Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1906-01-15

eoou Ihii.a.ioH OF having the time Of
your life. Between you and me, I'd
rather be caught drinking ice cream So
da than giving this thing. But
That's what we want to know-but
whatF' and Subway leaned forward
eagerly.
But" continued Monty, 81 am in for
it now, and it is going to be a ball that
is a ball.
Nevertheless the optimistic Brewster
could not find the courage to tell Peg
gy OF these picturesque extravagances.
To satisfy her curiosity he blandly in
formed her that he was getting off
much more cheaply than he had exnect-
ed. lie laughlngly denounced as untrue
the stories that had come to her from
outside sources, and before his con-
vinelng assertions that reports were RI
dlcuiousiy exaggerated the troubled ex-
preston In the girls eyes disappeared.
must seem a fool,'' groaned Mon
ty as he left the house after one of
these explanatory trials. ..but what
will she think of me toward tha and of
the year when am really in harnessr,
He found it hard to control the desire
to be straight with Peggy and tell her
the story of his mad race in pursuit of
poverty.
Preparations for the ball went on
steadily, and in dull winter it had
its color value, for society. 1t was to
be Spanish costume ball, and at
many tea tables the talk Of it was a
godsend. Sarcastic as it frequently
was on the question of Monty's extray-
agance, there was a splendor about the
Aladdin-like entertainment which had
charm. Beneath the outward disap-
prevail there was a secret admiration
of the superb nerve of the man. And
there was little reluctance to help him
in the wild career he had chosen. It
was so easy to go with him to the edge
Of the precipice and let him take the
plunge alone. Only the echo of the
criticism reached Brewster, for he had
silenced Harrison with work and Pet
tingill with opportunities. 1t troubled
him little, as he was engaged in jotting
| down items that swelled the profit side
Of his ledger account enormously. The
| in the race once more despite the
heavy handicap the Stock Exchange
! had imposed. The Little Sons took
! off their coats ard helped Pettingill in
the work Of preparation. He found
them quite superfuous, for their ideas
! never agreed, and each man had 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 q vintage cham
4 payne to be served during the entire
evening. "Give them two glasses first,
if you like, and then they won't mind
if they have cider the rest of the
night"
"1Ionty is plain dotty," chimed in
Bragdon, ''and the pace is beginning to
| tell on him.
AS matter of fact the pace was be-
ginning to tell on Brewster. Work and
worry were plainly having an effect on
| his health. His color was bad, his
/ eyes were losing their luster, and there
was a Iistlessness 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, ne
said ruefully, "and my whole system
seems ready to stop work through SYM
pathy."
Suddenly there was mighty check
to the preparations. Two days before
the date set for the ball everything
came to a standstilI and the managers
sank back in perplexity and consterna-
ton. Monty Brewster was critically
ill.
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 ballr -.
you don't mean to say-the ball is
off, of course" And Harrison was real
ly alarmed.
''Not bit of it, HOPPER" said Monty
Its what I've been wanting all along.
; You chaps do the handshaking and |
stay at home.'
There was an immediate council of
! war when this piece Of news was an
; nounced, and the Little Sons were
unanimous in favor of recalling the in
vitations and declaring the party off
At first Monty was obdurate, but when
some one suggested that he could give
i the ball later on, after he was we'll, he
relented. The opportunity to double
the cost by giving two parties was moi
to be ignored
I call it off, then, but say that it is
: only postponed
:. A great rushing to and fro resulted