The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1906-02-02

IN the wliu career ne nad Chosen. n
was SO easy to go with him to the edge
OF the prec1pice and let him take the
plunge alone. Only the echo Of the
criticism reached Brewster, for he had
sllehced Harrison with work and Pet
tnglll with opportunities. It troubled
n1n little, as he was engaged in jotting
down items that swelled the profit side
OF his ledger account enormously. The
Dali was bound to give him a good lead.
IN the race once more despite the
aeavy handicap the Stock Exchange
mad imposed. The Little Sons took
OF their coats and helped Petungill in
the work of preparation. He found
them quite superfuous, for their ideas
never agreed, and each man had a way
OF preferring his own suggestion. To
Brewster's chagrin, they were united
IN the effort to curb his extravaganza.
He'll be giving automobiles and
ropes OF pearls for favors If we don't.
stop him." said Subway Smith after
Monty had ordered a vintage cham
payne to be served during the entire
evening. "Give 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 We're plainly having an effect on
his health. His color was bad, his
eyes We're losing their luster, and there
was a 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 a 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
i'll.
Appendicitis, the doctors called It,
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 ball!!'"
"You don't mean to say-the ball ia
of, of course And Harrison was real
ly alarmed.
Not a bit Of it, Nopper," said Monty.
Its what I've been wanting all along.
You chaps do the handshaking and I
stay at home"
There was an immediate counci of
war when this piece Of news was an
nounced, and the Little Sons were
unanimous In favor Of recalling the in
v1tations and declaring the party of,
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 it is
only postponed"
A great rushing to and fro resulted
In the canceling Of contracts, the re-
calling oeinvitations, 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
sters life, managed to perform won
ders in the few hours of grace. Gard
ner, with rare foresight, saw that the
Vlennese orchestra would prove a 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
feasible.
To Monty. fearless and less disturb
ed than any other member Of his cir
Gle, appendicitis seemed as inevitable
vaccination.
THE appendix is becoming an i'm
portant feature in the book Of life" he
once told Peggy Gray.
he refused to go to a 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
p%anionship of those who seemed a part
of his own. DR.. Lotless had them
transform a small bedchamber into a
model operating room, and Monty took
small satisfaction in the thought
that if he was to be denied the priv.
llege of spending money for several
weeks lie 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, a Little Son, as
his house surgeon. Monty grimly bore
The pain and suffering and submitted
to. the operation which alone could
his life. Then came the struggle,
hen the promise of victory and then
The quiet days Of convalescence. In
The little room where he had dreamed
his boyish dreams and suffered his boy
oh r. ,,,,o ryo lo 1<r~,o .~Jo o.os-.L :. 4