Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-11-10

sclnsn nraSt. Things are perversc AMI
people ar" DESPERATELY obstinate SOME
tiIuc> Md bar" I'm taking It out on
!ou. You ar" not l,crNerSe you are
hot obstinate. You are. Il ripper. Mrs.
Dan, ail y"u are going to help me out
ia more ways than one
We'll. l. pay for all these gallan-
tries. Monty. | ought to do much. I'm
Your fri,nL through thick and thin.
You have only To command me"
1t WAS precisely 10 get your help
that ! came Ia. I'm tired of those con
founded dinners. You know yourself
that they are all alike-the same peo-
Pile, the same flowers, the same things
to eat and the same inane twaddle in
the shape of talk. Who cares about
them anyway
We'll, l like that" she interrupted.
after all the thought put into those
dinners, After all the variety 50 care
fully secured. My dear boy. you are
frightfully ungrateful."
"Oh, you know what l mean. and
you know quite as we'll as l do that 1t
IS perfectly true. The dinners were a
beastly bore. which proves that they
were loud success. Your work was
not done In vafn. But now l want
something else. We must push along
this ball we've been talking Of. And
the yachting cruise-that can't walt
very much longer"
The ball first" she decreed. "Ill
See to the cards ut once, and In day
or two I'll have n 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 Il little jnunt across the water. We
have that military band-I've forgotten
the number of It's regiment-for the
promenade music, and the new Paris
sensation. the contraltO, is coming over
with her primo tenOrc for some special
numbers"
You were certainly cut out for an
executive. Monty" said Mrs. Dan.
But with the music and the decora-
tons arranged you've only begun. The
favors are the real things, and If you
say the word We'll surprise them lit
tie. Don't worry about it. Monty. It's
n go already. Well pull it off toseth-
err"
"You are a thoroughbred, Mrs. Dan,"
he exclaimed. You do help a fellow
at n 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
you can show them how the thing
ought to be done"
Her reference to Christmas haunted
Brewster as he drove down Fifth ave-
nue. with the dread Of new disaster.
Never before had he looked upon pres
ents as u calamity, but this year 1t
was different. Immediately he began
to plan bombardment Of his friends
with costly trinkets, when he grew sud
NlclIy uOuDtlul VA NhS ORihiOh VA AIS
uncle's executor upon this move. But
in response to telegram Swearengen
Jones. with pleasing Feasibility. In
formed him that "any one with drop
Of human kindness in his body would
consider 1t his duty to give Christmas
presents to those who deserved them"
Monty's way was now clear. II his
friends meant to handicap him with
gifts he knew q way to get even. For
two weeks his mornings were spent Mt
Tiffany's, and the afternoons brought
Joy to the heart Of every dealer in an
Equities In Fourth and Fifth avenues.
He gave much thought to the matter
ticles which deliberately concealed their
value. And he had taste. The result of
his cndcovor was that many friends
who would not have thought Of remsm-
bering Monty with even a card were
pleasantly surprised on Christmas eve.
As It turned out, he Jared very well
In the matter Of gifts, and for some
days much Of his time was spent in
reading notes Of profuse thanks which
were yet vaguely apologize. The Grays
and Mrs. Dan had remembered him
with an agreeable lack of ostentation,
and some of the Little Sons Of the
Rich who had kept one evening q
fortnight open for the purpose of "us-
ing up their meal tickets" ut Monty's
were only too generously grateful.
Miss Drew had forgotten him. and
when they met after the holiday her
recognition was of the coolest He had
thought that under the circumstances
he could send her a gift Of value. but
the beautiful pearls With which he ask
ed for reconciliation were returned
with Miss DreW's thanks" He loved