Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-01-26

He insisted that he liked the color and
that porcelain had no character. Mrs.
Dan only prevented q quarrel by sug-
resting that several courses should be
served upon Sevres.
Pettingirs scheme for lighting the
room was particularly happy. For the
benefit of his walls and the four love-
ly Monets which Monty had purchased
at his instigation he had designed a
ceiling screen of heavy rich glass in
tones of white that grew into yellow
| and dull green. 1t served to conceal
the lights in the daytime, and at night
the glare of electricity was immensely
softened and made harmonious by
passing through it. 1t gave a note or
quiet to the picture which caused
even these men and women, who had
been here and there and seen many
things, TO draw in their breath sharply.
Altogether the effect manifestly made
an impression.
Such an environment had its intiu-
ence upon the company 1t went far
toward making the dinner a success.
From far in the distance came the
softened strains of Hungarian music,
and never had the little band played
the "Valse Amoureuse" and the ''Valse
Bleue" with the spirit it put into them
that night. Yet the soft clamor in the
hn
emotion of the music. Monty, bored
as he was between the two most i'm
portant dowagers at the feast, wonder-
ed dimly what invisible part it played
in making things go. He had a va
grant fancy that without it there would
have been no Zest for talk, no noisy
competition to overcome, no hurdles to
leap. AS it was, the talk certainly
went we'll, and Mrs. Dan inspected the
result of her work from time to time
with smiling satisfaction. From across
the table she heard Colonel Drew's
voice: Brewster evidently objects to
a long siege. He is planning to carry
us by assault
Mrs. Dan turned to Subway Smith,
who was at her right-the latest ad-
dition To her menageric What Is
this friend of yourS?" she asked. Il
have never seen such complex SIM
plicity This new plaything has no
real charm for him. He is breaking
it to find out what it is made of, and
something will happen when he dis
covers the sawduSt."
"Oh, don't worry about him." said
Subway easily. "Monty'S at least a
good sportsman. He won't complain,
whatever happens. He'll accept the
reckoning and pay the piper
1t was only toward the end of the
evening that Monty found his reward
in a moment with Barbara Drew. He
stood before her, squaring his shoul-
derS beligerently to keep away in
truders, and she smiled up at him in
that bewildering fashion of hers. But
il was only for an instant, and then
came a terrifying din from the dining
room, followed by the clamor of crash
lllS SlClSS' iC SuOSNc NAiNN A't - ''''
ment to be courteOusly oblivious, but
the noise was 50 startling that such
politenesS became farcical. The host,
with little laugh, went down the
hall. II was the beautiful screen near
the ceiling that had fallen. A thou
sand pieces of shattered glass covered
the place. The table was sickening
heap Of crushed orchids and Sputter-
ing candles. Frightened servants rush
ed into the room from one side just as
Brewster entered from the other Stu
pefaction halted them. After the first
pulseleSs moment of horror, eXclama-
tions Of dismay went up on all sides.
For Monty Brewster the first sensa-
ton Of regret was followed by dia-
bolical sense of joy.
Thank the Lord" he said softly in
the hush.
The look Of surprise he encountered
in the faces of his guests brought him
up with jerk.
That it didn't happen while we were
dining" he added with serene thank
fulness. And his nonchalance scored
for him in the idle game he was play
ing.