, 1905-12-20

iZe the momentum of the thing"
"You do it up to the handle,' she put
in. And you are much too generous
to be vulgar. But it worries me, Mon
ty; it worries me desperately. It's the
future I'm thinking of-your future,
which is being swallowed up. This
kind of thing can't go on. And what
is to follow it? You are wasting your
substance, and you are not making any
life for yourself that opens out"
Peggy" he answered very seriously,
''you have got to trust me. [ can't
back out, but I'll tell you this-you
shall not be disappointed in me in the
end"
There was a mist before the girls
eyes as she looked at him. 81 believe
you, Monty" she said simply. 81 shall
not forget"
The curtain rose upon the next act,
and something in the opera toward the
end seemed to bring the two very close
together. AS they were leaving the
theater there was a note of regret from
Peggy. at has been perfect" she
breathed, "yet, Monty, isn't it a waste
that no n else should have seen it?
Think of these poverty stricken peas
ants who adore music and have never
heard an opera"
"Well they shall neal n now"
Monty rose to it, but he felt like a
hypocrite in cOncealing his chief mo-
tive. well repeat the performance
tomorrow night and fill the house with
them"
He was as good as his word. Ber-
tier was given a task the next day
which was not to his taste. But with
the assistance of the city authorities he
carried it through. To them it was an
evidence of insanity, blu there was
something princely about it, and they
were tolerant. The manager of the OPP
era house was less complacent, and he
had an explanatory terror of the dam
age to his upholstery. But Brewster
had discovered that in Italy gold is a
panacea for all ills, and his prescrip-
lions were liberal. To him the day
was short, for Peggy's interest in the
penance, as it came to be called, was
so keen that she insisted on having a
hand in the preliminaries. There was
something about the partnership that
appealed to Monty.
To her regret the DeA1ille dinner in
terfered with the opening of the per-
Torrance, but Monty consolel her with
the promise that the opera and its
democratic audience should follow.
During the day Mrs. Dan had been
deep in preparations for her banquet,
but her plans were deliberately conceal
ed. They eliminated at 8 o'clock in the
Cova, not far from the Scala, and the
dinner was eaten in the garden to the
sound of music. Yet it was an effect of
simplicity with which Mrs. Dan sur
prised her guests. They were prepared
for anything but that, and when they
were served with consomme, spaghetti
"a concession to the chef-and chops
and peas, followed by a salad n cof-
fee, the gratitude of the crowd was
quite beyond expression. In a burst of
enthusiasm Subway Smith suggested
a testimonial.
Monty complained bitterly that he
himself had never received Il ghost of
Il testimonial. He protested that it was
not deserved.
"Why should you expect it?' exclaim-
ed Pettingill. when have you risen
from terrapin and ~artichokes to chops
and chicory? When have you given us
nectar and ambrosla like this"
Monty was defeated by a unanimous
vote, and Mrs. Dams testimonial was
assured, This matter settled, Peggy
and Mrs. Valentine, with Brewster and
Pettingill, walked over to the Scala
and heard again the last two acts of
"Aida." But the audience was differ
ent, and the applause.
The next day at noon the chauffeurs
from Paris reported for duty, and five
cleaning French devil wagons steamed
off through the crowd in the direction
of Venice. Through Brescia and Verona
and Vicenza they passed, scattering
largeSs of silver in their wake and
leaving a trail of breathless wonder.
Brewster found the pace too fast, and
by the time they reached Venice he had
a wistful longing to take this radiant
country more slowly. But this is pure
~ " puoihVSS UP, He uiouShl, anu L
can't expect to enjoy it. Some day I'll
come back and do it differently. 1
could spend hours in a gondola if the
blamed thing were not more expensive
by the trip"
1t was there that he was suddenly
recalled to his duty from dreams of
moonlight on the water by a cable
gram which demanded 1924 before it
could be read. Ii contained word for