The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-09-01

us he'd be pauper in six months"
Paul Pcttingill, to his own intense
surprise and, it must be sail, con-
stcrnation, was engaged to rcdccorate
certain rooms according to a plan sus-
gested by the tenant. The rising young
artist In great furry Of excitement
agreed to do the work for $500 and
then blushed like schoolgirl when he
was Informed by the practical Brew
ster that the paints and material for
one room alone would cost twice as
much.
Petty, you have no more idea Of
business than n goat" criticised Mont
gomery. And Paul lowered his head in
humble confession. THAT man who
calcimines your studio could figure ON
a piece Of work with more intelligence
than you reveal. I'll pay $4,000 It's
only fair price, and I can't afford
anything cheap in this place"
"At this rate you won't be able t.
afford anything" said Pettingill to
| himself.
And so it was that Pettingill and n
corps of decorators soon turned the
rooms into confusion Of scafroltlings
and paint buckets, out Of which in the
end emerged something very distin-
guished. No one had ever thought
Pcttlnglll deficient In ideas, and this
was his opportunity. The only draw
back was the time limit which Brew
ster so remorselessly fixed. Without
that he felt that he could have done
something splendid in the way Of dec
orae've poneis-samething that would
make even the glory Of Puvls de cha
vanncs turn pallid. With it he was
| obliged to curb his turbulent ideas
and he decided that a rich simplicity
was the proper note. The result was
gorgeous, but not too gorgeous-it had
depth and distinction.
Elated and eager. he assisted Brew
ster In selecting furniture and hang
lngs Tor each room. but he did not
KNOW that his employer was making
conditional purchases OF everything.
Mr.. Brewster had agreements with all
the dealers to the effect that they were
to buy everything back at a fair price
II he desired to give up his establish
| mcnt within u year. He adhered to this
| rule In all cases that called for the
purchase outright of substantial me-
ccsSiticS. The bump of calculativeneSs
| to abnormal proportions.
In retaining his rooms ut Mrs. Gray's
he gave the flimsy but pathetic excuse
that he wanted place in which no
| might find occasional seasons Of peace
and quiet. When Mrs. Gray protested
| against this useless bit Of extraya-
gance his grief was so obviously gen
uine that her heart was touched, and
there was deep, fervcnt joy in her
soul. She loved this fair faced boy,
and tears of happiness came to her
| eyes when she was given this new
proof Of his loyalty and devotion. His
rooms were kept for him just as il he
had expected to occupy them every day
| and every night, Notwithstanding the
luxurious apartments he was to main
tain elsewhere. The Oliver Optic
books still lay In the attic, all tattered
| and torn, but to Margaret the embodi-
mcnt of prospective riches, promises OF
sweet hours to come. She knew Mon!
ty we'll enough to feel that he would
not forget the dark little attic Of old
for all the spIendors tnar mIgnu come
with the new dispensation.
There was no little surprise when he
sent ont invitations for Il large dinner.
His grandfather had been dead less
than n month, and society was some
what scandallzed by the plain symp-
toms Of disrcspect he was showing. No
one had expected him to observe pro.
lOnged season Of mourning, but that
he should disregard the sformalitiea
completely was rather shocking. Some
| Of the older people, who had not long
| to live and who had heirs apparent,
| openly denounced his heartlessness 1t
was not very gratifying to think Of
what might be in store for them If ali
memories were as short as Brewster's
Old Mrs. Ketchell changed her will,
and two nephewS were cut off entire
ly. A very modest and impecunious
grandson Of Joseph Garrity also was
to sustain severe change of fortune
In the near future If the cards spoke
correctly. Judge Van Wort, who was
not expected to live through the night,
got better Immediately after hearing
some one in the Sickroom whisper that
Montgomery Brewster was to give II
big dinner. Naturally the heirs to-be
condemned young Brewster in no un-
certain terms.
Nevertheless the dinner to be given
by the grandson of old edwin Peter
Brewster was the talk Of the town, and
not one of the sixty invited guests
could have been persuaded to miss it,
Reports as to it's magnificence were
abroad long before the night set for
the dinner. One Of them had 1t that Il
was to cost $4,000 plate, From that
figure the legendary price receded to
a mark as low as $500, Montgomery
would have been only too glad TO pay
$4,000 OF more. but some mysterious
force conveyed to his mind perfect
portrait of Swcarengen Jones in the
act Of putting down n large black mark
against him, and he fOrbore.