Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-02-09
CHAPTER XVI.

IL was the COtIdBe VI NSW Ioih
millionaire which had fallen to Brew
ster. The owner had, for the time,
preferred Italy to ST. Augustine and
left his estate, which was well located
and lavishly equipped, in the hands of
his friends. Brewster's lease covered
three months, at a fabulous rate per
month. With Joe Bragdon Installed as
manager in chief, his establishment
was transferred bodily from New York,
and the rooms were soon as comforta-
bel as their grandeur would permit.
Brewster was not allowed to take ad-
vantage Of his horses and the new au-
tomobile which preceded him from New
York, but to his guests they. offered
unlimited opportunities.
Hopper Harrison had remained in
the north to renew arrangements for
the now hated ball and to look after
the advance details of the yacht cruise.
DR.. Lotless and his sister, with Sub
way Smith and the Grays, made up
Brewster's party. Lotless dampened
Monty's spirits by relentlessly putting
him on rigid diet, with most discour-
aging restrictions upon his conduct.
The period Of convalescence was to be
an exceedingly trying one for the in
valid At first he was kept indoors,
and the hours were whiled away by
playing cards, but Monty considered
bridge the pons asinorum and preferred
to play piquet with Peggy. 1t was
one of these games that the girl inter-
rupted with a question that had trou-
bled her for many days. Monty" she
said, and she found it much more diff
ficult than when she had rehearsed the
scene in the silence Of her walks, i've
heard a rumor that Miss Drew and her
mother have taken rooms at the hotel
Wouldn't it be pleasanter to have them
here?"
A heavy gloom settled upon Brew
sters face, and the girls heart dropped
| like lead. She had puzzled over the
estrangement and wondered II by any
effort Of her own things could be set
| u.
hopes that it did not mean as much to
Monty as she had thought, but down
underneath, the fear that he was un-
happy seemed the only certain thing In
life. She felt that she must make sure
And together with the very human de-
| sire to know the worst was the puri-
tanical impulse to bring it about
You forget that this Is the last
place they would care to invade" And
in Brewster's face Peggy seemed to
read that for her martyrdom was the
only wear Bravely she put it on.
Monty, l forget nothing that real
ly know. But this is a case in which
you are quite wrong. Where Is your
sporting blood? You have never fought
losing fight before, and you can't dc
it now. You have lost your nerve
Monty Don't you see that this is the
time for an aggressive campaign?
Somehow she was not saying things
at all as she had planned to say them
and his gloom weighed heavily upor
her. You don't mind, do you, Monty
she added more softly, this sort OF
thing from me? l know I ought not tc
interfere, but I've known you so long
and 1 hate to see things twisted by 6
very little mistake"
But Monty did mind enormously. He
had no desire to talk about the thing
anyway, and Peggy's anxiety to marry
i him off seemed a bit unnecessary
Manifestly her own interest in him wa:
Of the coldest. From out of the gloon
he looked at her somewhat sullenly
For the moment she was thinking only
of his pain, and her face said nothing.
Peggy" he exclaimed finally, re-
senting the necessity of answering her
you don't in the least know what yor
are talking about. 1t is not fit Of an.
ger on Barbara Drew's part. 1t is Sc.
rious conviction"