, 1905-11-15

10 keep IL now
Brewster refused the money, but
took back his watch.
keep it, Bill" he said. "You need it
more than l do. It's enough to set you
up in some other trade. Why not try
it?'
81 will try, boss" And Bill was so
profuse in his thanks that Monty had
difficulty in getting away. AS he
climbed into a cab he heard Bill say:
81 will try, boss, and, say, IL ever 1 can
do anything for you jes' put me mex.
I'm mex you all de time"
He gave the driver the name of his
club, but as he was passing the Wal
dorf he remembered that he had sew
eral things to say to Mrs. Dan. The
order was changed, and a few mo-
ments later he was received in Mrs.
Dams very special Gen. She wore
something soft and graceful in laven-
der, something that was light and
wavy and evanescent and made o
watch its changing shadows. Monty
looked down at her with the feeling
that she made a very effective picture.
you are looking pretty fit this
morning, my lady," he said by way of
preamble. "How well everything plays
up to you!
And you are unusually courtly,
Monty" she smiled. Has the world
treated you 50 generously of late?"
1T is treating me generously enough
just now to make up for anything"
and he looked at her. do you know,
Mrs. Dan, that it is borne in upon me
now and then that there are things that
are quite worth while?"
"Oh, if you come to that she an
swered lightly, everything is worth
while. For you, Monty, life is certain
ly not slow. You can dominate; you
can make things go your way. Aren't
they going your way now, Monty?'
Then more seriously: whats wrong?
Is the pace too fast?'
His mood increased upon him with
her sympathy. "Oh, no." he said, sit
isn't that. You are good, and I'm a
selfish beast. Things are peryerse and
people are desperately obstinate some
times. And here Pm taking it out on
you. You are not perverse. You are
not obstinate. You are ii ripper, Mrs.
Dan, and you are going to help me out
in more ways than one"
well, to pay for all these gallan-
tries, Monty, ought to do much. I'm
your friend through thick and thin.
You have only to command me-"
at was precisely to get your help
that | came in. I'm tired of these CON
founded dinners. You know yourself
that they are all alike-the same peo-
pie, the same flowers, the same things
to eat and the same inane twaddle in
the shape of talk. Who cares about
them anyway"
"Well, I like that" she interrupted.
"After all the thought | put into those
linnersl After all the variety | so care
fully secured! My dear boy, you are
frightfully ungrateful."
ooh, you know what l mean, and
you know quite as well as | do that it
is perfectly true. The dinners were a
beastly bore, which proves that they
were a loud success Your work was
not done in vain. But now l want
something else. We must push along
this ball we've beer talking of. And
the yachting cruise-that can't walt
very much longer
1.-THE ball first" she decreed. "I1l
see to the cards at once, and in a day
or two I'll have a list ready for your
gracious approval. And what have you
done?'
"Pettingill has some great ideas for
doing over Sherry's. Harrison is in
communication with the manager of
that Hungarian orchestra you spoke
of, and he finds the men quite ready
for a little jaunt across the water. We
have that military band-I'ye forgotten
the number of its r~egiment-for the
promenade music, and the new Paris
sensation, the contralto, is coming over
with her primo tenore for some special
numbers"
you were certainly cut out for an
executive, Monty" said Mrs. Dan.
"But with the music and the decora-
lions arranged you've only begun. The
favors are the real things. and if you
say the word We'll surprise them a lit
tie. Don't worry about it, Monty. It's
a go already. Well pull it off togeth-
err"
"You are a thoroughbred, Mrs. Dan,"
he exclaimed. you do help a fellow
at a pinch"
'That's all right, Monty" she an
swered. "Give me until after Christ
mas and I'll have the finest favors
ever seen. Other people may have
their paper hats and pink ribbons, but
"a, n chow them how the thing