, 1905-11-01

men feared him, and there were many
who lived In glass houses in terror of
a fusillade. Brewster's prompt and
sufficient action had checked the per
nicious attacks, and he became a hero
among men and After that
night there was no point to The Cen
sor's pen. Monty's first qualms Of
apprehension were swept away when
Colonel Drew himself hailed him the
morning after the encounter and In
no unmeasured terms congratulated
him upon his achievement, assuring
him that Barbara and Mrs. Drew ap-
proved, although they might lecture
him as a matter Of form.
But on this morning as he lay in his
bed Monty was thinking deeply and
painfully. He was confronted by a
most embarrassing condition, and he
was discussing it soberly with him
self. 1--WE never told her. he said to
himself, but if she doesn't know my
feeling she is not as clever as l think
Besides, l haven't time to make love to
her now. II it were any other girl l
D I'd have to, but Babs-why,
she must understand. And yet-hang
that duke!'
In order to WOO her properly he
would be compelled to neglect finan-
cial duties that needed every particle
of brain energy at his command. He
found himself opposed at the outset by
a startling embarrassment, made abb
solutely clear by the computations of
the night before. The last four days
of Indifference to finance on n sile
and pampering the heart on the other
lad proved very costly. To use his
own expression, he had been "set
back almost $4,000. An average like
that would be ruinous.
"Why, think of it," he continued.
"For each day sacrificed to Barbara
1 must deduct something like $1,000.
A long campaign would put me ire
%trievably In the hole; I'd get so far
behind that a holocaust couldn't put
me even. She can't expect that Of me.
yet girls are such idiots about devotion,
and of course she doesn't know what
a heavy task I am facing. And there
are the others-what will they do while
1 am out Of the running? l cannot so
to her and say: please, may l have
a years vacation? I'll come back next
september On the other hand, l
shall surely neglect my business If
she expects me to compete. What
pleasure shall l get out of the seven
millions If | lose her? l can't afford to
take chances. That duke won't have
seven millions next September, it's
true, but he'll have a prodigious argu-
ment against me about the 21st or Odd"
Then a brilliant thought occurred
to him which caused him to ring for a
messenger boy with such a show of i'm
patience that Rawles stood aghast.
The telegram which Monty wrote was
as follows:
Swearengen Jones, Butte, Mont:
May l marry and turn all property over
to wife, provided she will have me?
MONTGOMERY BREWSTER.
"Why isn't that reasonable?" he
asked himself after the boy had gone.
Making property over to mes wife
is neither a loan nor is 1t charity. Old
Jones might call it needless extrava-
gance, since he's a bachelor, but it's
generally done because it's good bust
ness" Monty was hopeful.
Following his habit in trouble, he
sought Margaret Gray, to whom he
could always appeal for advice and
consolation. She was to come to his
next dinner party, and it was easy to
lead up to he subject in hand by men
tioning the other guests.
"And Barbara Drew" he concluded
after naming all the others. They
were alone in the library, and she was
drinking in the details of the dinner
as he related them.
Wasn't she at your first dinner?"
she asked quickly.
He successfully affected mild embar-
rassment.
Eyes"
"She must be very attractive" There
was no venom in Peggy's heart.
"She is attractive. In fact, she's n
of the best, Peggy" he said, paving the
way.
"It's too bad she seems to care for
that little duke"
Hes a bounder," he argued.
"Well, don't take it to heart. You
gy laughed.
But l do take it to heart, Peggy"
said Monty seriously. I'm pretty hard
hit, and l want your help. A sisters
advice is always the best In a matter
Of this sort"
She looked into his eyes duly for an
instant, not realizing the full impor-
4orao - 1T, anyfase;on