Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-03

business than goat" criticised Mont.
 gomery. And Paul lowered his head in
 humble confession. That man who
 calcimines your studio could figure on
 a piece of work with more intelligence
 than you reveal. I'll pay $2,5oo. It'a
 only fair price, and I can't afford
 anything cheap in this place."
 "At this rate you won't be able to
 afford anything" said Pettingill tc
 himself.
 And 50 it was that Pettingill and a
 corps of decorators soon turned the
 rooms into a confusion of scaffoldings
 and paint buckets, out of which in the
 end emerged something very distin-
 guished. No one had ever thought
 Pettingill deficient in ideas, and thia
 was his opportunity. The only draw.
 sack was the time limit which Brew
 ster so remorselessIy fixed. Without
 that he felt that he could have done something splendid in the way of dec oratiye panels-something that would make even the glory of Puvis de Cha vannes turn pallid With it he was obliged to curb his turbulent ideas, and he decided that a rich simplicity was the proper note. The result was gorgeous, but not too gorgeous-it had depth and distinction.
 Elated and eager, he assisted Brew ster in selecting furniture and hang ings for each room, but he did not know that bis employer was making conditional purchases of everything. MT. Brewster had agreements with all the dealers to. the effect .tm. they were to buy everything back at q fair price
 If he desired to give up his establish. ment within year He adhered to this rule in all cases that called for the purchase outright of substantial ne- cessities. The bump of calculativeness in Monty Brewster's head was growing to abnormal proportions.
 In retaining his rooms at Mrs. Gray's he gave the flimsy but pathetic excuse that he wanted place in which he might find occasional seasons of peace and quiet. When Mrs. Gray protested against this useless bit of extrava- gance his grief was so obviously gen uine that her heart was touched, and there was deep, fervent joy in her soul She loved this fair faced boy, and tears of happiness came to her eyes when she was given this new proof of his loyalty and devotion. His rooms were kept for him just as if he had expected to occupy them every day and every night, notwithstanding the luxurious apartments he was to main tain elsewhere. The Oliver Optic books still lay in the attic. all tattered and torn, but to Margaret the embodi- ment of prospective riches, promises of sweet hours to come. She knew Mon- ty we'll enough to feel that he would not forget the dark little attic of old for all the splendors that might come with the new dispensation.
 There was.no little surprise when he sent out invitations for large dinner. His grandfather had been dead less than a month, and society was some what scandalized by the plain symp- toms of disrespect he was showing. No one had expected him to observe pro- longed season of mourning, but that he should disregard the formalities was rather shocking. Some of the older people, who had not long xxyhn hod onf openly denounced his heartlessness. It was not very gratifying to think of what might be in store for them if all were as short as Brewster's. Old Mrs. Ketchell changed her will, md two nephews were cut off entire y. A very modest and impecunious grandson of Joseph Garrity also was .o sustain a severe change of fortune n the near future if the cards spoke Judge Van Woort, who was not expected to live through the night, got better immediately after hearing tome one in the sickroom whisper that Brewster was to give pig dinner. Naturally the heirs-to-be condemned young Brewster in no un- certain terms.
 Nevertheless the dinner to be given ,y the grandson of old Edwin Peter Brewster was the talk of the town, and lot one of the sixty invited guests .ould have been persuaded to miss it. Reports as to it's magnidcence were lbroad long before the night set for he dinner. One of them had it that it vas to cost s3,000 plate. From that igure the legendary price receded to mark as low as $500. Montgomery would have been only too glad to pay 5000 or more, but some mysterious orce conveyed to his mind perfect portrait of Swearengen Jones in the Ict of putting down a large black mark lgainst him. and he forbore.
 "I wish I knew whether I had to Ibide by the New York or the Mon- ana standard of extravaganza" Brew ter said to himself. T wonder if he 'yer sees the New York papers,"
 Late each night the last of the grand Id Brewster family went to bis bed oom. where. after dismissing his man. le settled down at his desk, with ,enciI and a pad of paper. Lighting he candles, which were more easily he found. than lamps and much more costly. he thoughtfully and calculated his expenses for be day. Nopper Harrison and Elcn ;ardner had the receipts for all mon ys spent. and Joe Bragdon was keep ng an official report. but the chief" s they called him. could not go to