The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-02-28

DTeWSteT UeSdIl u leel Tue DeSlunluS
Of the final whirlwind in profigacy
clouding him oppressively, ominously,
unkindly. Down In his stateroom he
drew new estimates, new calculations
and tried to balance the old ones so
that they appeared in the light most
favorable to his designs.
Going over the statistics carefully, he
estimated that the cruise, including the
repairs and the return of the yacht to
New York, would cost him $4,000 in
round figures. One hundred and thirty
three days marked the length of the
voyage when reckoned by time, and,
as near as he could get at it, the ex-
pense had averaged $3.50 a day. Ac-
cording to the contract, he was to pay
for the yacht, exclusive of the cuisine
and personal service. And he had found
1t simple enough to spend the remain
ing $1,0S0. There were days, of course,
when fully $1,000 disappeared, and
there were others on which he spent
much less than $1,000, but the average
was secure. Taking everything into
consideration, Brewster found that his
fortune had dwindled to few paltry
thousands in addition to the proceeds
which would come to him from the sale
of his furniture. On the whole he was
satisfied.
The landing in New York and the
separation which followed were not en-
frely merry. Every discomfort was
forgotten, and the travellers only knew
that the most wonderful cruise since
that Of the ark had come to an end.
There was not one who would not have
been glad to begin 1t again the next
day.
Immediately after the landing Brew
ster and Gardner were busy with the
details Of settlement After clearing
up all Of the obligations arising from
the cruise they felt the appropriate
ness Of season Of reflection It was a
.E1mcult moment-a moment when un-
delivered reproofs We're in the air. But
Gardner seemed much the more melan-
rholy of the two.
Piles of newspapers lay scattered
about the floor of the room in which
they sat. Every one of them contained
sensational stories of the prodigars
trip, with pictures, incidents and pre-
dictions. Monty was panied, humili-
ated and rcsentful, but he was honest
enough to admit the justification Of
much that was said of him. He read
bits of it here and there and then threw
the papers aside hopelessly. In few
weeks they would tell another story
and quite as emphatically.
The worst of it, Monty, is that you
are the next thing to being poor
man. groaned Gardner. "Tve done
my best to economize for you here at
home. as you'll see by these figures
but nothing could possibly balance the
eXtravagances of this voyage They
are simply appalling"
With the condemnation of his friends
ringing in his troubled brain, with the
sneers of acquaintances to distress his
pride, with the gibes of the comic pa
pers to torture him remorseleSsly,
Brewster was fast becoming the most
miserable man in New York Friends
of former days gave him the cut di-
rect, clubmen ignored him or scorned
him openly, women chilled him with
the iciness Of unspoken reproof, and
all the world was hung with shad-
ows. The doggedness of despair kept
him up, but the strain that pulled
down on him was so relentless that
the struggle was losing its equality.
He had not expected such home COM
ing.
Compared with his former self Mon
ty was now almost physical wreck,
haggard, thin and defiant, a shadow
of the once debonair young New York
err, an object of pity and scorn. Asham-
ed and despairing, he had almost lack
ed the courage to face Mrs. Gray. The
consolation he once gained through her
he now denied himself, and his suffer-
ing, peculiar as it was, was very real.
In absolute recklessness he gave din
ner after dinner, party after party, all
on a most lavish scale many Of. his
guests laughing at him openly while
they enjoyed his hospitality. The real
friends demonstrated, pleaded, did
everything within their power to check
his awful rush to poverty, but without
success. He was not to be stopped.
At last the furniture began to go, then
the plate, then all the priceless bric-
a-brac. Piece by piece it disappeared
until the apartments were empty and
he had squandered almost all Of the
S40350 arising from the sales. The
servants We're paid off, the apartments
relinquished, and he was beginning to
know what it meant to be ION his
uppers." At the banks he ascertained
that the interest on his moneys
amounted to $19,140.S6 A week be-
fore the Odd of September the whole
million was gone, including the
amounts won in Lumber and Fuel and
other luckless enterprises. He still
had about $1,000 of his interest
money in the banks, but he had bill
lion pangs in his heart-the interest on
his improvidence.
He found some delight in the discov-
cry that the servants had robbed him
of not less than $500 worth Of his
Al In fba Chric