A Friendless Millionaire

Taranaki Daily News, 20 July 1933, Page 15

A Friendless Millionaire

(By

H. Lawrence Phillip,)

CHAPTER IL—(Continued.) Accordingly in a very short space of time I was passing through the outer office once more, and again I fancied that I was the object of much Interest, though not so evident this time on account of Mr Hedge’s company. “Now sit you down, while I get all the necessary documents.” He rang a bell, and a clerk appeared with a deed-box labelled “G. Haytor, Esq,.” This he opened, and extracted some papers which he spread before him; one envelope, I noticed, was labelled “G. Haytor, Esq., Will,” and from which he produced a legal-looking document. “I’ll read you the will first of all, then tell you about It," and he proceeded to do so. There was a preliminary paragraph couched in the usual legal phraseology and of which I made nothing, then my own name was pronounced. “I devise and bequeath to Rupert Norrlsh, son of my lifelong friend Jonathan Norrlsh, Doctor of Medicine, late of Market Sudford, now deceased, all my property, both real and .personnel, to be held in trust, with enjoyment of the Income of the same for his personal use until he shall arrive at the . age of thirty years, when it shall become his in absolute enjoyment, possession, and disposition of the same. Should he decease before the age of thirty years, I hereby appoint Mark Judwood, son of my late uncle Ralph Judwood, as my sole beneficiary and legatee in absolute possession,” then followed more legal jArgon, in which Harrow and Hedge’s names caught my ear. “What does it all mean ” I asked, amazed at what I heard. “It means that you have a life interest In Mr Haytor’s fortune until you are thirty, and after that you possess the capital sum absolutely, and we are your trustees.” “And how much may that be?" I inquired, after murmuring something about Mr Haytor’s kindness to me In making such a will. “About a million, I think," Hedge answered quietly. I am not given to strong language or irreverence, but the lawyer’s words overwhelmed me.

"Good Lord!” I cried, “what are you telling me? That lam possessed of a million of money!” "Not yet; you have to wait until you are thirty for that. You will have an income of something like fifty thousand a year until then.” “Good Lord I” I exclaimed again. “How can I spend it all?” Hedge laughed. “I don’t fancy that difficulty will trouble you long,” he answefed. “But I don’t understand. Why has Mr Haytor left me all this? and where did he get It all from ” “ I’ll give all the facts of the case as I know them, and perhaps I am as well able to do so as any one; Our firm has acted as his legal advisers for many years, and enjoyed in consequence more of his confidence than any one else, except pejrhaps your late father, to whom he was sincerely attached, and he felt his death very greatly. “ Their connection began at school) I think,” he went on. "Yes,” I broke in, “I have a dim recollection of hearing them exchange school memories together.” "Ah I I thought so; and the friendship that was begun there up to the time of your Tether’s deathT Your father chose the medical profession, I believe.” I nddded my head in acquiescence. "Mr Haytor became a barrister. Like your father, he had & strong liking for science, but, unlike your father, he found it profitable.” "In what way? ” I asked.

" In his profession . You might not imagine It, but our late friend was quite famous In certain circles. He was engaged In all litigation concerning patents, and had a large advisory practice. That brought him in a big income) which was largely augmented by dealings on the Stock Exchange. His practice gave him much Inside knowledge to guide him in his Investments, b]ut, In addition, he had also an almost uncanny shrewdness in forecasting the prices and movements of securities. One way and another he must have made a. couple of millions in this way. “ You say he leaves .about a .million," I objected; "he must have had big losses.”

“ Not at all. That brings me to another ■curious side to his’ character. He was never known to give a penny to a beggar, and any one who went to his chambers for a subscription went In vain, but you have seen In the papers how from time to time a hospital or some other philanthropic institution received a large donation — amounting on one occasion to as much as £50,000 anonymously. All these large sums came from Mr Haytor. 1 am not speaking from guesswork: I know, for my flrm had the business of arranging those transactions." “ I like him the better for it I" I exclaimed. “ I agree with you. Meanwhile he lived a lonely life in his chambers — he did not even belong to a club; his only-holidays were those he took with your father, and ’ after his death he took none at all." "What a queer life,” I commented.

“ Yes, but he was.a queer man. Take his treatment of yourself. You know, I suppose, that yobr father’s effects were not sufficient to cover his liabilities 7 ”

“ No, this Is news to me. I understood he left sufficient to educate me,” I said in surprised tones. “Itis a fact, however.. Mr Kaylor paid up all the debts and for your schooling, and then got you your place in the bank. I may say that I took the opportunity once, when I knew that your schooldays were coming to a close, to urge him to send you on to the University, as your headmaster desired. But he wouldn’t hear of it. ‘ No, no, let him learn the value of money, and when he has some he will take care of it.’ That lies behind the clause restricting you until you are thirty; he thought that you would be staid and sober then, having sown your wild oats,” said Mr Kedge, regarding me quizzically. “ Who is Mark Judwood? ” I asked. “There I am quite in the dark. I fancy his name was put in by Mr Haytor as the name if a contingent beneficiary was necessary, thinking it unlikely that he would have any chance of succession, else I imagine he would have inserted the name of a hospital. " Being there, if he gets to know of it, he will be anxious for my decease,” I laughed. "Let us hope that he is too scrupulous to seek to hasten it. After all, a million is a large bait even to an honest man.” I laughed again, only more nervously this time; the thought was not, a very pleasant one. I had no desire now io have my life cut short after receiving this news.

“ Now, Mr Norrish, Is there anything more you wish to know before we go'around to the bank and arrange about handing over moneys standing to Mr Haytor’s credit? I expect they will want probate exhibited first. But I can let you have the firm's cheque for a thousand to carry you on, and jfau can open xouc a.coouui, wJtU ttok

unless you have one already, or perhapalike to take your business to" th® firm In whose employ you are at the present." I shook my head. When I left thorn I would sever all connection and try to forget the years of unhappy drudgery. “What you suggest will be quite satisfactory,” I answered. And so we departed to transact the necessary business.

“And what of your future?” he asked as we came from the bank. “ I can’t say anything as yet, other than I want my lunch, and hope that you will join me, and we can have a further talk.”

He looked at his watch, and assented; so we went off to & restaurant through whose doors I had hardly dared to look in the old days, but now emboldened by the cash in my pooket, and the knowledge that the old days of penury were past, by the help of the waiter’s advice we had a meal which called forth my companion’s encomiums, so I suppose It was a good one: my previous training at the cheaper forms of tea shops hardly qualified me to judge. We lit our cigarettes and dawdled over the coffee, discussing plans for the future.

“ 1 suppose I must go back to the bank and finish out my time,” I saM, Mr Hedge laughed. “A bank clerk with fifty thousand a year is a bit of an anomaly, isn’t it? I should think that they would forgo your month's notice.” “ They’ve given It to m&," I said, reddening violently, wishing that I could get but of the habit of blushing, and told him all about It. When I finished, he got up from his place, saying that he must get back to the office. Ho shook hands very cordially, saying— “ You seem to be in luck’s way, for I gather from what you tell me your money has come just in time to save you from financial shipwreck, and I expect your experience will enable you to be careful of It now that it has come. If ever yflu want advice, i hope that, you will remember that I. wish to be not only your lawyer, but your friend.” Touched by his manner and offer, I expressed my gratitude,.and we parted. I spent some hours wandering the streets and ruminating on my changed fortunes, feeling strangely forlorn. Here was I in possession of this large Income without a friend in the world, excepting my newly-made one, Mr Hedge. I was a stranger to the world In which my fortune would enable me to take my place. What was I to do wtlh myself and my money? I was passing through Cookspur Street, and stopped to look idly at the advertisements Of a line of steamers, and found in them a suggestion. I would travel and learn something of the world and its ways. Then, as I went farther west, Bond Street recalled. an unsatisfied desire, unsatls- ' fled because of my poverty. I would have a thoroughly good rig-out from beginning to end. I looked with dls-

gust at my ready-made suit \and clumsy, re-soled, and much-worn boots, and entered a tailor’s shop well known and famous for its out, and emboldened by the consciousness of wealth, spent some time getting expert advice on the more modest styles of up-to-date garments. I asked for them to be ready to try on in a fortnight, and the assistant, looking at 'the largeness of my order and my general appearance, suggested a deposit, and to satisfy them I drew my first cheque on my new account. Well pleased with my first venture Into the realms of the wealthy (though I entered through a tailor’s door), I made my way back to the station and caught a train home. My rooms looked dingier than usual, and I marvelled at my previous despair at the thought of giving them up. I resolved to say nothing about my changed circumstances, and altered nothing of my usual style of living. When I left I desired to do so without exciting comment, yet there must have been some subtle change In my manner, for I found Maxwell studying me keenly once or twice. He also tried to pump me, but I was guarded in what I said. At the end of a fortnight I went to town again, and called at one of the big hotels to book rooms, securing a bedroom and sitting-room, telling them to take in any parcels which might be coming for me. I gave this address to the tailors, and the date upon which I wanted the things, and spent some time with hosiers and bootmakers and halters, giving like Instructions. For' the remaining time of my stay at the bank, I found the situation sufficiently pleasant. The sense of possession brought a feeling of independence, and Maxwell could not understand my manner at all. “I suppose because you are leaving you think you can be cheeky," he grumbled one day at some answer of mine when he had been more than usually exasperating, “but let me tell you that unless you mind your p’s and q’s you won’t get any help from me in trying- a fresh job.” I was strongly tempted to tell him all and watch the effect my news produced, but I refrained from giving myself away, smiling to think of the change that would be wrought In his manner if he knew the truth.

I went down -the other day to view the place where I had drudged, whence I was cast out, and peeping In through the door saw him talking pompously with a customer, and a subdued-looking Junior In the background pretending to be very busy with a ledger. But lam anticipating.