The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-09-29
CHAPTER XVI.

"oS "e CottaBe OF n Now York
millionaire which had fallen to
Brewster. The owner had, for the
u time. preferred Italy to st. Angus
tine and left his estate, which was
Well located and lavishly equipped, in
the hands Of his friends. Brewstcr's
lease covered three months, at a fabu-
lous rate per month. With Joe Brar-
don installed as manager In chief, his
establishment was transferred bodily
from New York, and the rooms were
soon MS comfortable rs their grandeur
would permit. Brewster was not nj
lowed to take advantage Of his horses
and the new automobile which preced
ed him from New York, but to his
guests they offered unlimited opportu-
nities.
Hopper Harrison had remained in the
northeo renew arrangements for the
now mated ball and to look after tho
advance details Of tho yacht cruise.
Dr. Lotless and his sister, with Sub
way Smith aud the Grays, made up
brewster's party. Lotless dampenel
Monty's spirits by relentlessly putting
him on rigid diet, with most discourap-
ing restrictions; upon his conduct. Tie
period Of convalescence was to be nm
exceedingly trying one for the invalid.
AT nfst he was kept indoors. and the
hours were whiled away by playing
cards, but Monty considered bridge
the pons asinorum and preferred to
play piQuet with Peggy. It was one
or these games that the girl interrupt
ed WIN n question that had troubled
her for many days. Monty" she said,
and she found 1t much more dlficult
than when she had rehearsed the scene
In the silence OF her walks, "I've heard
a rumor that Miss Drew and her moth
er have taken rooms Mt the hotel
Wouldn't 1t be pleasanter to have them
hereT
A heavy gloom settled upon Brew
ster's face, and the girls heart dropped
like lead. She had puzzled 4 -er the
estranBement and wondered if\,y any
effort Of her own things could be set
right. At times she had had flashing
hopes that 1t did not mean rs auch to
Monty MS she had thought, but down
underneath. the fear that he was un-
happy seemed the only certain thing
IN life. 81 felt that she must make
sure. And together with the very hu-
man desire to know the worst was the
puritanical impulse to bring it about.
You forget that this IL the last place
they would care to invade" And in
Brewster's face Peggy seemed to read
thet for her martyrdom was the only
''Monty. forget nothing that real
ly know. But this Is case in which
you are quite wrong. Where is your
sporting blood? You have never fought
n losing fight before, and you can't do
1t 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 gloom weighed heavily upon
her. "Ycu don't mind, do you. Monty"
she added more softly, ''this sort Of
thing from me? I know ought not to
interfere, but I've known you so long,
and hate to see things twisted 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 OF seemed bit unnecessary. Man
ifestly her own interest I'm him was of
the coolest. From out Of the gloom he
looked at her somewhat sullenly. For
he moment she was thinking only OF
his pain, and her face said nothing.
Peggy" he exclaimed finally, re-
venting the necessity of answering her,
"you don't in the least know what you
are talking about. 1t Is not a fit Of an
pop 1,o
rious conviction"
"A conviction which can be changed"
the girl broke in.
'Not at all" Brewster took it up.
"She has no faith In me. She thinks
I'm an nss."
Perhaps she's right" she exclaimed,
a little hot. Perhaps you have never
discovered that girls say many things
to hide their emotions. Perhaps you
don't realize what feverlsh, exclamato-
ry, foolish things girls are. They don't
know how to be honest with the men
they love, and they wouldn't IL they
did. You are little short of an idiot,
Monty Brewster, II you believed the
things she seid rather than the things
she looked"
And Peggy, fiery and determined and
defantly unhappy, threw down her
cards and escaped SO that she might
not prove herself fearfully Eemlnine.
She left Brewster still heavily envel-
oped In melancholy, but she left him
puzzled. He began to wonder II Bar
bara Drew did have 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 that mood, and he
liked 1t. He remembered how. she had
lost her temper once when she was If