Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1905-11-09

opportunities for extravaganza, 1t be-
came necessary to seek other worlds.
IL never before understood the real
meaning of the phrase. tight money +"
thought Monty. Lord, IL IL would only
loosen a bit and stay loosened." Some
thing must be done. he realized, 10 earn
his living. Perhaps the role Of the
princely profiigate would be easier in
Italy than anywhere else. He studied
the outlook from every point of view,
but there were moments when IL seem
ed hopeless. Baedeker was provoking
ly barren OF suggestions for extrava-
gance, and Monty grew impatient of the
books small economies. Noticing some
chapters on the Italian lakes. In an in
spired moment be remembered that
Pettingill had IN lost his heart TO a
villa on the lake of Como. Instantly a
new act Of the comedy presented Itself
to him. He sought out Pettingill and
demanded a description Of his castle In
the air.
'Oh, it's a wonder" exclaimed the
artist. And his eyes grew dreamy. 1T
shines out at you with its white ter
races and turrets like those fascinat-
ing castles that Maxfeld Parrish draws
for children. 1t is fairyland. You ex-
pect to wake and find 1t gone"
ooh, drop that, Petty" said Brew
ster. ''or II will make you poetical.
| What l want to know is who owns it
and is it likely to be occupied at this
season.
ut belongs to a certain marquise,
who is a widow with NJ children. They
say she has a horror OF the place for
some reason and has never been near
It 1t is kept as though she were to
turn up the next day, but except for
the servant it Is always deserted"
The very thing" declared Brewster.
Petty, we'll have a house party"
YOU'D better not count on that, Mon
ty. A man / know ran across the
place onee and tried for a year to buy
It But the lady has ideas of her own"
"Well If you wish to give him a hint
or two about how to do things, watch
me. II you don't spend two weeks in
your dream castle | will cut the crowd
and sail for home"
He secured the name of the owner
and found that Pettinglll had even a
remote idea of the address of her agent.
Armed with these facts, he set out in
search of a courier, and through Phi
lippe he secured a Frenchman named
Bertier, who vas guaranteed to be sur
prislngly ingenious in providing meth
DDS of spending money. To him Brew
ster confided his scheme, and Bertier
realized with rising enthusiasm that at
last he had secured a client after his
own heart. He was able to complete
the address of the agent of the mys-
FERROUS marquise, and an inquiry was
Immediately telegraphed to him.
The agents reply would have been
discouraging to any one but Brewster.
1t stated that the owner had no inten-
ton of leasing her forsaken castle for
any period whatever. The profiigate
learned that a fair price for an estate
OF that kind for a month was 10000
francs, and he wired an offer Of five
times that sum for two weeks. The
agent replied that some delay would be
necessary while he communicated with
his principal. Delay was the one word
that Brewster did not understand, so
he wired him an address In Genoa, and
the Filter was made ready for sea.
Steam had been kept up, and her coal
account would compare favorably with
that Of an ocean liner. Philippe was
breathless with Joy when he was paid
In advance for another month at the
hotel on the assumption that the party
might be moved to return at any mo-
ment. The little town was gay at part
ing, and Brewster and his guests were
given a royal farewell.
At Genoa the mail had accumulated
and held the. attention Of the yacht
to the exclusion of everything else.
Brewster vas somewhat crestfallen ia
learn that the lady Of the villa haughti.
" refused his princely offer. He won
the lifelong devotion Of his courier by
promptly increasing 1t to 100000
francs. When this. too. met with re-
lection there was a pause as well as
q serious consultation between the
two.
"Bertier," exclaimed Brewster, II
must have the thing now. What's tc
be done? You've got to help me out
But the courier, prodigal as he was
OF gestures, had no words which seem
ed pertinent.
There must be some way of getting
at this marquise." Monty continued re
fectively. what are her tastes? Dc
you know anything about herr"
Suddenly the face of the couriel
grew bright. II have it, he said, and
then he faitered. "But the expense
m~onsieur--it would be heavy"
Perhaps we can meet it," suggestet
Monty quietly. whats the idea?r
1t was explained. with plenty OF &C
ton to make 1t clear. The courier hat
heard in Florence that madame !:
marquise had a passion for automo
biles. But with her Inadequate for
tune and the many demands upon /
It was a weakness not readily grad