Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-08-27
CHAPTER XVI.

vt was the cottage OF 4 New York
millionaire which had fallen to
Brewster. The owner had, for the
1 time, preferred Italy to st. Angus
tine and left his estate, which was
well located and lavishly equipped, in
the hands Of his friends. Brewsters
lease covered three months, at fabu-
lous rate per month. With Joe Brag-
don installed as manager In chief. his
establishment was transferred bodily
from New York, and the rooms were
soon as comfortable as their grandeur
would permit. Brewster was not al
lowed to take advantage Of his horses
and the new automobile which preced-
ed him from New York, but to his
guests they offered unlimited opportu-
mites.
Hopper Harrison had remained in the
north to renew arrangements for the
now hated ball and to look after the
advance details Of the yacht cruise.
DR.. Lotless and his sister, with Sub
way Smith and the Grays, made up
Brewster's party. Lotless dampened
Afonty's spirits by relentlessly putting
him on rigid diet, with most discourag-
ing restrictions upon his conduct. The
period Of convaleycencs was to be an
exceedingly trying one for the invalid.
At first he was kept indoors, and the
hours were whiled away by playing
cards, but Monty considered bridge
the pons asinorum and preferred to
play piquet with Peggy. 1t was one
Of these games that the girl interrupt
ed with question that had troubled
her for many days. Monty" she said,
and she found it much more difficult
than when she had rehearsed the scene
in the silence of her walks, Eve heard
q rumor that Miss Drew and her moth
er have taken rooms at the hotel
Wouldn't it be pleasanter to have them
here?"
A heavy. gloom settled upon Brew
ster's face, and the girls heart dropped
like lead. She had puzzled over the
enlargement and wondered IL BY any
effort Of her own things could be set
right. At times she had had flashing
hopes that it did not mean a. much to
Monty ~ she had thought, but down
underneath, the fear that he was I'M
happy seemed the only certain thing
in life. She felt that she must make
sure. And together with the very hu-
man desire to know tho worst was the
puritanical impulse to bring it about
"You forget that this is the last place
they would care to invade" And In
Brewster's face Peggy seemed to read
that for her martyrdom was the only
wear. Bravely she put 1t on.
Monty, forget nothing that real
" know. But this is case in which
you are quite wrong. Where is your
sporting blood2 You have never fought
losing fight before, and you can't do
it now You have lost your nerve,
Monty. Don't you see that this Is the
time for an aggressive campaign
Somehow she was not saying things at
all as she had planned to say them,
and his gloom weighed heavily upon
her. "You don't mind, do you, Monty"
she added more softly. this sort Of
thing from me? l know ought not to
interfere, but I've known you SO long,
and l hate to see things twisted BY q
very little mistake"
But Monty did mind enormously. He
had no desire to talk about the thing
anyway. and Peggy's anxiety to marry
him OF seemed bit unnecessary. Man
ifestly her own interest in him was Of
A. ont 0f fIo vla N
looked at her somewhat sullenly. For
the moment she was thinking only of
his pain. and her face said nothing.
Peggy" he exclaimed finally, re-
senting the necessity Of answering her,
"you don't in the least know what you
are talking about. 1t is not a f1t of an
ger on Barbara Drews part. 1t is Sc
rious conviction"
"a conviction which can be changed, =
the girl broke In,
mot at ALL" Brewster took 1t up.
"She has no faith in me. She thinks
I'm an ass"
Perhaps she's right" she exclaimed,
q little hot. perhaps you have never
discovered that girls say many things
to hide their emotions. Perhaps you
don't realize what feverish, exclamate-
~, foolish things girls are. They don't
know how to be honest with the men
they love. and they wouldn't if they
did. You are little short Of an idiot,
Monty Brewster, if you believed the
things she sid rather than the things
she looked"
And Peggy. fiery and determined and
detiantly unhappy, threw down her
cards and escaped SO that she might
not prove herself fearfully feminine.
She left Brewster still heavily envel-
oped in. melancholy, but she left him
puzzled. He began to wonder If Bar
bara Drew did have something in the
back Of her MUD. Then he found his
thoughts wandering of toward Peggy
and her defiance. He had only twics
before seen her in that mood, and he
liked it. He remembered how she had
lost her temper once when she was At
teen and hated girl he admired. Sud
denly he laughed aloud at the thought
of the fierce little picture she had made,
and the gloom which had been 80 sed-
ulously cultivated was dissipated In Q
moment. The laugh surprised the man
who brought in some letters. One of