Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1907-01-02
CHAPTER XVIII.

BREY FORTUNES.
1t was morning early in Novem-
Der. In the sedate Milbrey dining-room
brisk wood fire dulled the edge of the
first autumn chill. At the breakfast
table. comfortably near the hearth, sat
Horace Milbrey. With pointed spoon
he had daintily scooped the golden
pulp from a Florida orange, touched
the tips of his slender white fingers to
the surface of the water in the bowl,
and was now glancing leisurely at the
headlines OF his paper, while his break
fast appetite gained agreeable zest
from the acid fruit.
On the second page OF the paper the
names in brief item arrested his err
rant glance. 1t disclosed that Mr.. Per-
cival Bines had left New York the day
before with party of guests on his
special car, to shoot quail in North
Carolina. Mr.. Milbrey glanced at the
two shells of the orange which the
butler was then removing.
What hopeless brute that fellow
was!' he reflected. He was recalling
a dictum once pronounced by Mr.
Bines. Oranges should never be eaten
in public" he had said with that lord
ly air of dogmatism characteristic of
him. THE only right way to eat a
juicy orange is to disrobe, grasp the
fruit firmly in both hands and climb
into a bathtub half full of water"
The finished epicure shuddered at the
recollection, poignantly, quite as if
saw were being filed in the next room.
Mrs. Milbrey entered, news of i'm
portance visibly animating her. Her
husband arose mechanically, placed the
chair for her, and resumed his fork in
an ecstasy OF concentration.
you really must talk TO Avice" his
wife said
Mr.. Milbrey sighed, deprecatingIy.
He could remember no time within five
years when that necessity had not
weighed upon his fathers sense of duty
like vast bowlder OF granite. He
turned TO welcome the diversion pro-
vided by the rognons sautees which
Jarvis at that moment uncovered be-
fore him with a discreet flourish.
Now you really must" continued
his wife, "and you'll agree with me
when l tell you why"
to the girl extensively. I've pointed
out that her treatment OF Mrs Wybert
her perverse refusal to meet the lady
at all, is quite as absurd as Il is rude
and that If Fred chooses to marry Mrs.
Wybert 1T is her duty to act the part
of a sister even IL she cannot bring
herself to feel it. I've assured her that
Mrs. Wybert'S antecedents are all thew
should be; not illustrious, perhaps. but
eminently respectable. Indeed. | quite
approve of the southern aristocracv
But she constantly recalls what that
snobbish Bines was unfair enough to
tell her. I've done my utmost to con-
vince her that Bines spoke in the way
he did about Mrs. Wybert because he
knew she was aware of those ridicu-
lous tales OF his mothers illiteracy.
But Avice is-er-my dear, she is like
her mother in more ways than one.
Assuredly she doesn't take II from
me-"
he became interested in the kidneys.
III Marie had been a man" he re-
marked, feelingly, II often suspect that
ner fame as a chef would have been
second to none. Really. the suavity OF
her sauces is a never-endlng delight
to me"
81 haven't told you yet the reason
new reason-why you must talk to
Avice."
The monoy-yes yes, my dear. /
know, we all know. Indeed. I've put II
TO her plainly. She knows how sorely
Fred needs 1t. She knows how that
beast Of tailor is threatening 10 be
nasty-and I've explained how inyal-
liable Mrs. Wybert would be. remind
ing her Of that lady's generous hint
about the rise In Federal Steel. which
enabled me to net the neat little profit
OF 10000 a month ago, and how, but
for that, we might have been acutely
distressed. Yet she stubbornly clinga
to the notion that this marriage would
be a mesalliance for the Mibreys."
i agree with her" replied his wife.
tersely.
Mr. Milbrey looked perplexed. but
polite
Il quite agree with Avice," continued
the lady. That woilan hasn't been
right Horace, and she isn't right
Young Bines knew what he was talk.
ing about I haven't lived my years
without being able 10 tell that after
five minutes with her, clever as she Is
can read her. Like so many OF those
women, she has an intense passion to
be thought respectable, and she's come