[87852] in Discussion of MIT-community interests
Boosts Brain Power to Superhuman Levels
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Dan Madden)
Wed Aug 31 21:57:00 2016
Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2016 21:44:31 -0400
From: "Dan Madden" <dan.madden@megans.stream>
To: <mit-talk-mtg@charon.mit.edu>
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<p class=3D"MsoNormal">The Best Way To Get MORE Out Of Your Life</p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">Hey,</p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">Do you ever wish you had more:</p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style=3D"text-indent:-.25in"><spa=
n style=3D"font-family:Symbol">· <span style=3D"font:7.0pt " Ti=
mes New Roman" "> </span></sp=
an>Friends</p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style=3D"text-indent:-.25in"><sp=
an style=3D"font-family:Symbol">· <span style=3D"font:7.0pt " T=
imes New Roman" "> </span></s=
pan>Money</p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style=3D"text-indent:-.25in"><sp=
an style=3D"font-family:Symbol">· <span style=3D"font:7.0pt " T=
imes New Roman" "> </span></s=
pan>Time</p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style=3D"text-indent:-.25in"><sp=
an style=3D"font-family:Symbol">· <span style=3D"font:7.0pt " T=
imes New Roman" "> </span></s=
pan>Experiences</p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style=3D"text-indent:-.25in"><sp=
an style=3D"font-family:Symbol">· <span style=3D"font:7.0pt " T=
imes New Roman" "> </span></s=
pan>Respect from others</p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style=3D"text-indent:-.25in"><span=
style=3D"font-family:Symbol">· <span style=3D"font:7.0pt " Tim=
es New Roman" "> </span></spa=
n>Freedom to do the things you love</p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">If so, there is one way to have ALL of those thin=
gs and more:</p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><a href=3D"http://www.megans.stream/f11oq864k2eDc0NhvVdVKyxdhVtFMuKmji0hvV0ONW25a/shadow-coarser">_ Boost your BRAIN. _</a><=
/p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">After all, your brain is where it all starts. But=
boosting it may sound vague and difficult to do? </p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">Luckily, it' s not. Because after you _ watch thi=
s short and informative video _, the vagueness will be removed.</p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">Beyond that, you' ll see that boosting your brain=
to nearly SUPERHUMAN levels is so ridiculously EASY, you' ll wish you had =
seen this YEARS ago? </p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><b><a href=3D"http://www.megans.stream/f11oq864k2eDc0NhvVdVKyxdhVtFMuKmji0hvV0ONW25a/shadow-coarser">_ See how you can boost=
IQ, memory, mental clarity, and focus in just 7 seconds _</a></b></p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"> </p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">-Dan Madden</p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"> </p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"> </p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"> </p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"> </p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"> </p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"> </p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"> </p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"> </p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"> </p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"> </p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"> </p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">Unsubscribe <a href=3D"http://www.megans.stream/8098n6v42fNhvc0hhvVdVKyxdhVtFMuKmji0hvV0ONW909/sustains-reinsert">Here</a></p>=
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<p class=3D"MsoNormal"> </p>=20
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<div style=3D"font:normal 10px Arial, Times New Roman, sans-serif; color=
:#ffffff; ">=20
<p>Boosts Brain Power to Superhuman Levels<br /> Say, you' re all right,=
that' s what. Would you mind havin' a drink with me? It' s your money, but=
the drink won' t be any the worse for that. We blowed most of it already, =
but here' s what' s left." Bill handed Monty a roll of bills. " I=
' d a kept it if you' d made a fight," he continued, " but it ain=
' t square to keep it now." Brewster refused the money, but took back =
his watch. " Keep it, Bill," he said, " you need it more tha=
n I do. It' s enough to set you up in some other trade. Why not try it?&quo=
t; " I will try, boss," and Bill was so profuse in his thanks tha=
t Monty had difficulty in getting away; As he climbed into a cab he heard B=
ill say, " I will try, boss, and say, if ever I can do anything for yo=
u jes' put me nex' . I' m nex' you all de time." He gave the driver th=
e name of his club, but as he was passing the Waldorf he remembered that he=
had several things to say to Mrs. Dan. The order was changed, and a few mo=
ments later he was received in Mrs. Dan' s very special den. She wore somet=
hing soft and graceful in lavender, something that was light and wavy and e=
vanescent, and made you watch its changing shadows. Monty looked down at he=
r with the feeling that she made a very effective picture. " You are l=
ooking pretty fit this morning, my lady," he said by way of preamble. =
" How well everything plays up to you." " And you are unusua=
lly courtly, Monty," she smiled. " Has the world treated you so g=
enerously of late?" " It is treating me generously enough just no=
w to make up for anything," and he looked at her. " Do you know, =
Mrs. Dan, that it is borne in upon me now and then that there are things th=
at are quite worth while?" " Oh, if you come to that," she a=
nswered, lightly, " everything is worth while. For you, Monty, life is=
certainly not slow. You can dominate; you can make things go your way. Are=
n' t they going your way now, Monty" --this more seriously--" Wha=
t' s wrong? Is the pace too fast?" His mood increased upon him with he=
r sympathy. " Oh, no," he said, " it isn' t that. You are go=
od--and I' m a selfish beast. Things are perverse and people are desperatel=
y obstinate sometimes. And here I am taking it out on you. You are not perv=
erse. You are not obstinate. You are a ripper, Mrs. Dan, and you are going =
to help me out in more ways than one." " Well, to pay for all the=
se gallantries, Monty, I ought to do much. I' m your friend through thick a=
nd thin. You have only to command me." " It was precisely to get =
your help that I came in. I' m tired of those confounded dinners. You know =
yourself that they are all alike--the same people, the same flowers, the sa=
me things to eat, and the same inane twaddle in the shape of talk. Who care=
s about them anyway?" " Well, I like that," she interrupted.=
" After all the thought I put into those dinners, after all the varie=
ty I so carefully secured! My dear boy, you are frightfully ungrateful.&quo=
t; " Oh, you know what I mean. And you know quite as well as I do that=
it is perfectly true. The dinners were a beastly bore, which proves that t=
hey were a loud success. Your work was not done in vain. But now I want som=
ething else. We must push along the ball we' ve been talking of. And the ya=
chting cruise--that can' t wait very much longer." " The ball fir=
st," she decreed. " I' ll see to the cards at once, and in a day =
or two I' ll have a list ready for your gracious approval. And what have yo=
u done?" " Pettingill has some great ideas for doing over Sherry'=
s. Harrison is in communication with the manager of that Hungarian orchest=
ra you spoke of, and he finds the men quite ready for a little jaunt across=
the water. We have that military band--I' ve forgotten the number of its r=
egiment--for the promenade music, and the new Paris sensation, the contralt=
o, is coming over with her primo tenore for some special numbers." &qu=
ot; You were certainly cut out for an executive, Monty," said Mrs. Dan=
" But with the music and the decorations arranged, you' ve only begu=
n. The favors are the real thing, and if you say the word, we' ll surprise =
them a little. Don' t worry about it, Monty. It' s a go already. We' ll pul=
l it off together." " You are a thoroughbred, Mrs. Dan," he =
exclaimed. " You do help a fellow at a pinch." " That' s all=
right, Monty," she answered; " give me until after Christmas and=
I' ll have the finest favors ever seen. Other people may have their paper =
hats and pink ribbons, but you can show them how the thing ought to be done=
" Her reference to Christmas haunted Brewster, as he drove down Fifth=
Avenue, with the dread of a new disaster. Never before had he looked upon =
presents as a calamity; but this year it was different. Immediately he bega=
n to plan a bombardment of his friends with costly trinkets, when he grew s=
uddenly doubtful of the opinion of his uncle' s executor upon this move. Bu=
t in response to a telegram, Swearengen Jones, with pleasing irascibility, =
informed him that " anyone with a drop of human kindness in his body w=
ould consider it his duty to give Christmas presents to those who deserved =
them." Monty' s way was now clear. If his friends meant to handicap hi=
m with gifts, he knew a way to get even. For two weeks his mornings were sp=
ent at Tiffany' s, and the afternoons brought joy to the heart of every dea=
ler in antiquities in Fourth and Fifth Avenues. He gave much thought to the=
matter in the effort to secure many small articles which elaborately conce=
aled their value. And he had taste. The result of his endeavor was that man=
y friends who would not have thought of remembering Monty with even a card =
were pleasantly surprised on Christmas Eve. As it turned out, he fared very=
well in the matter of gifts, and for some days much of his time was spent =
in reading notes of profuse thanks, which were yet vaguely apologetic. The =
Grays and Mrs. Dan had remembered him with an agreeable lack of ostentation=
, and some of the " Little Sons of the Rich," who had kept one ev=
ening a fortnight open for the purpose of " using up their meal- ticke=
ts" at Monty' s, were only too generously grateful. Miss Drew had forg=
otten him, and when they met after the holiday her recognition was of the c=
oldest. He had thought that, under the circumstances, he could send her a g=
ift of value, but the beautiful pearls with which he asked for a reconcilia=
tion were returned with " Miss Drew' s thanks." He loved Barbara =
sincerely, and it cut. Peggy Gray was taken into his confidence and he was =
comforted by her encouragement. It was a bit difficult for her to advise hi=
m to try again, but his happiness was a thing she had at heart. " It' =
s beastly unfair, Peggy," he said. " I' ve really been white to h=
er. I believe I' ll chuck the whole business and leave New York." &quo=
t; You' re going away?" and there was just a suggestion of a catch in =
her breath. " I' m going to charter a yacht and sail away from this pl=
ace for three or four months." Peggy fairly gasped. " What do you=
think of the scheme?" he added, noticing the alarm and incredulity in=
her eyes. " I think you' ll end in the poor-house, Montgomery Brewste=
r," she said, with a laugh. CHAPTER XIII A FRIEND IN NEED It was while=
Brewster was in the depths of despair that his financial affairs had a win=
dfall. One of the banks in which his money was deposited failed and his bal=
ance of over $100,000 was wiped out. Mismanagement was the cause and the co=
llapse came on Friday, the thirteenth day of the month. Needless to say, it=
destroyed every vestige of the superstition he may have had regarding Frid=
ay and the number thirteen. Brewster had money deposited in five banks, a t=
ransaction inspired by the wild hope that one of them might some day suspen=
d operations and thereby prove a legitimate benefit to him. There seemed no=
prospect that the bank could resume operations, and if the depositors in t=
he end realized twenty cents on the dollar they would be fortunate. Notwith=
standing the fact that everybody had considered the institution substantial=
there were not a few wiseacres who called Brewster a fool and were so unre=
asonable as to say that he did not know how to handle money. He heard that =
Miss Drew, in particular, was bitterly sarcastic in referring to his stupid=
ity. This failure caused a tremendous flurry in banking circles. It was but=
natural that questions concerning the stability of other banks should be a=
sked, and it was not long before many wild, disquieting reports were afloat=
Anxious depositors rushed into the big banking institutions and then rush=
ed out again, partially assured that there was no danger. The newspapers so=
ught to allay the fears of the people, but there were many to whom fear bec=
ame panic. There were short, wild runs on some of the smaller banks, but al=
l were in a fair way to restore confidence when out came the rumor that the=
Bank of Manhattan Island was in trouble. Colonel Prentiss Drew, railroad m=
agnate, was the president of this bank. When the bank opened for business o=
n the Tuesday following the failure, there was a stampede of frightened dep=
ositors. Before eleven o' clock the run had assumed ugly proportions and no=
amount of argument could stay the onslaught. Colonel Drew and the director=
s, at first mildly distressed, and then seeing that the affair had become s=
erious, grew more alarmed than they could afford to let the public see. The=
loans of all the banks were unusually large. Incipient runs on some had pu=
t all of them in an attitude of caution, and there was a natural reluctance=
to expose their own interests to jeopardy by coming to the relief of the B=
ank of Manhattan Island. Monty Brewster had something like $200,000 in Colo=
nel Drew' s bank. He would not have regretted on his own account the collap=
se of this institution, but he realized what it meant to the hundreds of ot=
her depositors, and for the first time he appreciated what his money could =
accomplish. Thinking that his presence might give confidence to the other d=
epositors and stop the run he went over to the bank with Harrison and Bragd=
on. The tellers were handing out thousands of dollars to the eager deposito=
rs. His friends advised him strongly to withdraw before it was too late, bu=
t Monty was obdurate. They set it down to his desire to help Barbara' s fat=
her and admired his nerve. " I understand, Monty," said Bragdon, =
and both he and Harrison went among the people carelessly asking one anothe=
r if Brewster had come to withdraw his money. " No, he has over $200,0=
00, and he' s going to leave it," the other would say. Each excited gr=
oup was visited in turn by the two men, but their assurance seemed to accom=
plish but little. These men and women were there to save their fortunes; th=
e situation was desperate. Colonel Drew, outwardly calm and serene, but inw=
ardly perturbed, finally saw Brewster and his companions. He sent a messeng=
er over with the request that Monty come to the president' s private office=
at once. " He wants to help you to save your money," cried Bragd=
on in low tones. " That shows it' s all up." " Get out every=
dollar of it, Monty, and don' t waste a minute. It' s a smash as sure as f=
ate," urged Harrison, a feverish expression in his eyes. Brewster was =
admitted to the Colonel' s private office. Drew was alone and was pacing th=
e floor like a caged animal. " Sit down, Brewster, and don' t mind if =
I seem nervous. Of course we can hold out, but it is terrible--terrible. Th=
ey think we are trying to rob them. They' re mad--utterly mad." "=
I never saw anything like it, Colonel. Are you sure you can meet all the d=
emands?" asked Brewster, thoroughly excited. The Colonel' s face was w=
hite and he chewed his cigar nervously. " We can hold out unless some =
of our heaviest depositors get the fever and swoop down upon us. I apprecia=
te your feelings in an affair of this kind, coming so swiftly upon the heel=
s of the other, but I want to give you my personal assurance that the money=
you have here is safe. I called you in to impress you with the security of=
the bank. You ought to know the truth, however, and I will tell you in con=
fidence that another check like Austin' s, which we paid a few minutes ago,=
would cause us serious, though temporary, embarrassment." " I ca=
me to assure you that I have not thought of withdrawing my deposits from th=
is bank, Colonel. You need have no uneasiness--" The door opened sudde=
nly and one of the officials of the bank bolted inside, his face as white a=
s death. He started to speak before he saw Brewster, and then closed his li=
ps despairingly. " What is it, Mr. Moore?" asked Drew, as calmly =
as possible. " Don' t mind Mr. Brewster." " Oglethorp wants =
to draw two hundred and fifty thousand dollars," said Moore in straine=
d tones. " Well, he can have it, can' t he?" asked the Colonel qu=
ietly. Moore looked helplessly at the president of the bank, and his silenc=
e spoke more plainly than words. " Brewster, it looks bad," said =
the Colonel, turning abruptly to the young man. The other banks are afraid =
of a run and we can' t count on much help from them. Some of them have help=
ed us and others have refused. Now, I not only ask you to refrain from draw=
ing out your deposit, but I want you to help us in this crucial moment.&quo=
t; The Colonel looked twenty years older and his voice shook perceptibly. B=
rewster' s pity went out to him in a flash. " What can I do, Colonel D=
rew?" he cried. " I' ll not take my money out, but I don' t know =
how I can be of further assistance to you. Command me, sir." " Yo=
u can restore absolute confidence, Monty, my dear boy, by increasing your d=
eposits in our bank," said the Colonel slowly, and as if dreading the =
fate of the suggestion. " You mean, sir, that I can save the bank by d=
rawing my money from other banks and putting it here?" asked Monty, sl=
owly. He was thinking harder and faster than he had ever thought in his lif=
e. Could he afford to risk the loss of his entire fortune on the fate of th=
is bank? What would Swearengen Jones say if he deliberately deposited a vas=
t amount of money in a tottering institution like the Bank of Manhattan Isl=
and? It would be the maddest folly on his part if the bank went down. There=
could be no mitigating circumstances in the eyes of either Jones or the wo=
rld, if he swamped all of his money in this crisis. " I beg of you, Mo=
nty, help us." The Colonel' s pride was gone. " It means disgrace=
if we close our doors even for an hour; it means a stain that only years c=
an remove. You can restore confidence by a dozen strokes of your pen, and y=
ou can save us." He was Barbara' s father. The proud old man was befor=
e him as a suppliant, no longer the cold man of the world. Back to Brewster=
' s mind came the thought of his quarrel with Barbara and of her heartlessn=
ess. A scratch of the pen, one way or the other, could change the life of B=
arbara Drew. The two bankers stood by scarcely breathing. From the outside =
came the shuffle of many feet and the muffled roll of voices. Again the doo=
r to the private office opened and a clerk excitedly motioned for Mr. Moore=
to hurry to the front of the bank. Moore paused irresolutely, his eyes on =
Brewster' s face. The young man knew the time had come when he must help or=
deny them. Like a flash the situation was made clear to him and his duty w=
as plain. He remembered that the Bank of Manhattan Island held every dollar=
that Mrs. Gray and Peggy possessed; their meager fortune had been entruste=
d to the care of Prentiss Drew and his associates, and it was in danger. &q=
uot; I will do all I can, Colonel," said Monty, " but upon one co=
ndition." " That is?" " Barbara must never know of this=
" The Colonel' s gasp of astonishment was cut short as Monty continue=
d. " Promise that she shall never know." " I don' t understa=
nd, but if it is your wish I promise." Inside of half an hour' s time =
several hundred thousand came to the relief of the struggling bank, and the=
man who had come to watch the run with curious eyes turned out to be its s=
avior. His money won the day for the Bank of Manhattan Island. When the hap=
py president and directors offered to pay him an astonishingly high rate of=
interest for the use of the money he proudly declined. The next day Miss D=
rew issued invitations for a cotillon. Mr. Montgomery Brewster was not aske=
d to attend. CHAPTER XIV MRS. DE MILLE ENTERTAINS Miss Drew' s cotillon was=
not graced by the presence of Montgomery Brewster. It is true he received =
an eleventh-hour invitation and a very cold and difficult little note of ap=
ology, but he maintained heroically the air of disdain that had succeeded t=
he first sharp pangs of disappointment. Colonel Drew, in whose good graces =
Monty had firmly established himself, was not quite guiltless of usurping t=
he role of dictator in the effort to patch up a truce. A few nights before =
the cotillon, when Barbara told him that Herbert Ailing was to lead, he exp=
losively expressed surprise. " Why not Monty Brewster, Babs?" he =
demanded. " Mr. Brewster is not coming," she responded, calmly. &=
quot; Going to be out of town?" " I' m sure I do not know," =
stiffly. " What' s this?" " He has not been asked, father.&q=
uot; Miss Drew was not in good humor. " Not asked?" said the Colo=
nel in amazement. " It' s ridiculous, Babs, send him an invitation at =
once." " This is my dance, father, and I don' t want to ask Mr. B=
rewster." The Colonel sank back in his chair and struggled to overcome=
his anger. He knew that Barbara had inherited his willfulness, and had lon=
g since discovered that it was best to treat her with tact. " I though=
t you and he were--" but the Colonel' s supply of tact was exhausted. =
" We were" --in a moment of absent mindedness. " But it' s a=
ll over," said Barbara. " Why, child, there wouldn' t have been a=
cotillon if it hadn' t been for--" but the Colonel remembered his pro=
mise to Monty and checked himself just in time. " I--I mean there will=
not be any party, if Montgomery Brewster is not asked. That is all I care =
to say on the subject," and he stamped out of the room. Barbara wept c=
opiously after her father had gone, but she realized that his will was law =
and that Monty must be invited. " I will send an invitation," she=
said to herself, " but if Mr. Brewster comes after he has read it, I =
shall be surprised." Montgomery, however, did not receive the note in =
the spirit in which it had been sent. He only saw in it a ray of hope that =
Barbara was relenting and was jubilant at the prospect of a reconciliation.=
The next Sunday he sought an interview with Miss Drew, but she received hi=
m with icy reserve. If he had thought to punish her by staying away, it was=
evident that she felt equally responsible for a great deal of misery on hi=
s part. Both had been more or less unhappy, and both were resentfully obsti=
nate. Brewster felt hurt and insulted, while she felt that he had imposed u=
pon her disgracefully. He was now ready to cry quits and it surprised him t=
o find her obdurate. If he had expected to dictate the terms of peace he wa=
s woefully disappointed when she treated his advances with cool contempt. &=
quot; Barbara, you know I care very much for you," he was pleading, fa=
irly on the road to submission. " I am sure you are not quite indiffer=
ent to me. This foolish misunderstanding must really be as disagreeable to =
you as it is to me." " Indeed," she replied, lifting her bro=
ws disdainfully. " You are assuming a good deal, Mr. Brewster." &=
quot; I am merely recalling the fact that you once told me you cared. You w=
ould not promise anything, I know, but it meant much that you cared. A litt=
le difference could not have changed your feeling completely." " =
When you are ready to treat me with respect I may listen to your petition,&=
quot; she said, rising haughtily. " My petition?" He did not like=
the word and his tact quite deserted him. " It' s as much yours as mi=
ne. Don' t throw the burden of responsibility on me, Miss Drew." "=
; Have I suggested going back to the old relations? You will pardon me if I=
remind you of the fact that you came to-day on your own initiative and cer=
tainly without my solicitation." " Now, look here, Barbara--"=
; he began, dimly realizing that it was going to be hard, very hard, to rea=
son. " I am very sorry, Mr. Brewster, but you will have to excuse me. =
I am going out." " I regret exceedingly that I should have distur=
bed you to-day, Miss Drew," he said, swallowing his pride. " Perh=
aps I may have the pleasure of seeing you again." As he was leaving th=
e house, deep anger in his soul, he encountered the Colonel. There was some=
thing about Monty' s greeting, cordial as it was, that gave the older man a=
hint as to the situation. " Won' t you stop for dinner, Monty?" =
he asked, in the hope that his suspicion was groundless. " Thank you, =
Colonel, not to-night," and he was off before the Colonel could hold h=
im. Barbara was tearfully angry when her father came into the room, but as =
he began to remonstrate with her the tears disappeared and left her at whit=
e heat. " Frankly, father, you don' t understand matters," she sa=
id with slow emphasis; " I wish you to know now that if Montgomery Bre=
wster calls again, I shall not see him." " If that is your point =
of view, Barbara, I wish you to know mine." The Colonel rose and stood=
over her, everything forgotten but the rage that went so deep that it left=
the surface calm. Throwing aside his promise to Brewster, he told Barbara =
with dramatic simplicity the story of the rescue of the bank. " You se=
e," he added, " if it had not been for that open-hearted boy we w=
ould now be ruined. Instead of giving cotillons, you might be giving music =
lessons. Montgomery Brewster will always be welcome in this house and you w=
ill see that my wishes are respected. Do you understand?" " Perfe=
ctly," Barbara answered in a still voice. " As your friend I shal=
l try to be civil to him." The Colonel was not satisfied with so cold-=
blooded an acquiescence, but he wisely retired from the field. He left the =
girl silent and crushed, but with a gleam in her eyes that was not altogeth=
er to be concealed. The story had touched her more deeply than she would wi=
llingly confess. It was something to know that Monty Brewster could do a th=
ing like that, and would do it for her. The exultant smile which it brought=
to her lips could only be made to disappear by reminding herself sharply o=
f his recent arrogance. Her anger, she found, was a plant which needed care=
ful cultivation. It was in a somewhat chastened mood that she started a few=
days later for a dinner at the DeMille' s. As she entered in her sweeping =
golden gown the sight of Monty Brewster at the other end of the room gave h=
er a flutter at the heart. But it was an agitation that was very carefully =
concealed. Brewster was certainly unconscious of it. To him the position of=
guest was like a disguise and he was pleased at the prospect of letting hi=
mself go under the mask without responsibility. But it took on a different =
color when the butler handed him a card which signified that he was to take=
Miss Drew in to dinner. Hastily seeking out the hostess he endeavored to c=
onvey to her the impossibility of the situation. " I hope you won' t m=
isunderstand me," he said. " But is it too late to change my plac=
e at the table?" " It isn' t conventional, I know, Monty. Society=
' s chief aim is to separate engaged couples at dinner," said Mrs. Dan=
with a laugh. " It would be positively compromising if a man and his =
wife sat together." Dinner was announced before Monty could utter anot=
her word, and as she led him over to Barbara she said, " Behold a gene=
rous hostess who gives up the best man in the crowd so that he and some one=
else may have a happy time. I leave it to you, Barbara, if that isn' t the=
test of friendship." For a moment the two riveted their eyes on the f=
loor. Then the humor of the situation came to Monty. " I did not know =
that we were supposed to do Gibson tableaux to- night," he said drily =
as he proffered his arm. " I don' t understand," and Barbara' s c=
uriosity overcame her determination not to speak. " Don' t you remembe=
r the picture of the man who was called upon to take his late fiancee out t=
o dinner?" The awful silence with which this remark was received put a=
n end to further efforts at humor. The dinner was probably the most painful=
experience in their lives. Barbara had come to it softened and ready to me=
et him half way. The right kind of humility in Monty would have found her p=
lastic. But she had very definite and rigid ideas of his duty in the premis=
es. And Monty was too simple minded to seem to suffer, and much too flippan=
t to understand. It was plain to each that the other did not expect to talk=
, but they both realized that they owed a duty to appearances and to their =
hostess. Through two courses, at least, there was dead silence between them=
It seemed as though every eye in the room were on them and every mind wer=
e speculating. At last, in sheer desperation, Barbara turned to him with th=
e first smile he had seen on her face in days. There was no smile in her ey=
es, however, and Monty understood. " We might at least give out the im=
pression that we are friends," she said quietly. " More easily sa=
id than done," he responded gloomily. " They are all looking at u=
s and wondering." " I don' t blame them." " We owe some=
thing to Mrs. Dan, I think." " I know." Barbara uttered some=
inanity whenever she caught any one looking in their direction, but Brewst=
er seemed not to hear. At length he cut short some remark of hers about the=
weather. " What nonsense this is, Barbara," he said. " With=
any one else I would chuck the whole game, but with you it is different. I=
don' t know what I have done, but I am sorry. I hope you' ll forgive me.&q=
uot; " Your assurance is amusing, to say the least." " But I=
am sure. I know this quarrel is something we' ll laugh over. You keep forg=
etting that we are going to be married some day." A new light came int=
o Barbara' s eyes. " You forget that my consent may be necessary,"=
; she said. " You will be perfectly willing when the time comes. I am =
still in the fight and eventually you will come to my way of thinking."=
; " Oh! I see it now," said Barbara, and her blood was up. "=
You mean to force me to it. What you did for father--" Brewster glowe=
red at her, thinking that he had misunderstood. " What do you mean?&qu=
ot; he said. " He has told me all about that wretched bank business. B=
ut poor father thought you quite disinterested. He did not see the little g=
ame behind your melodrama. He would have torn up your check on the instant =
if he had suspected you were trying to buy his daughter." " Does =
your father believe that?" asked Brewster. " No, but I see it all=
now. His persistence and yours--you were not slow to grasp the opportunity=
offered." " Stop, Miss Drew," Monty commanded. His voice ha=
d changed and she had never before seen that look in his eyes. " You n=
eed have no fear that I will trouble you again." CHAPTER XV THE CUT DI=
RECT A typographical error in one of the papers caused no end of amusement =
to every one except Monty and Miss Drew. The headlines had announced "=
Magnificent ball to be given Miss Drew by her Finance," and the "=
; Little Sons of the Rich" wondered why Monty did not see the humor of=
it. " He has too bad an attack to see anything but the lady," sa=
id Harrison one evening when the " Sons" were gathered for an old=
-time supper party. " It' s always the way," commented the philos=
ophical Bragdon, " When you lose your heart your sense of humor goes t=
oo. Engaged couples couldn' t do such ridiculous stunts if they had the lea=
st particle of it left." " Well, if Monty Brewster is still in lo=
ve with Miss Drew he takes a mighty poor way of showing it." " Su=
bway" Smith' s remark fell like a bombshell. The thought had come to e=
very one, but no one had been given the courage to utter it. For them Brews=
ter' s silence on the subject since the DeMille dinner seemed to have somet=
hing ominous behind it. " It' s probably only a lovers' quarrel,"=
said Bragdon. But further comment was cut short by the entrance of Monty h=
imself, and they took their places at the table. Before the evening came to=
an end they were in possession of many astonishing details in connection w=
ith the coming ball. Monty did not say that it was to be given for Miss Dre=
w and her name was conspicuously absent from his descriptions. As he unfold=
ed his plans even the " Little Sons," who were imaginative by ins=
tinct and reckless on principle, could not be quite acquiescent. " Nop=
per" Harrison solemnly expressed the opinion that the ball would cost =
Brewster at least $125,000. The " Little Sons" looked at one anot=
her in consternation, while Brewster' s indifference expressed itself in an=
unflattering comment upon his friend' s vulgarity. " Good Lord, Noppe=
r," he added, " you would speculate about the price of gloves for=
your wedding." Harrison resented the taunt. " It would be much l=
ess vulgar to do that, Monty, saving your presence, than to force your mill=
ions down every one' s throat." " Well, they swallow them, I' ve =
noticed," retorted Brewster, " as though they were chocolates.&qu=
ot; Pettingill interrupted grandiloquently. " My friends and gentlemen=
!" " Which is which?" asked Van Winkle, casually. But the ar=
tist was in the saddle. " Permit me to present to you the boy Croesus-=
-the only one extant. His marbles are plunks and his kites are made of fift=
y-dollar notes. He feeds upon coupons a la Newburgh, and his champagne is l=
iquid golden eagles. Look at him, gentlemen, while you can, and watch him w=
hile he spends thirteen thousand dollars for flowers!" " With a V=
iennese orchestra for twenty-nine thousand!" added Bragdon. " And=
yet they maintain that silence is golden." " And three singers t=
o divide twelve thousand among themselves! That' s absolutely criminal,&quo=
t; cried Van Winkle. " Over in Germany they' d sing a month for half t=
hat amount." " Six hundred guests to feed--total cost of not less=
than forty thousand dollars," groaned " Nopper," dolefully.=
" And there aren' t six hundred in town," lamented " Subway=
" Smith. " All that glory wasted on two hundred rank outsiders.&q=
uot; " You men are borrowing a lot of trouble," yawned Brewster, =
with a gallant effort to seem bored. " All I ask of you is to come to =
the party and put up a good imitation of having the time of your life. Betw=
een you and me I' d rather be caught at Huyler' s drinking ice cream soda t=
han giving this thing. But--" " That' s what we want to know, but=
what?" and " Subway" leaned forward eagerly. " But,&qu=
ot; continued Monty, " I' m in for it now, and it is going to be a bal=
l that is a ball." Nevertheless the optimistic Brewster could not find=
the courage to tell Peggy of these picturesque extravagances. To satisfy h=
er curiosity he blandly informed her that he was getting off much more chea=
ply than he had expected. He laughingly denounced as untrue the stories tha=
t had come to her from outside sources. And before his convincing assertion=
s that reports were ridiculously exaggerated, the troubled expression in th=
e girl' s eyes disappeared. " I must seem a fool," groaned Monty,=
as he left the house after one of these explanatory trials, " but wha=
t will she think of me toward the end of the year when I am really in harne=
ss?" He found it hard to control the desire to be straight with Peggy =
and tell her the story of his mad race in pursuit of poverty. Preparations =
for the ball went on steadily, and in a dull winter it had its color value =
for society. It was to be a Spanish costume-ball, and at many tea-tables th=
e talk of it was a god- send. Sarcastic as it frequently was on the questio=
n of Monty' s extravagance, there was a splendor about the Aladdin-like ent=
ertainment which had a charm. Beneath the outward disapproval there was a s=
ecret admiration of the superb nerve of the man. And there was little reluc=
tance to help him in the wild career he had chosen. It was so easy to go wi=
th him to the edge of the precipice and let him take the plunge alone. Only=
the echo of the criticism reached Brewster, for he had silenced Harrison w=
ith work and Pettingill with opportunities. It troubled him little, as he w=
as engaged in jotting down items that swelled the profit side of his ledger=
account enormously. The ball was bound to give him a good lead in the race=
once more, despite the heavy handicap the Stock Exchange had imposed. The =
" Little Sons" took off their coats and helped Pettingill in the =
work of preparation. He found them quite superfluous, for their ideas never=
agreed and each man had a way of preferring his own suggestion. To Brewste=
r' s chagrin they were united in the effort to curb his extravagance. "=
; He' ll be giving automobiles and ropes of pearls for favors if we don' t =
stop him," said " Subway" Smith, after Monty had ordered a v=
intage champagne to be served during the entire evening. " Give them t=
wo glasses first, if you like, and then they won' t mind if they have cider=
the rest of the night." " Monty is plain dotty," chimed Bra=
gdon, " and the pace is beginning to tell on him." As a matter of=
fact the pace was beginning to tell on Brewster. Work and worry were plain=
ly having an effect on his health. His color was bad, his eyes were losing =
their lustre, and there was a listlessness in his actions that even determi=
ned effort could not conceal from his friends. Little fits of fever annoyed=
him occasionally and he admitted that he did not feel quite right. " =
Something is wrong somewhere," he said, ruefully, " and my whole =
system seems ready to stop work through sympathy." Suddenly there was =
a mighty check to the preparations. Two days before the date set for the ba=
ll everything came to a standstill and the managers sank back in perplexity=
and consternation. Monty Brewster was critically ill. Appendicitis, the do=
ctors called it, and an operation was imperative. " Thank heaven it' s=
fashionable," laughed Monty, who showed no fear of the prospect. &quo=
t; How ridiculous if it had been the mumps, or if the newspapers had said, =
' On account of the whooping-cough, Mr. Brewster did not attend his ball.' =
" " You don' t mean to say--the ball is off, of course," and=
Harrison was really alarmed. " Not a bit of it, Nopper," said Mo=
nty. " It' s what I' ve been wanting all along. You chaps do the hands=
haking and I stay at home." There was an immediate council of war when=
this piece of news was announced, and the " Little Sons" were un=
animous in favor of recalling the invitations and declaring the party off. =
At first Monty was obdurate, but when some one suggested that he could give=
the ball later on, after he was well, he relented. The opportunity to doub=
le the cost by giving two parties was not to be ignored. " Call it off=
, then, but say it is only postponed." A great rushing to and fro resu=
lted in the cancelling of contracts, the recalling of invitations, the sett=
ling of accounts, with the most loyal effort to save as much as possible fr=
om the wreckage. Harrison and his associates, almost frantic with fear for =
Brewster' s life, managed to perform wonders in the few hours of grace. Gar=
dner, with rare foresight, saw that the Viennese orchestra would prove a de=
ad loss. He suggested the possibility of a concert tour through the country=
, covering several weeks, and Monty, too ill to care one way or the other, =
authorized him to carry out the plan if it seemed feasible. To Monty, fearl=
ess and less disturbed than any other member of his circle, appendicitis se=
emed as inevitable as vaccination. " The appendix is becoming an impor=
tant feature in the Book of Life," he once told Peggy Gray. He refused=
to go to a hospital, but pathetically begged to be taken to his old rooms =
at Mrs. Gray' s. With all the unhappy loneliness of a sick boy, he craved t=
he care and companionship of those who seemed a part of his own. Dr. Lotles=
s had them transform a small bedchamber into a model operating room and Mon=
ty took no small satisfaction in the thought that if he was to be denied th=
e privilege of spending money for several weeks, he would at least make his=
illness as expensive as possible. A consultation of eminent surgeons was c=
alled, but true to his colors, Brewster installed Dr. Lotless, a " Lit=
tle Son," as his house surgeon. Monty grimly bore the pain and sufferi=
ng and submitted to the operation which alone could save his life. Then cam=
e the struggle, then the promise of victory and then the quiet days of conv=
alescence. In the little room where he had dreamed his boyish dreams and su=
ffered his boyish sorrows, he struggled against death and gradually emerged=
from the mists of lassitude. He found it harder than he had thought to com=
e back to life. The burden of it all seemed heavy. The trained nurses found=
that some more powerful stimulant than the medicine was needed to awaken h=
is ambition, and they discovered it at last in Peggy. " Child," h=
e said to her the first time she was permitted to see him, and his eyes had=
lights in them: " do you know, this isn' t such a bad old world after=
all. Sometimes as I' ve lain here, it has looked twisted and queer. But th=
ere are things that straighten it out. To-day I feel as though I had a plac=
e in it--as though I could fight things and win out. What do you think, Peg=
gy? Do you suppose there is something that I could do? You know what I mean=
-- something that some one else would not do a thousand times better."=
But Peggy, to whom this chastened mood in Monty was infinitely pathetic, w=
ould not let him talk. She soothed him and cheered him and touched his hair=
with her cool hands. And then she left him to think and brood and dream. I=
t was many days before his turbulent mind drifted to the subject of money, =
but suddenly he found himself hoping that the surgeons would be generous wi=
th their charges. He almost suffered a relapse when Lotless, visibly distre=
ssed, informed him that the total amount would reach three thousand dollars=
" And what is the additional charge for the operation?" asked M=
onty, unwilling to accept such unwarranted favors. " It' s included in=
the three thousand," said Lotless. " They knew you were my frien=
d and it was professional etiquette to help keep down expenses." For d=
ays Brewster remained at Mrs. Gray' s, happy in its restfulness, serene und=
er the charm of Peggy' s presence, and satisfied to be hopelessly behind in=
his daily expense account. The interest shown by the inquiries at the hous=
e and the anxiety of his friends were soothing to the profligate. It gave h=
im back a little of his lost self-respect. The doctors finally decided that=
he would best recuperate in Florida, and advised a month at least in the w=
armth. He leaped at the proposition, but took the law into his own hands by=
ordering General Manager Harrison to rent a place, and insisting that he n=
eeded the companionship of Peggy and Mrs. Gray. " How soon can I get b=
ack to work, Doctor?" demanded Monty, the day before the special train=
was to carry him south. He was beginning to see the dark side of this enfo=
rced idleness. His blood again was tingling with the desire to be back in t=
he harness of a spendthrift. " To work?" laughed the physician. &=
quot; And what is your occupation, pray?" " Making other people r=
ich," responded Brewster, soberly. " Well, aren' t you satisfied =
with what you have done for me? If you are as charitable as that you must b=
e still pretty sick. Be careful, and you may be on your feet again in five =
or six weeks." Harrison came in as Lotless left. Peggy smiled at him f=
rom the window. She had been reading aloud from a novel so garrulous that i=
t fairly cried aloud for interruptions. " Now, Nopper, what became of =
the ball I was going to give?" demanded Monty, a troubled look in his =
eyes. " Why, we called it off," said " Nopper," in surp=
rise. " Don' t you remember, Monty?" asked Peggy, looking up quic=
kly, and wondering if his mind had gone trailing off. " I know we didn=
' t give it, of course; but what date did you hit upon?" " We did=
n' t postpone it at all," said " Nopper." " How could w=
e? We didn' t know whether--I mean it wouldn' t have been quite right to do=
that sort of thing." " I understand. Well, what has become of th=
e orchestra, and the flowers, and all that?" " The orchestra is g=
allivanting around the country, quarreling with itself and everybody else, =
and driving poor Gardner to the insane asylum. The flowers have lost their =
bloom long ago." " Well, we' ll get together, Nopper, and try to =
have the ball at mid-Lent. I think I' ll be well by that time." Peggy =
looked appealingly at Harrison for guidance, but to him silence seemed the =
better part of valor, and he went off wondering if the illness had complete=
ly carried away Monty' s reason. CHAPTER XVI IN THE SUNNY SOUTH It was the =
cottage of a New York millionaire which had fallen to Brewster. The owner h=
ad, for the time, preferred Italy to St. Augustine, and left his estate, wh=
ich was well located and lavishly equipped, in the hands of his friends. Br=
ewster' s lease covered three months, at a fabulous rate per month. With Jo=
e Bragdon installed as manager-in-chief, his establishment was transferred =
bodily from New York, and the rooms were soon as comfortable as their grand=
eur would permit. Brewster was not allowed to take advantage of his horses =
and the new automobile which preceded him from New York, but to his guests =
they offered unlimited opportunities. " Nopper" Harrison had rema=
ined in the north to renew arrangements for the now hated ball and to look =
after the advance details of the yacht cruise. Dr. Lotless and his sister, =
with " Subway" Smith and the Grays, made up Brewster' s party. Lo=
tless dampened Monty' s spirits by relentlessly putting him on rigid diet, =
with most discouraging restrictions upon his conduct. The period of convale=
scence was to be an exceedingly trying one for the invalid. At first he was=
kept in-doors, and the hours were whiled away by playing cards. But Monty =
considered " bridge" the " pons asinorum," and preferre=
d to play piquet with Peggy. It was one of these games that the girl interr=
upted with a question that had troubled her for many days. " Monty,&qu=
ot; she said, and she found it much more difficult than when she had rehear=
sed the scene in the silence of her walks; " I' ve heard a rumor that =
Miss Drew and her mother have taken rooms at the hotel. Wouldn' t it be ple=
asanter to have them here?" A heavy gloom settled upon Brewster' s fac=
e, and the girl' s heart dropped like lead. She had puzzled over the estran=
gement, and wondered if by any effort of her own things could be set right.=
At times she had had flashing hopes that it did not mean as much to Monty =
as she had thought. But down underneath, the fear that he was unhappy seeme=
d the only certain thing in life. She felt that she must make sure. And tog=
ether with the very human desire to know the worst, was the puritanical imp=
ulse to bring it about. " You forget that this is the last place they =
would care to invade." And in Brewster' s face Peggy seemed to read th=
at for her martyrdom was the only wear. Bravely she put it on. " Monty=
, I forget nothing that I really know. But this is a case in which you are =
quite wrong. Where is your sporting blood? You have never fought a losing f=
ight before, and you can' t do it now. You have lost your nerve, Monty. Don=
' t you see that this is the time for an aggressive campaign?" Somehow=
she was not saying things at all as she had planned to say them. And his g=
loom weighed heavily upon her. " You don' t mind, do you, Monty,"=
she added, more softly, " this sort of thing from me? I know I ought =
not to interfere, but I' ve known you so long. And I hate to see things twi=
sted by a very little mistake." But Monty did mind enormously. He had =
no desire to talk about the thing anyway, and Peggy' s anxiety to marry him=
off seemed a bit unnecessary. Manifestly her own interest in him was of th=
e coldest. From out of the gloom he looked at her somewhat sullenly. For th=
e moment she was thinking only of his pain, and her face said nothing. &quo=
t; Peggy," he exclaimed, finally, resenting the necessity of answering=
her, " you don' t in the least know what you are talking about. It is=
not a fit of anger on Barbara Drew' s part. It is a serious conviction.&qu=
ot; " A conviction which can be changed," the girl broke in. &quo=
t; Not at all." Brewster took it up. " She has no faith in me. Sh=
e thinks I' m an ass." " Perhaps she' s right," she exclaime=
d, a little hot. " Perhaps you have never discovered that girls say ma=
ny things to hide their emotions. Perhaps you don' t realize what feverish,=
exclamatory, foolish things girls are. They don' t know how to be honest w=
ith the men they love, and they wouldn' t if they did. You are little short=
of an idiot, Monty Brewster, if you believed the things she said rather th=
an the things she looked." And Peggy, fiery and determined and defiant=
ly unhappy, threw down her cards and escaped so that she might not prove he=
rself tearfully feminine. She left Brewster still heavily enveloped in mela=
ncholy; but she left him puzzled. He began to wonder if Barbara Drew did ha=
ve something in the back of her mind. Then he found his thoughts wandering =
off toward Peggy and her defiance. He had only twice before seen her in tha=
t mood, and he liked it. He remembered how she had lost her temper once whe=
n she was fifteen, and hated a girl he admired. Suddenly he laughed aloud a=
t the thought of the fierce little picture she had made, and the gloom, whi=
ch had been so sedulously cultivated, was dissipated in a moment. The laugh=
surprised the man who brought in some letters. One of them was from "=
Nopper" Harrison, and gave him all the private news. The ball was to =
be given at mid-Lent, which arrived toward the end of March, and negotiatio=
ns were well under way for the chartering of the " Flitter," the =
steam-yacht belonging to Reginald Brown, late of Brown & Brown. The let=
ter made Brewster chafe under the bonds of inaction. His affairs were getti=
ng into a discouraging state. The illness was certain to entail a loss of m=
ore than $50,000 to his business. His only consolation came through Harriso=
n' s synopsis of the reports from Gardner, who was managing the brief Ameri=
can tour of the Viennese orchestra. Quarrels and dissensions were becoming =
every- day embarrassments, and the venture was an utter failure from a fina=
ncial point of view. Broken contracts and lawsuits were turning the tour in=
to one continuous round of losses, and poor Gardner was on the point of des=
pair. From the beginning, apparently, the concerts had been marked for disa=
ster. Public indifference had aroused the scorn of the irascible members of=
the orchestra, and there was imminent danger of a collapse in the organiza=
tion. Gardner lived in constant fear that his troop of quarrelsome Hungaria=
ns would finish their tour suddenly in a pitched battle with daggers and st=
eins. Brewster smiled at the thought of practical Gardner trying to smooth =
down the electric emotions of these musicians. A few days later Mrs. Prenti=
ss Drew and Miss Drew registered at the Ponce de Leon, and there was much s=
peculation upon the chances for a reconciliation. Monty, however, maintaine=
d a strict silence on the subject, and refused to satisfy the curiosity of =
his friends. Mrs. Drew had brought down a small crowd, including two pretty=
Kentucky girls and a young Chicago millionaire. She lived well and sensibl=
y, with none of the extravagance that characterized the cottage. Yet it was=
inevitable that Brewster' s guests should see hers and join some of their =
riding parties. Monty pleaded that he was not well enough to be in these ex=
cursions, but neither he nor Barbara cared to over-emphasize their estrange=
ment. Peggy Gray was in despair over Monty' s attitude. She had become conv=
inced that behind his pride he was cherishing a secret longing for Barbara.=
Yet she could not see how the walls were to be broken down if he maintaine=
d this icy reserve. She was sure that the masterful tone was the one to win=
with a girl like that, but evidently Monty would not accept advice. That h=
e was mistaken about Barbara' s feeling she did not doubt for a moment, and=
she saw things going hopelessly wrong for want of a word. There were times=
when she let herself dream of possibilities, but they always ended by seem=
ing too impossible. She cared too much to make the attainment of her vision=
seem simple. She cared too much to be sure of anything. At moments she fan=
cied that she might say a word to Miss Drew which would straighten things o=
ut. But there was something about her which held her off. Even now that the=
y were thrown together more or less she could not get beyond a certain barr=
ier. It was not until a sunny day when she had accepted Barbara' s invitati=
on to drive that things seemed to go more easily. For the first time she fe=
lt the charm of the girl, and for the first time Barbara seemed unreservedl=
y friendly. It was a quiet drive they were taking through the woods and out=
along the beach, and somehow in the open air things simplified themselves.=
Finally, in the softness and the idle warmth, even an allusion to Monty, w=
hose name usually meant an embarrassing change of subject, began to seem po=
ssible. It was inevitable that Peggy should bring it in; for with her a que=
stion of tact was never allowed to dominate when things of moment were at s=
take. She cowered before the plunge, but she took it unafraid. " The d=
octor says Monty may go out driving to-morrow," she began. " Isn'=
t that fine?" Barbara' s only response was to touch her pony a little=
too sharply with the whip. Peggy went on as if unconscious of the challeng=
e. " He has been bored to death, poor fellow, in the house all this ti=
me, and--" " Miss Gray, please do not mention Mr. Brewster' s nam=
e to me again," interrupted Barbara, with a contraction of the eyebrow=
s. But Peggy was seized with a spirit of defiance and plunged recklessly on=
" What is the use, Miss Drew, of taking an attitude like that? I kno=
w the situation pretty well, and I can' t believe that either Monty or you =
has lost in a week a feeling that was so deep-seated. I know Monty much too=
well to think that he would change so easily." Peggy still lived larg=
ely in her ideals. " And you are too fine a thing not to have suffered=
under this misunderstanding. It seems as if a very small word would set yo=
u both straight." Barbara drew herself up and kept her eyes on the roa=
d which lay white and gleaming in the sun. " I have not the least desi=
re to be set straight." And she was never more serious. " But it =
was only a few weeks ago that you were engaged." " I am sorry,&qu=
ot; answered Barbara, " that it should have been talked about so much.=
Mr. Brewster did ask me to marry him, but I never accepted. In fact, it wa=
s only his persistence that made me consider the matter at all. I did think=
about it. I confess that I rather liked him. But it was not long before I =
found him out." " What do you mean?" And there was a flash i=
n Peggy' s eyes. " What has he done?" " To my certain knowle=
dge he has spent more than four hundred thousand dollars since last Septemb=
er. That is something, is it not?" Miss Drew said, in her slow, cool v=
oice, and even Peggy' s loyalty admitted some justification in the criticis=
m. " Generosity has ceased to be a virtue, then?" she asked coldl=
y. " Generosity!" exclaimed Barbara, sharply. " It' s sheer =
idiocy. Haven' t you heard the things people are saying? They are calling h=
im a fool, and in the clubs they are betting that he will be a pauper withi=
n a year." " Yet they charitably help him to spend his money. And=
I have noticed that even worldly mammas find him eligible." The comme=
nt was not without its caustic side. " That was months ago, my dear,&q=
uot; protested Barbara, calmly. " When he spoke to me--he told me it w=
ould be impossible for him to marry within a year. And don' t you see that =
a year may make him an abject beggar?" " Naturally anything is pr=
eferable to a beggar," came in Peggy' s clear, soft voice. Barbara hes=
itated only a moment. " Well, you must admit, Miss Gray, that it shows=
a shameful lack of character. How could any girl be happy with a man like =
that? And, after all, one must look out for one' s own fate." " U=
ndoubtedly," replied Peggy, but many thoughts were dashing through her=
brain. " Shall we turn back to the cottage?" she said, after an =
awkward silence. " You certainly don' t approve of Mr. Brewster' s con=
duct?" Barbara did not like to be placed in the wrong, and felt that s=
he must endeavor to justify herself. " He is the most reckless of spen=
d- thrifts, we know, and he probably indulges in even less respectable exci=
tement." Peggy was not tall, but she carried her head at this moment a=
s though she were in the habit of looking down on the world. " Aren' t=
you going a little too far, Miss Drew?" she asked placidly. " It=
is not only New York that laughs at his Quixotic transactions," Barba=
ra persisted. " Mr. Hampton, our guest from Chicago, says the stories =
are worse out there than they are in the east." " It is a pity th=
at Monty' s illness should have made him so weak," said Peggy quietly,=
as they turned in through the great iron gates, and Barbara was not slow t=
o see the point. CHAPTER XVII THE NEW TENDERFOOT Brewster was comparatively=
well and strong when he returned to New York in March. His illness had int=
erfered extensively with his plan of campaign and it was imperative that he=
redouble his efforts, notwithstanding the manifest dismay of his friends. =
His first act was to call upon Grant & Ripley, from whom he hoped to le=
arn what Swearengen Jones thought of his methods. The lawyers had heard no =
complaint from Montana, and advised him to continue as he had begun, assuri=
ng him, as far as they could, that Jones would not prove unreasonable. An e=
xchange of telegrams just before his operation had renewed Monty' s dread o=
f his eccentric mentor. NEW YORK, Jan. 6, 19-- SWEARENGEN JONES, Butte, Mon=
t. How about having my life insured? Would it violate conditions? MONTGOMER=
Y BREWSTER. To MONTGOMERY BREWSTER, New York. Seems to me your life would b=
ecome an asset in that case. Can you dispose of it before September 23d? JO=
NES. TO SWEARENGEN JONES, Butte, Mont. On the contrary, I think life will b=
e a debt by that time. MONTGOMERY BREWSTER. To MONTGOMERY BREWSTER, New Yor=
k. If you feel that way about it, I advise you to take out a $500 policy. J=
ONES. TO SWEARENGEN JONES, Butte, Mont. Do you think that amount would cove=
r funeral expenses? MONTGOMERY BREWSTER. To MONTGOMERY BREWSTER, New York. =
You won' t be caring about expenses if it comes to that. JONES. The invitat=
ions for the second ball had been out for some time and the preparations we=
re nearly complete when Brewster arrived upon the scene of festivity. It di=
d not surprise him that several old- time friends should hunt him up and pr=
otest vigorously against the course he was pursuing. Nor did it surprise hi=
m when he found that his presence was not as essential to the success of so=
me other affair as it had once been. He was not greeted as cordially as bef=
ore, and he grimly wondered how many of his friends would stand true to the=
end. The uncertainty made him turn more and more often to the unquestioned=
loyalty of Peggy Gray, and her little library saw him more frequently than=
for months. Much as he had dreaded the pretentious and resplendent ball, i=
t was useful to him in one way at least. The " profit" side of hi=
s ledger account was enlarged and in that there was room for secret satisfa=
ction. The Viennese orchestra straggled into New York, headed by Elon Gardn=
er, a physical wreck, in time to make a harmonious farewell appearance behi=
nd Brewster' s palms, which caused his guests to wonder why the American pu=
blic could not appreciate the real thing. A careful summing up of the expen=
ses and receipts proved that the tour had been a bonanza for Brewster. The =
net loss was a trifle more than $56,000. When this story became known about=
town, everybody laughed pityingly, and poor Gardner was almost in tears wh=
en he tried to explain the disaster to the man who lost the money. But Mont=
y' s sense of humor, singularly enough, did not desert him on this trying o=
ccasion. Aesthetically the ball proved to be the talk of more than one seas=
on. Pettingill had justified his desire for authority and made a name which=
would last. He had taken matters into his own hands while Brewster was in =
Florida, and changed the period from the Spain of Velasquez to France and L=
ouis Quinze. After the cards were out he remembered, to his consternation, =
that the favors purchased for the Spanish ball would be entirely inappropri=
ate for the French one. He wired Brewster at once of this misfortune, and w=
as astonished at the nonchalance of his reply. " But then Monty always=
was a good sort," he thought, with a glow of affection. The new plan =
was more costly than the old, for it was no simple matter to build a Versai=
lles suite at Sherry' s. Pettingill was no imitator, but he created an effe=
ct which was superbly in keeping with the period he had chosen. Against it =
the rich costumes, with their accompaniment of wigs and powdered hair, shon=
e out resplendent. With great difficulty the artist had secured for Monty a=
costume in white satin and gold brocade, which might once have adorned the=
person of Louis himself. It made him feel like a popinjay, and it was with=
infinite relief that he took it off an hour or so after dawn. He knew that=
things had gone well, that even Mrs. Dan was satisfied; but the whole affa=
ir made him heartsick. Behind the compliments lavished upon him he detected=
a note of irony, which revealed the laughter that went on behind his back.=
He had not realized how much it would hurt. " For two cents," he=
thought, " I' d give up the game and be satisfied with what' s left.&=
quot; But he reflected that such a course would offer no chance to redeem h=
imself. Once again he took up the challenge and determined to win out. &quo=
t; Then," he thought exultantly, " I' ll make them feel this a bi=
t." He longed for the time when he could take his few friends with him=
and sail away to the Mediterranean to escape the eyes and tongues of New Y=
ork. Impatiently he urged Harrison to complete the arrangements, so that th=
ey could start at once. But Harrison' s face was not untroubled when he mad=
e his report. All the preliminary details had been perfected. He had taken =
the " Flitter" for four months, and it was being overhauled and p=
ut into condition for the voyage. It had been Brown' s special pride, but a=
t his death it went to heirs who were ready and eager to rent it to the hig=
hest bidder. It would not have been easy to find a handsomer yacht in New Y=
ork waters. A picked crew of fifty men were under command of Captain Abner =
Perry. The steward was a famous manager and could be relied upon to stock t=
he larder in princely fashion. The boat would be in readiness to sail by th=
e tenth of April.</p>=20
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