Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1906-02-12

M ate. Only little more than
$4,000 had been spent on the
1 L carnival, and no opportunity
of annihilating the roulette winnings
seemed to offer itself. His experience
at Monte Carlo did not encourage him
70 try again, and Peggy's attitude to-
ward the place was distinctly antago-
nistic. The Riviera presenting no new
.opp9rtunities for extravaganza. IT be-
came necessary to seek other worlds.
u never before understood the real
meaning of the phrase tight money!"
thought Monty. Lord, if it would only
loosen a bit and stay loosenedr' Some
thing must be done, he realized, to earn
his living Perhaps the role of the
princely prodigate would be easier in
Italy than anywhere else. He studied
the outlook from every point of view,
but there were moments when it seem
ed hopeless. Baedeker was provoking
" barren of suggestions for extrava-
gance, and Monty grew impatient of the
books small economies. Noticing some
chapters on the Italian lakes. in an in
spired moment he remembered that
Pettingill had once lost his heart to
villa on the lake Of Como. Instantly a
new act of the comedy presented itself
to him. He sought out Pettingill and
demanded description of his castle in
the air.
"Oh, it's a wonder" exclaimed the
artist. And his eyes grew dreamy 1T
shines out at you with its white ter
races and turrets like those fascinat-
ing castles that Maxfield Parrish draws
for children. 1t is fairyland. You ex-
pect to wake and find it gone"
ooh, drop that, Petty" said Brew
ster, "Or it will make you poetical.
What l want to know is who owns it
and is it likely to be occupied at this
season."
1T belongs to a certain marquise,
who is widow with no children. They
say she has a horror of the place for
some reason and has never been near
it. 1t is kept as though she were to
turn UP the next day, but except for
the servants it is always deserted"
The very thing" declared Brewster.
''Petty, We'll have house party"
You'd better not count on that, Mon
| ty. A man l know ranOacross the
place once and tried for a year to buy
| it. But the lady has ideas of her own"
well, if you wish to give him hint
or two about how to do things, watch
me. If you don't spend two weeks in
your dream castle L will cut the crowd
and sail for home.'
He secured the name of the owner
and found that Pettingill had even a
remote idea of the address of her agent.
Armed with these facts, he set out in
search of a courier, and through Phi
| lippe he secured a Frenchman named
| Bertier, who was guaranteed to be sur
| prisingly ingenious in providing meth
DDS of spending money. To him Brew
| ster cOnfded his scheme, and Bertier
| realized with rising enthusiasm that at
last he had secured a client after his
own heart. He was able to complete
4 the address of the agent of the mys-
ferrous marqlise, and an inquiry was
Immediately telegraphed to him.
The agents reply would have been
discouraging to any one but Brewster
1t stated that the owner had no inten
ton of leasing her forsaken castle fol
any period whatever. The profigate
learned that fair price for an estate
of that kind for a month was 1O,0O(
francs, and be wired an offer Of five
times that sum for two weeks. The
agent replied that some delay would b.
necessary while he communicated witt
his principal. Delay was the one wore
that Brewster did not understand, 81
he wired him an address in Genoa, ant
, the FILTER was made ready for sea
Steam had been kept up. and her Goa
account would compare favorably wit
, that OF an ocean liner Philippe wa
GREATNESS with Joy when he was pail
, In advance for another month at tn
! hotel on the assumption that the part
. might be moved to return at any me
. ment. The little town was gay at par
= ing, and Brewster and his guests wer
given a royal farewell,a
n Al Genoa the mail had accumulate
and held the attention of the zach
q to the exclusion of everything elst
= Brewster was somewhat crestfallen
. learn that the lady of the villa Taught
ly refused his princely offer. He wo
the lifelong devotion Of his courier b
. promptly Increasing it to 10000
- francs. When this, too, met with r,
). lection there was a pause as we'll q
=, serious consultation between tn
ID two.
Beruer,' exclaimed Brewster, 60
- must have the thing now. what's t
:. be done? You've got to help me out.
- But the courier, prodigal as he wa
y of gestures, had no words which seen
:, ed pertinent
= There must be some way of gettin
~ at this marquiSe," Monty continued r.
g dectively. What are her tastes? D
'is you know anything about herr"
~ suddenly the face of the court,
grew bright. Il have it." he said, al
~ then he faltered. But the expens
IL monsieur-it would be heavy