Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-08-24

prevent the subsequent inevitable lassi.
tude. Socially Monty Brewster had yet
to make himself felt. lie and his din.
ners were something to talk about. but
they were accepted hesitatingly. halt.
ingiy. People wondered how he had
secured the cooperation Of Mrs. Dan,
but then Mrs. Dan always did 20 In for
q new toy. To her was inevitably at
tributed whatever success the dinner
achieved, and 1t was no small measure.
Yet there was nothing startling about
the affair. Monty had decided to begin
conservatively. lie did the conven.
tional thing. but he did 1t well. He add.
ed a touch or two Of luxury. the faint.
est aroma Of splendor. Pettingill had
designed the curiously hayward ia
bic, with its comfortable atmosphere
Of companionship, and arranged its
decoration OF great lavender orchids
and lacy butterfly festoons Of white
ones touched with yellow. He had
wanted to use dahlias in their many
rieh shades. from pale yellow to
orange and deep red, but Monty held
out for orchids. 1t was the artist, too,
who had found in n rare and happy
moment the massive gold candelabra-
ancient things Of more luxurious
age-and their opalescent shades.
Against his advice the service, too, was
Of goid--"rank vulgarity." he called 1t,
with its rich meaningless ornamental
ton. But here Monty was obdurate.
He insisted that he liked the color and
that porcelain had no character. Mrs.
Dan only prevented quarrel by sug-
costing that several courses should be
served upon Sevres.
Pettingilrs scheme for lighting the
room was particularly happy. For the
benefit OF his walls and the four love-
" Monets which Monty had purchased
at his instigation he had designed n
ceiling screen Of heavy rich glass In
tones Of white that grew into yellow
and dull green. 1t served to conceal
the lights in the daytime. and at night
the glare Of electricity was immensely
softened and mnde harmonious by
passing through it. 1t gave note Of
quiet to the picture which caused
even these men and women. who had
been here and there and seen many
things. to draw in their breath sharply.
Altogether the effect manifestly made
an impression.
Such an environment had its infiu
ence upon the company. 1t went far
toward making the dinner a success
From far in tho distance came the
softened strains of Hungarian music,
and never had the little band played
the "valse Amoureuse" and the "valse
Bleue' with the spirit It put into them
that night. Yet the soft clamor in the
dining room insistently ignored the
emotion Of the music. Monty, bored
as he was between the two most Inn
portant dowagers at the feast. wonder
ed dmly what invisible part it played
in making things 20. He had vagrant
fancy that without 1t there would have
been no zest for talk, no noisy cOmpeti-
ton to overcome. no hurdles to leap.
As 1t was, the talk certainly went well,
and Mrs. Dan inspected the result Of
her work from time to time with smil-
ing satisfaction. From across the ia
BILE she heard Colonel Drew's voice:
"Brewster evidently objects to a long
siege. lie is planning to carry US by
assault"
Mrs. Dan turned to Subway Smith,
who was at her rlght--the latest ad-
dition to her menagcrie. what Is
this friend Of yours!" she asked. II
have never seen such complex sim
plicity. This new plaything has no real
charm for him. lie il breaking 1t to
find out what 1t is made Of. and some.
thing will happen when he discovers
the sawdust.'
ooh, don't worry about him." said
Subway easily "Monty's at least a
good sportsman. He won't complain,
whatever happens. He'll accept the
reckoning and pay the piper"
1t was only toward the end Of the
evening that Monty found his reward
In moment with Barbara Drew. He
stood before her. squaring his shoul-
ders belligerently to keep away in
truders. and she smiled up ut hin in
that bewldcring fashion OF hers. But
1t was only for an instant. and then
came terrifying din from the dining
room. followed by the clamor Of crash
ing glass. The guests tried for a mo-
ment to be courteously oblivious but
the noise was so startling that such
politeness became farcical The host.
with q little laugh. went down the
hall. 1t was the beautiful screen near
the ceiling that had fallen. A thou
sand pieces Of shattered glass covered
the place. The table was sickening
heap Of crushed orchids and sputter-
ing candles. Frightened servants rush.
ed into the room from one side just as
Brewster entered from the other. Stu
pefaction halted them. After the drst
pulseless moment of horror exclama-
tons Of dismay went up on oil sides.
For Monty Brewster the first sensa.
ton Of regret was followed by q dia.
bolicai sense Of Joy.
"Thank the Lordw he said softly in
the hush
The look Of surprise he encountered
in the faces Of his guests brought him
up with Jerk.
THAT It didn't happen while we were
dining" he added, with serene thank
fulnsss. And bis nonchalance scored
for him in the idle game he was playing
| CHAPTER VII.
| - MWcrmp,c h,,t,o. go.