The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1906-01-12

AkoAo suo aSSeSuoiy price ceC00eQ to
a mark as low as $500. Montgomery
would have been only too glad to paw
$4,000 or more, but some mysterious
force conveyed to his mind q perfect
portrait of Swearengen Jones in the
act of putting down a large black mark
against him, and he forbore.
Il wish l knew whether I had to
abide by the New York or the Mon
tana standard Of extravaganza" Brew
ster said to himself. 81 wonder If he
v e sees the New York papers,"
Late each night the last Of the grand
old Brewster family went to his bed
room, where, after Diminishing his man,
he settled down at his desk, with a
pencil and a pad Of paper. Lighting
the candles, which were more easily
managed, he found, than lamps and
much more costly, he thoughtfully and
religiously calculated his xpenses for
the day. hopper Harrison and Elon
Gardner had the receipts for all mon
eys spent, and Joe Bragdon was keep
Ing an official report, but the chief"
as they called him, could not 90 70
sleep until he vas satisfied in his own
mind that he was keeping up the aver
age. For the first two weeks it had
beer easy-in fact, he seemed to have
quite a comfortable lead in the race.
he mad spent almost $780, 900 In the
fortnight, but he realized that the
greater part Of it had gone into the
yearly and not the daily expense ac-
count. He kept a profit and loss"
entry in his little private ledger, but it
was not like any other account of the
Kind IN the world. What the ordinary
merchant would have charged to 'loss"
he jotted down on the profit side, n
ne was continually looking for oppor-
tunities to swell the total.
Rawles, who had been his grand.
fathers butler since the day after he
lande in New York, came over to the
grandson's establishment, greatly to
the wrath and confusion Of the latter's
Aunt Emmeline. The chef came from
Paris, and his name was Detuit. Ellis
the footman. also found a much better
berth with Monty than he had had in
tile house on the avenue. Aunt EN-
incline never forgave her nephew for
these base and disturbing acts Of
treachery, as she called them.
One OF Monty's most extraordinary
feats grew out Of the pur-
chase Of a $4,000 automobile. He
blandly admitted to hopper Harrison
n the two secretaries that he intend
ed to use 1t to practice with only, and
that as soon as he learned how to run
an auto as it should be run he ex-
pected to buy a good, sensible, durable
machine for $1,000.
His staff officers frequently put their
heads together to devise ways and
means Of curbing Monty's reckless ex-
travagance. They were worried.
He's like a sailor In port" protest
ed Harrison. "Money is no object If he
wants a thing, and-hang 1.-THE seems
to want everything he Sees"
ut won't last long," Gardner said
reassuringly. Like his namesake,
Monte-C Christie, the world is his just
now, and he wants to enjoy it,"
L " 6cI III VI IL, IL S0Gu1S
to me-"
Whenever they %reproached Brewster
about the matter he disarmed them
by saying: Now that I've got money
I mean to give my friends a good time.
Just what you'd do if you were in my
place. What's money for, anyway?
But this $4,000 a plate dinner
I'm going to give a dozen Of them,
and even then l can't pay my just
debts. For years I've been entertained
ut peoples houses and have been
taken cruising on their yachts. They
have always been bully to me, and
what have l ever done for them? Moth.
Ing. Now that l can afford it, I am
going to return some of these favors
and square myself. Doesn't it sound
reasonable"
And so preparations for Monty's din
Q went on. In addition to what he
called his efficient corps Of gentle
manly aids he had secured the serv
Ices Of Mrs. Dan DeMille as "socia
mentor and utility chaperon." Mrs
DeMille was known In the papers as
the leader of the fast young married
set. She was one Of the cleveres
and best looking young women in town
and her husband was one Of those WIZ
did not have to be ''invited too" Mr.
DeMille lived at the club and visited
his home. Some n said that he wal
so slow and his wife so fast that whel
she invited him to dinner he was usu
ally two or three days late. Alto
gether Mrs. DeMille vas a decided
acquisition to Brewster's calnp~.e
committee. 1t required just her touc
to make his parties fun instead 6
funny.
It was on Oct. IS that the dinner wa
given. With the skill Of a general Mr.
Dan had seated the guests in such
way that from the beginning thing
went off with zest. Colonel Drew too
In Mrs. Valentine, and his content wa
assured. Mr.. Van Wrinkle and tn
beautiful Miss Valentine were side b
!, side. and no one could say he locke
unhappy. Mr.. Cromwell went in wit
Mrs. Savage, and the same delicat
+ tact-in some cases it was almost IL
s- Tho IiCrnc