Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-09-01

his living. Perhaps the role Of the
princely profligate would be easier in
Italy than anywhere else. He studied
the outlook from every point of view,
but there We're 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
Pettingill had once lost his heart to a
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
ooh, it's a wonder" exclaimed the
artist. And his eyes grew dreamy ut
shines out at you with its white ter
races and turrets like those fascinat-
ing castles that Maxf1eld 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 I want to know is who owns It
and is it likely to be occupied at this
seaSOn?"
1T belongs to certain marquise,
who is widow with no children. They
say she has 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"
'1'he very thing" declared, Brewster.
Petty, We'll have house party"
You'd better not count on that, Mon
ty. A man know ran across the
place once and tried for year to buy
1t. But the lady has ideas Of her own"
'Well, If you wish to give him hint
me. If you don't spend two weeks in
your dream castle I will cut the crowd
and sail for home"
He secured tho name of the owner
and found that Pettingill had even q
remote idea of the address of her agent.
Armed with these facts, he set out in
search of courier, and through Phi
lippe he secured q Frenchman named
Bertier, who was guaranteed to be sur
prisingly ingenious in providing meth
DDS Of spending money. To him Brew
ster confided his scheme, and Bertier
realized with rising enthusiasm that at
last he had secured client after his
own heart He was able to complete
the address Of the agent Of the mys-
terious marQuise, and an inquiry was
Immediately .elegraphed to him.
The agents reply would have been
discoura ging to any one but Brewster.
1t stated that the owner had no inten-
ton Of leasing her forsaken castle for
any period whatever. The profligate
learned that fair price for IN estate
Of that kind for month was 10000
francs, and he wired an offer Of i've
times that sum for two weeks. The
agent replied that some delay would be
necessary while he communicated with
his principal. Delay was the one word
that Brewster did not understand, SO
he wired him an address In Genoa, and
the Filter was made ready for sea.
Steam had been kept up, and her coal
account would compare favOrably with
that Of an ocean liner. Philippe was
breathless with joy when he was paid
in advance for another month at the
hotel on the assumption that the party
might be moved to return at any mo.
ment. The little town was gay at part
ing, and Brewster and his guests were
given royal farewell.
At Genoa the mail had accumulated
and held the attention Of the yacht
to the exclusion Of everything else.
Brewster was somewhat crestfallen to
learn that the lady Of the villa haughti-
" refused his princely offer. He won
the lifelong devotion Of his courier by
promptly increasing It to 100000
francs When this, too, met with re-
lection there was pause az well as
serious consultation between the
two.
"Bertier," exclaimed Brewster, II
must have the thing now. What's to
be done? You've got to help me out" "
But the courier, prodfgal as he was
of gestures, had no words which SEEM
ed pertinent.
"There must be some way Of getting
at this marquise," Monty continued re-
flectively. "W'hat are her tastes? Do
you know anything about herr"
Suddenly the face of the courier
grew bright. 81 have It," he said, and
then he faltered. "But the expense,
monsieur-it would be heavy"
Perhaps we can meet it." suggested
Monty quietly. whats the idea?"
1t was explained, with plenty Of &C
ton to make it clear. The courier had
heard in Florence that madame Ia
marquise had a passion for automo.
biles. But with her inadequate for
tune and the many demands upon 1t
it was weakness not readily graft
fed. The machine she had used dur
ing the winter was by no means up to
date. Possibly If monsieur Yet it
was too much. No villa
But Brewster's decision was made.
"Wire the fellow" he said, "that I will
add to my last offer French machine
of the latest model and the best make.
Saw. too, that would like immediate
possession"
He secured it, and the crowd was
3 4 rvs /! !;