Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-27

/ y ~ASAs'S
there was little reluctance to help him
IN the wild career he had chosen. II
was so easy to go with him to the edge
Of the precipice and let him take the
plunge alone. Only the echo of the
criticism reached Brewster, for he had
silenced Harrison with work and Pet
ttngill with opportunities. It troubled
him little, as he was engaged in jotting
down items that swelled the profit side
Of his ledger account enormously. The
ball was bound to give him good lead
In the race once more despite the
heavy handicap the Stock Exchange
| had imposed. The Little Sons took
of their coats and helped Pettingill in
the work Of preparation. He found
! them quite superfuous, for their ideas
nsTer agreed, and each man had way
| of preferring his own suggestion. Tc
Brewster's chagrin, they were united
in the effort to curb his extravaganza
Hell be giving automobiles and
ropes of pearls for favors If we don't
stop him." said Subway Smith after
| Monty had ordered vintage cham.
| payne to be served during the entire
evening. "Gfve them two glasses first
II you like, and then they won't mind
if they have cider the rest of the
night
Monty is plain dotty," chimed in
Bragdon, "and the pace is beginning to
tell on him.
AS a matter Of fact the pace was be-
ginning to tell on Brewster. Work and
worry were plainly having an effect on
his health. His color was bad, his
eyes were losing their luster, and there
was listlessness in his actions that
even determined effort could not con-
ceal from his friends. Little fits of
fever annoyed him occasionally, and
he admitted that he did not feel quite
| right
Something Is wrong somewhere" he
said ruefully, "and my whole system
seems ready to stop work through sym
pathy."
Suddenly there was mighty check
to the preparations. Two days before
the date set for the ball everything
came to a standstill and the managers
sank back in perplexity and consterna-
ton. Monty Brewster was critically
! ill.
Appendicitis, the doctors called 1t,
and an operation was imperative.
"Thank heaven it's fashionable"
laughed Monty, who showed no fear of
the prospect. "How ridiculous If it
had been the mumps or If the newspa-
pers had said, On account Of the
whooping cough Mr.. Brewster did not
attend his bally"
off, Of course" And Harrison was real
ly alarmed.
mot bit Of 1t, Hopper said Monty.
''It's what I've been wanting all along.
You chaps do the handshaking and
stay at home"
There was an immediate council Of
war when this piece Of news was an
nounced, and the Little Sons were
unanimous in favor of recalling the in
vitations and declaring the party off.
At first Monty was obdurate, but when
some one suggested that he could give
the ball later on, after he was well, he
relented. The opportunity to double
the cost by giving two parties was not
to be ignored.
Call it off, then, but say that 1t is
only postponed"
A great rushing to and fro resulted
in the canceling Of contracts, the re-
calling Of invitations, the settlement of
accounts, with the most loyal effort to
save as much as possible from the
wreckage. Harrison and his associ-
ates, almost frantic with fear for Brew
ster's life, managed to perform won
ders In the few hours Of grace. Card
ner, with rare foresight, saw that the
Viennese orchestra would prove dead
loss. He suggested the possibility of
a concert tour through the country
covering several weeks, and Monty, too
III to care one way or the other, au-
thorized him to carry out the plan If it
seemed feasible.
To Monty, fearless and less disturb
ed than any other member of his cir
Gle, appendicitis seemed as inevitable
as vaccination.
1.-THE appendix is becoming an i'm
portant feature in the book of life" he
once told Peggy Gray.
He refused to go to hospital, but
pathetically begged to be taken to his
old rooms at Mrs. Gray's.
With all the unhappy loneliness of a
Sick boy he craved the care and COM
partnership of those who seemed part
OF his own. DR.. Lotless had them
transform small bedchamber into
model operating room, and Monty took
no small satisfaction in the thought
that it he was to be denied the priv
ilege Of spending money for several
weeks he would at least make his Ill
ness as expensive as possible A con-
sultation of eminent surgeons was call
ed; but, true to his colors, Brewster
installed DR.. Lotless, Little Son, as
his house surgeon. Monty grimly bore
the pain and suffering and submitted
to the operation which alone could
save his life. Then came the struggle,