Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1906-03-26
wrong that will be the end Of the jaunt
e,a Will ro homo banpv

wrong uldI VIII De the emu OF Jle Jduhe :
and Wen go home happy"
At II O'clock PettingilFs studio open
81 its doors to the Little Son and
their guests, and the last Dutch
lunch was soon under way. Brewster
Rad paid for it early in the evening,
and waen he sat down at the head OF
the table there was not a penny in his
pockets. A year ago at the same place
and at the same hour be and the Lit
tie Sons were having a birthday feast.
A million dollars came to hin on that
night. Tonight he was poorer by lar
than on the other occasion, but be ex-
pected a little gift on the new ami
versary.
Around the board besides the nine
Little Sons sat six guests, among them
the DeMilles, Peggy Gray and Mary
/ Valentine. Hopper Harrison was the
only absent Little Son. and his health
was proposed by Brewster almost be-
fore the echoes of the toast to the bride
and groom died away.
Interruption came earlier on this oc-
casion than it did that night a year
ago. Ellis did not deliver his messages
to Brewster until 3 O'Clock in the morn
ing, but the y. D. 7. boy who rang the
bell at PettingiIIs a year later handed
him a telegram before 12'o'clOck.
Congratulations are coming in, old
man. said DeAIiIle as Monty looked
fearfully at the little envelope the boy
had given him.
Many happy returns of the day"
!. suggested Bragd0n. by Jove, it's SEN
sible of you to get married on your
, birthday, Monty. 1t saves time and eX-
pense to your friends."-
: Read it aloud" said Subway Smith.
d ""Two to one it's from Hopper Harri-
X son" cried Pettingill.
: BreWster's fingers trembled, he knew
not why, as he opened the envelope.
t There was the most deS0late feeling IN
Z his heart, the most CHASTITY premonltlon
that i'll news had come in his last
% hour. He drew forth the telegram ana
lie slowly, painfully, unfolded it. No one
could have told by his expression that
he felt almost that he was reading hls
death warrant. 1t was from Grant *
n Ripley and evidently had been follow
in ing him about town for two or three
p hours. The lawyers had fled it at $40
y. O'Clock.
as He read it at a glance, his eyes burn
ing, his heart freezing:
Come to Office Immediately. VIII wal
a all night for You if necessary. Jones ma
he disappeared, and there is absolutely n
trace of him. GRANT & RIPLEY.
od Brewster sat as n paralyzed, abso
Oh Iutely no sign of emotion in his face
i'm The others began to clamor for tn
contents Of the telegram, but hi
5or tongue was stiff and moti0nless, hi
ears deaf. Every drop of blood in hi
body was stilled by the shock, ever
sense given him by the Creator wa
,or- conferred upon eleven words IN 81
no handwriting of a careless telegraph OF
If orator, Jones has disappeared, an
lin there is absolutely no trace of him.
Zones has disappeared!" Tho
were the words, plain and terrible
thelr clearneS'' 80
brutality. Slowly the rest OF the me
sbo sage began to urge it's claims upon q
-, brain. ..Come to our office immediat
o.+ w" and 'Will wait all night BATH
~ for recognition. He was ain becau
+ho he had not the power to express
her eHiotioh. ~" - o.a-o. 1,o
90 of himself afterward he never kne
Some powerful, kindly force assert
itself. coming to his relief with {
oon timeliness of a genie.
began to dawn upon him that -the o.
ers were waiting for him to read I
message aloud. He was not sure u