THE TRUE HEIR

New Zealand Tablet, 11 October 1906, Page 37

THE TRUE HEIR

Julian was the child of very humble parents. First hiis) mother and then his father diqd, "aSnd Julian was left all alone. He was a little ■ fellow, anda rich man said to him : « Poor child ! You have lost father and mother, you are an orphan, you are all by yourself in the world ; and I pity you.' So the_ rich man placed Julian with a good family, . undertook to pay for his schooling, and, when the boy grew -M'g enough, apprenticed him to a useful" trade. When his apprenticeship was finished, Julian said good-bye to his benefactor, and started out on a tour of France. Five years afterward, he returned to tfis old home. He had travelled a good deal, and worked pretty steadily ; bat had not made, or at least had not saved, much money. t)n arriving in his native city, his first thought was to pay a visit to his rich friend and protector. Alas ! the good man had died only a day or two 'before. Julian found his heirs in the house. They were all' furiously angry because ■their- uncle 'had not left anything like the great fortune which they had expected would be divided among them. The disappointed nephews and nieces auctioned of! all the effects in the deceased man's house. Julian went to the sale, andiaobserved- with surprise' that the heirs showed no respect whatever to their uncle's memory. They- sold everything. At last he ' saw them put up even the dead man's portrait, at which heartless action he became^. .really indignant. - - Naturally Julian had' bought the objects which hisprotactar -had "been, fondest' of, and of course he* purchased also the portrait ; but it exhausted his purse to do so. He took the picture to his room—a miserable little chamber in a lodging-house— and hung it on the wall. by a piece of string. The string was rotten, however, ' and the portrait fell to the floor. Julian picked, it up and saw that the frame Was '- broken. Wishing' to repair it, he examined it care?*** fully, when he received a great surprise. In a hole in the stout frame were a number of diamonds and a paper .on which was written: 'I am sure that ~m v heirs are an ungrateful lot. I am sure they will sell ~ even my .picture. This portrait will- perhaps be /purchased by some one whom I have helped. These di&- » monds are for the purchaser ; I give thenr to him.' , ,. ln f Paper was signed, so there was no disputing Julians claims to the gems,- and he accordingly • be- " came the, true heir to- bis, benefactor's fortune. ' j rHe was .now rich instead of poor. He took pity I on the orphans pf the city ; he built them a big house where they were well -looked, after, and -where ne often tow them the stpry of his protector's : picture.—'. Av.e Maria.' , • . . v - : \