable importance for him, I shouldfeel inclined to doubt the whole story. It seems that your uncle turnedup in Montana about fifteen years ago and there formed a stanchfriendship with old Swearengen Jones, one of the richest men in the farWest. Sedgwick's will was signed on the day of his death, September24th, and it was quite natural that Mr. Jones should be named as hisexecutor. That is how we became interested in the matter, Mr. Brewster."
"I see," said Montgomery, somewhat puzzled. "But why do you say that Iam both fortunate and unfortunate?"
"The situation is so remarkable that you'll consider that a mild way ofputting it when you've heard everything. I think you were told, in ournote of yesterday, that you are the sole heir. Well, it may surpriseyou to learn that James Sedgwick died possessed of an estate valued atalmost seven million dollars."
Montgomery Brewster sat like one petrified, staring blankly at the oldlawyer, who could say startling things in a level voice.
"He owned gold mines and ranches in the Northwest and there is noquestion as to their value. Mr. Jones, in his letter to us, brieflyoutlines the history of James Sedgwick from the time he landed inMontana. He reached there in 1885 from Australia, and he was worththirty or forty thousand dollars at the time. Within five years he wasthe owner of a huge ranch, and scarcely had another five years passedbefore he was part owner of three rich gold mines. Possessionsaccumulated rapidly; everything he touched turned to gold. He wasshrewd, careful, and thrifty, and his money was handled with all theskill of a Wall Street financier. At the time of his death, inPortland, he did not owe a dollar in the world. His property isabsolutely unencumbered--safe and sound as a government bond. It'srather overwhelming, isn't it?" the lawyer concluded, taking note ofBrewster's expression.
"And he--he left everything to me?"
"With a proviso."
"Ah!"
"I have a copy of the will. Mr. Ripley and I are the only persons inNew York who at present know its contents. You, I am sure, afterhearing it, will not divulge them without the most carefuldeliberation."
Mr. Grant drew the document from a pigeon-hole in his desk, adjustedhis glasses and prepared to read. Then, as though struck by a suddenthought, he laid the paper down and turned once more to Brewster.
"It seems that Sedgwick never married. Your mother was his sister andhis only known relative of close connection. He was a man of mostpeculiar temperament, but in full possession of all mental faculties.You may find this will to be a strange document, but I think Mr. Jones,the executor, explains any mystery that may be suggested by its terms.While Sedgwick's whereabouts were unknown to his old friends in NewYork, it seems that he was fully posted on all that was going on here.He knew that you were the only child of your mother and therefore hisonly nephew. He sets forth the dates of your mother's marriage, of yourbirth, of the death of Robert Brewster and of Mrs. Brewster. He alsowas aware of the fact that old Edwin Peter Brewster intended tobequeath a large fortune to you--and thereby hangs a tale. Sedgwick wasproud. When he lived in New York, he was regarded as the kind of manwho never forgave the person who touched roughly upon his pride. Youknow, of course, that your father married Miss Sedgwick in the face ofthe most bitter opposition on the part of Edwin Brewster. The latterrefused to recognize her as his daughter, practically disowned his son,and heaped the harshest kind of calumny upon the Sedgwicks. It wascommonly believed about town that Jim Sedgwick left the country threeor four years after this marriage for the sole reason that he and EdwinBrewster could not live in the same place. So deep was his hatred ofthe old man that he fled to escape killing him. It was known that uponone occasion he visited the office of his sister's enemy for thepurpose of slaying him, but something prevented. He carried that hatredto the grave, as you will see."
Montgomery Brewster was trying to gather himself together from withinthe fog which made himself and the world unreal.
"I believe I'd like to have you read this extraor--the will, Mr.Grant," he said, with an effort to hold his nerves in leash.
Mr. Grant cleared his throat and began in his still voice. Once helooked up to find his listener eager, and again to find him grownindifferent. He wondered dimly if this were a pose.
In brief, the last will of James T. Sedgwick bequeathed everything,real and personal, of which he died possessed, to his only nephew,Montgomery Brewster of New York, son of Robert and Louise SedgwickBrewster. Supplementing this all-important clause there was a set ofconditions governing the final disposition of the estate. The mostextraordinary of these conditions was the one which required the heirto be absolutely penniless upon the twenty-sixth anniversary of hisbirth, September 23d.
The instrument went into detail in respect to this supreme condition.It set forth that Montgomery Brewster was to have no other worldlypossession than the clothes which covered him on the September daynamed. He was to begin that day without a penny to his name, without asingle article of jewelry, furniture or finance that he could call hisown or could thereafter reclaim. At nine o'clock, New York time, on themorning of September 23d, the executor, under the provisions of thewill, was to make over and transfer to Montgomery Brewster all of themoneys, lands, bonds, and interests mentioned in the inventory whichaccompanied the will. In the event that Montgomery Brewster had not, inevery particular, complied with the requirements of the will, to thefull satisfaction of the said executor, Swearengen Jones, the estatewas to be distributed among certain institutions of charity designatedin the instrument. Underlying this imperative injunction of JamesSedgwick was plainly discernible the motive that prompted it. In almostso many words he declared that his heir should not receive the fortuneif he possessed a single penny that had come to him, in any shape orform, from the man he hated, Edwin Peter Brewster. While Sedgwick couldnot have known at the time of his death that the banker had bequeathedone million dollars to his grandson, it was more than apparent that heexpected the young man to be enriched liberally by his enemy. It was topreclude any possible chance of the mingling of his fortune with thesmallest portion of Edwin P. Brewster's that James Sedgwick, on hisdeathbed, put his hand to this astonishing instrument.
There was also a clause in which he undertook to dictate the conduct ofMontgomery Brewster during the year leading up to his twenty-sixthanniversary. He required that the young man should give satisfactoryevidence to the executor that he was capable of managing his affairsshrewdly and wisely,--that he possessed the ability to add to thefortune through his own enterprise; that he should come to histwenty-sixth anniversary with a fair name and a record free fromanything worse than mild forms of dissipation; that his habits betemperate; that he possess nothing at the end of the year which mightbe regarded as a "visible or invisible asset"; that he make noendowments; that he give sparingly to charity; that he neither loan norgive away money, for fear t
hat it might be restored to him later; thathe live on the principle which inspires a man to "get his money'sworth," be the expenditure great or small. As these conditions wereprescribed for but a single year in the life of the heir, it wasevident that Mr. Sedgwick did not intend to impose any restrictionsafter the property had gone into his hands.
"How do you like it?" asked Mr. Grant, as he passed the will toBrewster.
The latter took the paper and glanced over it with the air of one whohad heard but had not fully grasped its meaning.
"It must be a joke, Mr. Grant," he said, still groping with difficultythrough the fog.
"No, Mr. Brewster, it is absolutely genuine. Here is a telegram fromthe Probate Court in Sedgwick's home county, received in response to aquery from us. It says that the will is to be filed for probate andthat Mr. Sedgwick was many times a millionaire. This statement, whichhe calls an inventory, enumerates his holdings and their value, and thefooting shows $6,345,000 in round numbers. The investments, you see,are gilt-edged. There is not a bad penny in all those millions."
"Well, it is rather staggering, isn't it?" said Montgomery, passing hishand over his forehead. He was beginning to comprehend.
"In more ways than one. What are you going to do about it?"
"Do about it?" in surprise. "Why, it's mine, isn't it?"
"It is not yours until next September," the lawyer quietly said.
"Well, I fancy I can wait," said Brewster with a smile that cleared theair.
"But, my dear fellow, you are already the possessor of a million. Doyou forget that you are expected to be penniless a year from now?"
"Wouldn't you exchange a million for seven millions, Mr. Grant?"
"But let me inquire how you purpose doing it?" asked Mr. Grant, mildly.
"Why, by the simple process of destruction. Don't you suppose I can getrid of a million in a year? Great Scott, who wouldn't do it! All I haveto do is to cut a few purse strings and there is but one naturalconclusion. I don't mind being a pauper for a few hours on the 23d ofnext September."
"That is your plan, then?"
"Of course. First I shall substantiate all that this will sets forth.When I am assured that there can be no possibility of mistake in theextent of this fortune and my undisputed claim, I'll take steps to getrid of my grandfather's million in short order." Brewster's voice rangtrue now. The zest of life was coming back.
Mr. Grant leaned forward slowly and his intent, penetrating gaze servedas a check to the young fellow's enthusiasm.
"I admire and approve the sagacity which urges you to exchange a paltrymillion for a fortune, but it seems to me that you are forgetting theconditions," he said, slowly. "Has it occurred to you that it will beno easy task to spend a million dollars without in some way violatingthe restrictions in your uncle's will, thereby losing both fortunes?"