Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-08-03

n "A ONIY'S situation was deSper-
N ate. Only little more than
$4,000 had been spent on the
A "A carnival, and no opportunity
Of annihnating the roulette winnings
seemed to offer itself. His experience
at Monte Carlo did not encourage him
to try again, and Peggy's attitude to-
ward the place was distinctly antago-
nistic. The Riviera presenting no new
opportunities for extravaganza, it be-
came necessary to seek other worlds.
II never before understood the real
meaning Of the phrase tight money!"
thought Monty. Lord, if it would only
loosen bit and stay loosened!" Some
thing must be done, he realized, to earn
his living. Perhaps the role of the
princely profigate would be easier in
Italy than anywhere else. He studied
the outlook from every point of view,
but there were moments when it 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 he remembered that
Pettingill had once lost his heart to q
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 wonder" exclaimed the
artist. And his eyes grew dreamy. "It
sAines out at you with its white ter
races and turrets like those fascinat-
ing castles that Ma1f1eld Parrish draws
for children. It Is fairyland You ex-
pect to wake and find it gone"
"Oh, drop that, Petty" said Brew
ster, cor it will make you poetical
What want to know is who owns it
and is it likely to be occupied at this
season."
ut belongs to certain marquise,
who is widow with no children. They
say she has 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 servants 1t is always deserted"
The very thing" declared Brewster.
Petty, We'll have house party
You'd better not count on that, Mon
ty. A man I know ran across the
place once and tried for year to buy
it. But the lady has ideas of her own"
Well, If you wish to give him hint
or two about how to do things, watch
me. If you don't spend two weeks in
your dream castle I will cut the crowd
and sail for home'
He secured the name of the owner
and found that Pettingill had even a
remote idea Of the address of her agent.
Armed with these facts, he set out in
search of courier, and through Phi
lippe he secured a Frenchman named
Bertier, who was guaranteed to be sur.
prisingly ingenious in providing meth
DDS Of spending money. To him Brew
ster confded 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-
terious marquise, and an inquiry was
Immediately telegraphed to him.
The agents reply would have been
dlscouraging to any one but Brewster.
1t stated that the owner had no inten-
ton of leasing her forsaken castle for
any period whatever. The profigate
learned that fair price for an estate
of that kind for 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 royal farewell.
AT Genoa the mail mad accumulated
and held the attention of the yacht
to the exclusion Of everything else
Brewster was somewhat crestfallen tc
learn that the lady of the villa haughti
ly refused his princely offer. He wor
the lifelong devotion of his courier by
promptly increasing it to 100000
francs. When this, too, met with re.
lection there was a pause as well as
a serious consultation between tllt
two.
"Bertier,".. exclaimed Brewster, q