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

a mark as low as $500. Montuomarv
would have been only too glad to nav
$4,000 or more, but some mysterious
force conveyed to his mind a 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 / had to
abide by the New York or the Mon
tana standard Of extravaganza" Brew
ster said to himself. II wonder If he
ever 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 q
pencil and a pad Of paper. Lighting
the candles. which We're more easily
managed, he found, than lamps and
much more costly, he thoughtfully and
religlously calculated his expenses for
the day. hopper Harrison and Elon
Gardner had the receipts for all mon
eys spent. and Joe Bragdon was keen
Ing an official report, but the "chief."
as they called him, could not 90 to
sleep until he was satisfied in his own
MIND that he was keeping up the aver
age. For the first two weeks it had
been easy-in fact, he seemed to have
quite a comfortable lead in the race.
he had spent almost 100000 in the
fortnight, but he realized that the
greater part Of it had gone into the
yearly and not the daily expense &C.
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 Gloss"
he jotted down on the profit" side. and
he was continually looking for D
tunities to swell the total.
Rawles, who had been his grand
rather's butler since the day after he
landed 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
the 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
financial feats grew out Of the Dur.
chase Of a $4,000 automobile. He
blandly admitted to hopper Harrison
and 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 thei1
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."
1T won't last long" Gardner said
reassuringly. Like his namesake
Monte Christie, the world Is his just
now, and he wants to enjoy it."
HE wants to get rid of it, it seems
to me-"
Whenever they reproached Brewster
about the matter he disarmed them
by saying: Nov that I've got money
I mean to give my friends q 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 JUS
debts. For years I've been entertained
ut peoples houses and have beer
taken cruising on their yachts. They
have always been bully to me, ant
what have l ever done for them? Moth
Ing. Now that I can afford 1t, I an
going to return some of these favor
and square myself. Doesn't it sount
reasonable"
And so preparations for Monty's din
ner went on. In addition to what b
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 a
the leader of the fast young marrie'
set. She was one Of the cleveres
md best looking young women in towr
and her husband was one of those VIII
did not have to be invited too" MI
DeMille lived at the club and visite
his home. Some n said that he wa
80 slow and his wife so fast that whel
: she invited him to dinner he was usu
: ally two or three days late. Alto
Rether Mrs. DeMille was a decides
acquisition to Brewster's caMp--
committee. 1t required just her tou(
to make his parties fun instead
funny.
1t was on Oct. Is that the dinner W;
9 given. With the skill of a general MI
Dan had seated the guests in such
way that from the beginning thinl
0 went of with zest. Colonel Drew too
In Mrs. Valentine, and his content W;
t assured. MI. Van Wrinkle and Il
8 beautiful Miss Valentine were side |
e side, and no one could say he look'
unhappy. MI. Cromwell went in wi
Mrs. Savage, and the same delica
t tact-in some cases it was almost /