Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-12-08
CHAPTER XVIII.

the Rocky mountains.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Y YARRISON'S departure left Brew
| |" ster In sore straits. 1t forced
him to settle down to the ac-
i L tual management of his own af-
fairs. He was not indOlent. but this
was not the kind Of work he cared to
! encourage. The private accounts he
had kept revealed some appalling facts
when he went over them carefully one
morning at 4 o'clock after an all night
session with the ledger. With infinite
| pains he had managed to rise to some
, thing over $3.50 900 In six months. But
to his original million II had been nee
essary to add S5S,550 which he had
realized from Lumber and Fuel and
| some Of his other unfortunate" op-
erations. At least $4,000 would come
to him ultimately through the sale Of
furniture and other belongings. and
then there would be something like
$4,000 interest to consider.
But luck had aided him in getting rid
Of his money. The bank failure had
cost him $118, 4GS25. and hopper Har-
rison had helped him to the extent Of
$4,000. The reckless but determined
effort to give ball had cost $4,000.
What he had lost during his illness had
been pretty we'll Offset by the unlucky
concert tour. The Florida trip. includ-
ing medical attention, the cottage and
living expenses, had entailed the ex-
penditure Of $1a,5OO, and his princely
dinners and theater parties had footed
up $1,000. Taking all the facts into
! consideration. he felt that he had done
rather we'll Us far as he had gone. but
the hardest part Of the undertaking
was yet to come. He was still In pos
session Of an enormous sum which
/ must disappear before Sept. 23. About
$4,000 had already been expended in
the yachting project.
He determined to begin at once a sys-
tematic campaign Of extinction. It had
been his intention before sailing to dis
pose Of many household articles either
by sale or gift. As he did not expect to
return to New York before the latter
part Of August this would minimize the
struggles Of the last month. But the
prospective profit" to be acquired
from keeping his apartment open was
not to be overlooked. He could easily
count upon generous sum for salaries
and running expenses Once on the 9TH
er side Of the Atlantic he hoped that
new opportunities for extravaganza
would present themselves, and he fan
cied he could leave the final settlement
Of his affairs for the last month. A.
the day for sailing approached the
world again seemed bright to this most
mercenary of spendthrifts.
A farewell consultation with his at.
tornsys proved encouraging, for to
them his chances to win the extraor.
binary contest seemed Of the best He
was in high spirits as he left them.
exhilarated by the sensation that the
world lay before him. In the eleva-
tor he encountered Colonel Prentiss
Drew. On both sides the meeting was
not without its difficulties. The colonel
had been dazed by the inexHlicable
situation between Monty and his
daughter. whose involutions he found
hard to understand. Her summary Of
the effort she had made to effect a
reconciliation after hearing the story
OF the bank was rather vague. She
had done her utmost, she said, to be
nice to him and make him feel that
she appreciated his generosity, but be
took it In the most disagreeable fash
ion. Colonel Drew knew that things
were somehow wrong, but he was too
strongly an American father to in
terfere in a matter Of the affections.
It distressed him, for he had q liking
for Monty, and Barbara's "society
Judgments" as he called them, had no
weight with him. When he found him
self confronted with Brewster in the
elevator the old warmth revived and
the old hope that the quarrel might
have an end. His greeting was CHEEKY.
"You have not forgotten, Brewster"
he said as they shook hands, that
you have dollar or two with usT
NO." said Monty; mot exactly. And
I shall be calling upon you for some Of
It very soon. I'm Off on Thursday for
a cruise In the Mediterranean"
"Tve heard something Of it." They
had reached the main floor, and Colonel
Drew had drawn his companion out
Of the crowd into the rotunda. ''The
money Is at your disposal at any mo-
ment. But aren't you setting a pretty
lively pace, my boy? You know I've
always liked you, and I knew your
grandfather rather well. He was a
good old chap, Monty, and he would
hate to see you make ducks and
brakes Of his fortune"
There was something in the colonels
manner that softened Brewster, much
as he hated to take reproof from Bar.
bara's father. Once again he was
tempted to tell the truth, but he pulled
himself up in time. TITS funny old
world, colonel" he said, ''and some
times ones nearest friend Is a stranger.
I know I seem q foot; but, after all,
why isn't 1t good philosophy to make
the most Of a holiday and then settle
back to work.
THAT Is all very we'll, Monty"-and
Colonel Drew was entirely serious
but the work is a hundred times hard
er after you have played to the limit.
You'll find that you are way beyond It.
It's no joke getting back into the har-
ness"
perhaps you are right, colonel, but
at least shall have something to look
back upon even II the worst comes"
And Monty instinctively Strengthened
his shoulders.
They turned to leave the building.
and the colonel had moment of weak
ness.
DO you know, Monty" he said, my
daughter is awfully cut up about this
business. She is plucky and tries not
to show 1t, but, after all, a girl doesn't
get over that sort Of thing all in a mo-
ment. am not saying''-it seemed nee
essary to recede step-"that it would
be an easy matter to patch up. But l
like you, Monty, and II any man could
do 1t you can" !