The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-20
BETH's BUTLER.
By Thomas Ne.bls.

,tcopyrieht. 1906. by R. W. Caldwell,
 well" said Mrs Maritime disconso- lately, T guess that we shall have to put 1t off again"
 "But we can't" objected her hus- band. We have put them on twice. If I don't land him pretty soon can whistle for the funds"
 But they know the servant ques- tion." she pleaded, "and simply can't have them in the house with only one servant to look after things."
 They have boarded ever since they were married" he said gently. They have an apartment in the St. James the year round. They will simply think that 1t is an excuse and I'll lose the chance of pulling off the biggest deal of my career"
 T can help, Della" broke in Beth. T can get up splendid dinner.'
 But they've seen you in town" la- mented Mrs. Maritime. T could never trust Maggie 1T. the dining room vita company around"
 Well it's some comfort that we can have a good dinner. anyway" declared Jack Maritime. kissing his sister. T know Beth can get us up a dinner that will be a credit to the house"
 But she can't get a butler" walled his wife. What's the use of a good dinner if it isn't served right7"
 
 laughed Beth. Let Jack stop in some- where in town and get a man sent out. He knows lot of good places and one of them will spare him waiter"
 Mrs. Maritime frightened up. Per haps that will do," she assented. "We will hope for the best anyway"
 Maritime kissed his wife and dashed for the train. It was the last of a series of happenings that had operated to hold of the dinner to the Prescotts If Jack could get Mir, Prescott inter- ested in the Notation of his company 1t meant great things. If the dinner were delayed again there was danger that !. the whole thing might fall through.
 The only way to approach Prescott was through dinner and home din- ner at that. The Prescotts had lived in hotels all their lives because they were so seldom long in the same place
 Their permanent quarters in the fash but they were more often in London or Paris. or else up the Nile or some other queer place, and it was saying that one argument after a home dinner was worth hundred in an ofice where Sydney Prescott was concerned.
 1t seemed a simple matter to Jack to borrow a waiter from the restaurant where he lunched to take the place of the butler. who had left the day be- fore. but the head waiter shook his head. There were three big baRquets that night. Every waiter in town had been engaged weeks before.
 Yet for all of that a quiet faced Eng lishman presented himself at the Mar tines that afternoon and went to work tine almost want to hug him.
 To Beth he seemed like a godsend. All day long she had been struggling with the preparations for the dinner with such awkward help as a green servant could give. When Peters possession. 1t seemed as if the sun had suddenly burst from behind the clouds.
 The servant was set to work to clean the silver and he took charge. of every tf Ing. directing Beth with a quiet re- spectfulness that inspired conndence.
 Long before the guests arrived things were ali ready and Peters had retired to his room to get ready for the eve ming. Beth sat out on the back stoop to cool her heated face and breathe a sigh of relief that things seemed to promise so we'll
 Della ran out for a moment just be- fore train time to show herself and be admired and lightly kissed the red lips,
 Isn't Peters gemY' she exulted. 'T never saw a man take hold so. If it had been his own dinner he could not have been more interested
 He's a deary laughed Beth. T think we will have to get him to stay somehow, even though he said he was only here for the day. I almost think I'd marry him to keep him in the family"
 There was discreet cough and the two women started apart, Peters had come downstairs again and was stand ing by the dresser. With a last kiss Della ran off to welcome her guests and presently Jack came into the kitchen to see that all was we'll
 Don't let things fall down." was his parting injunction to Beth. If this deal goes through you shall have that trip to Europe-unless some one else takes you there first.
 You'd better get ready to write 9 check If you are thinking of Harvey" she said, spiritedly. T wrote him yes terday that never wanted to see hip again"
 He's an awfully good chap" urged Jack. who seemed to find food for much laughter in her speech. 'T.ll bet you change your mind before long"
 'Neverw she called after him, as ne turned back to his guests, and it was with a high head that she entered the kitchen. Even now she was not alto gether sure that she was glad that she had sent that letter, but Harvey was so Irritating. But this was no time to worry about Harvey. and she turned fa har rwarlr