Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-05

heavy handicap the Stock Exchange had imposed. The Little Sons took off their coats and helped Pettingill in the work of preparation. He founi them quite superfluous, for their ideas never agreed, and each man had a way of preferring his own suggestion. To Brewster's chagrin, they were united in the effort to curb his extravagance.
 He'll be giving automobiles and ropes of pearls for favors if we don't stop him." said Subway Smith after Monty had ordered a vintage cham evening. Give them two glasses first, if you like. aud then they won't mind if they have cider the rest of the night"
 Monty is plain dotty." chimed in Bragdon, "and the pace is beginning to tell on him."
 As matter of fact the pace was be- ginning to tell on Brewster. Work and worry were plainly having an effect on his health. His color was bad, his
 
 was a listlessness in his actions that even determined effort could not con- ceal from his friends. Little fits of fever annoyed him occasionally, and he admitted that he did not feel quite right.
 Something is wrong somewhere" he said ruefully, "and my whole system seems ready to stop work through sym pathy."
 Suddenly there was a mighty check to the preparations. Two days before the date set for the ball everything came to standstill and the managers sank back in perplexity and consterna- ton. Monty Brewster was critically ill.
 Appendicitis, the doctors called 1t, and an operation was imperative.
 Thank heaven it's fashionable" laughed Monty, who showed no fear of the prospect. How ridiculous if it had been the humps or if the newspa- pers had said, On account of the whooping cough MT. Brewster did not attend his ball""
 You don't mean to say-the ball is off, of course" And Harrison was real ly alarmed.
 Not bit of it. Nopper," said Monty. Its what I've been wanting all along. You chaps do the handshaking and I stay at home."
 There was an immediate council of war when this piece of news was an nounced, and the Little Sons were unanimous in favor of recalling the in vitations and declaring the party off. At first Monty was obdurate, but when some one suggested that he could give the ball later on, after he was we'll he relented. The opportunity to double the cost by giving two parties was not to be ignored.
 Gall it off. then, but say that it is only postponed"
 A great rushing to and fro resulted in the canceling of contracts, the re- calling of invitations, the settlement of accounts, with the most loyal effort to save as much as possible from the wreckage. Harrison and his associ- ates. almost frantic with fear for Brew ster's life, managed to perform won ders in the few hours of grace Gard ner, with rare foresight. saw that the Fiennese orchestra would prove a dead loss. He suggested the possibility of a concert tour through the country covering several weeks, and Monty. too III to care one way or the other, au- thorized him to carry out the plan if it seemed feasible.
 To Monty, fearless and less disturb ed than any other member of his cir cle, appendicitis seemed as inevitable as vaccination.
 The appendix is becoming an i'm portant feature in the book of life" he once told Peggy Gray.
 He refused to go to a hospital. but pathetically begged to be taken to his old rooms at Mrs Gray's.
 With all the unhappy loneliness of a sick boy he crayed the care and com panionship of those who seemed part of his own. Dr. Lotless had them transform A small bedchamber into a model operating room. and Monty took no small satisfaction in the thought that if he was t0 hp denied the priv ilege of spending money for several weeks he would at least make his ill., ness as expensive as possible. A con sultatiOn of eminent surgeons was call ed: but. true to his cclors. Brewster installed Dr. LotleSs. a Little Son. as his house surgeon. Monty grimly bore the pain and suffering and submitted tO the operation which alone could save his life. Then came The struggle. then the promise of victory and then the quiet days of rOuvalescence. Tn the little room whore he had dreamed . his boyish dreams and suffered his boy ish sorrows he struggled against death and gradually emerged from the mists of lassitude. He found it harder than he had thought to come back 10 life. 1. The burden of it all seemed heavy. The trained nurses found that some more powerful stimulant than the med icfne was needed to awaken his ambi- ton. and they discovered it st last in Peggy
 Child he said to her the first time she was permitted 10 sec him. and his eyes had lights in them. do you know. this isn't such 8 bad world after all Sometimes as I've lain here it has looked twisted and queer. hut there are things that straighten it out Today I