Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1905-09-07

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things, to draw In their breath sharply.
Altogether the effect manifestly made
an impression.
Such an environment had its infiu-
ence upon the company. 1t went far
toward making the dinner success.
From far In the distance came the
softened strains of Hungarian music.
and never had the little band played
the "yalse Amoureuse" and the 'Valse
Bleue" with the spirit it put into them
that night. Yet the aoft clamOr in the
I dining room insistently ignored the
emotion of the music. Monty, bored
as he was between the two most inn
portant dowagers Mt the feast. wonder
ed dimly what Invisible part 1t played
1 In making things go. He had a vagrant
fancy that without it there would have
/ been no Zest for talk, no noisy competi-
| ton TO overcome. no hurdles 70 leap.
! AS II was, the talk certainly went well,
/ and Mrs. Dan inspected the result Of
! her work from time TO time with smil-
ing satisfaction. From across the Ia.
BILE she heard Colonel Drew's voice:
Brewster evidently objects TO long
siege. He is planning to carry us by
| assault"
Mrs. Dan turned to Subway Smith,
who was at her right-the latest ad-
dition to her menagerie. What is
this friend of yoursT' she asked. II
have never seen such complex sim
plicity. This new plaything has no real
charm for him. He is breaking II to
find out what ii is made Of, and some
thing will happen when he discovers
the sawdust."
"Oh, don't worry about him." said
Subway easily. "Monty's at least a
rood sportsman. He won't complain,
whatever happens. He'll accept the
reckoning and pay the piper"
II was only toward the end OF the
evening that Monty found his reward
In a moment with Barbara Drew. He
stood before her, squaring his shout
ders belligerently to keep away In
truders. and she smiled up at him In
that bewildering fashion Of hers. But
II was only for an instant, and then
came terrifying din from the dining
room. followed by the clamor Of crash
ing glass. The guests tried for a mo-
ment to be courteously oblivious, but
the noise was so startling that such
politeness became farcical. The host,
with little laugh, went down the
hall. 1t was the beautiful screen near
the ceiling that had fallen. A thou
sand pieces of shattered glass covered
the place. The table was sickening
heap Of crushed orchids and sputter-
ing candles. Frightened servants rush
ed into the room from one side just as
Brewster entered from the other. Stu.
pefaction halted them. After the first
pulseless moment of horror exclama-
tons OF dismay went up on all sides.
For Monty Brewster the first sensa-
ton Of regret was followed by dia-
bolical sense OF JOY.
Thank the Lordr' he said softly in
the hush.
The look of surprise he encountered
In the faces OF his guests brought him
up with jerk.
THAT it didn't happen while we were
dining" be added, with serene thank
fulness. And his nonchalance scored
FOR him In the idle game he was playing.
CHAPTER VII.
n n X. BREwSTER'S butler was
M surprised and annoyed. For
the first time In his official
career he had unbent so far
as to manifest personal interest in
the welfare of his master. He was
on the verge of assuming RESPONSE
bility which makes any servant intol-
cradle. But after his interview he re-
solved that he would never again over
step his position. He made sure that
it should be the last ofrense. The day
following the dinner Rawles appeared
before young Mr.. Brewster and indi-
Gated by his manner that the call was
an important one. Brewster was seat
ed at his writing table, deep In thought.
The exclamation that followed Rawles'
cough of announcement was so sharp
and SO Enthusiastically fierce that all 9th
er evidence paled into insignificance
The buffers interruption came at a
moment when Monty's mental arith-
metic was pulling itself out OF very
bad rut. and the cough drove 1t back
into chaos.
"What Is ity' he demanded irrita-
bly,. Rawles had upset his calculations
to the extent Of seven or eight hundred
dollars.
II came to report han unfortunate
condition hamong the servants. sir"
said Rawles. stiffening as his response
bility became more and more weighty.
He had relaxed temporarily upon en-
tering the room.
whats the troubleT
"The troubles hended, SIR
"Then why bother me about it?'
II thought 1t would be well for you
to know. sir The servants was going
to ask for 'igher wiges today, SIR
"You say they were going to ask {?
Aren't theyY' And Monty's eyes light
ed up at the thought Of new possibili-
ties.
II convinced them. sir, as how they
were getting good pay as 1t is. sir, and
that they ought to be satisfied. They'd
b . long time finding better place
~.