He kissed Peggy goodbye, told her to be ready for a drive at 4 o’clock, and then went off to find Joe Bragdon and Elon Gardner. They met him by appointment and to them he confided his design to be married on the following day.
“You can’t afford it, Monty,” exploded Joe, fearlessly. “Peggy is too good a girl. By Gad, it isn’t fair to her.”
“We have agreed to begin life tomorrow. Wait and see the result. I think it will surprise you. Incidentally it is up to me to get the license today and to engage a minister’s services. It’s going to be quiet, you know. Joe, you can be my best man if you like, and, Gardie, I’ll expect you to sign your name as one of the witnesses. Tomorrow evening we’ll have supper at Mrs. Gray’s and ‘among those present’ will not comprise a very large list, I assure you. But we’ll talk about that later on. Just now I want to ask you fellows to lend me enough money to get the license and pay the preacher. I’ll return it tomorrow afternoon.”
“Well, I’m damned,” exclaimed Gardner, utterly dumbfounded by the nerve of the man. But they went with him to get the license and Bragdon paid for it. Gardner promised to have the minister at the Gray house the next morning. Monty’s other request—made in deep seriousness—was that Peggy was not to be told of the little transaction in which the license and the minister figured so prominently. He then hurried off to the office of Grant & Ripley. The bundles of receipts had preceded him.
“Has Jones arrived in town?” was his first anxious question after the greetings.
“He is not registered at any of the hotels,” responded Mr. Grant, and Brewster did not see the troubled look that passed over his face.
“He’ll show up tonight, I presume,” said he, complacently. The lawyers did not tell him that all the telegrams they had sent to Swearengen Jones in the past two weeks had been returned to the New York office as unclaimed in Butte. The telegraph company reported that Mr. Jones was not to be found and that he had not been seen in Butte since the 3rd of September. The lawyers were hourly expecting word from Montana men to whom they had telegraphed for information and advice. They were extremely nervous, but Montgomery Brewster was too eager and excited to notice the fact.
“A tall, bearded stranger was here this morning asking for you, Mr. Brewster,” said Ripley, his head bent over some papers on his desk.
“Ah! Jones, I’m sure. I’ve always imagined him with a long beard,” said Monty, relief in his voice.
“It was not Mr. Jones. We know Jones quite well. This man was a stranger and refused to give his name. He said he would call at Mrs. Gray’s this afternoon.”
“Did he look like a constable or a bill-collector?” asked Monty, with a laugh.
“He looked very much like a tramp.”
“Well, we’ll forget him for the time being,” said Monty, drawing the report from his pocket. “Would you mind looking over this report, gentlemen? I’d like to know if it is in proper form to present to Mr. Jones.”
Grant’s hand trembled as he took the carefully folded sheet from Brewster. A quick glance of despair passed between the two lawyers.
“Of course, you’ll understand that this report is merely a synopsis of the expenditures. They are classified, however, and the receipts over there are arranged in such a way that Mr. Jones can very easily verify all the figures set out in the report. For instance, where it says ‘cigars,’ I have put down the total amount that went up in smoke. The receipts are to serve as an itemized statement, you know.” Mr. Ripley took the paper from his partner’s hand and, pulling himself together, read the report aloud. It was as follows:
New York, Sept. 23, 19—.
To Swearengen Jones, Esq.
Executor under the will of the late James T. Sedgwick of Montana:
In pursuance of the terms of the aforesaid will and in accord with the instructions set forth by yourself as executor, I present my report of receipts and disbursements for the year in my life ending at midnight on Sept. 22. The accuracy of the figures set forth in this general statement may be established by referring to the receipts, which form a part of this report. There is not one penny of Edwin Peter Brewster’s money in my possession, and I have no asset to mark its burial place. These figures are submitted for your most careful consideration.
Original capital $1,000,000.00 “Lumber and Fuel” misfortune 58,550.00 Prizefight misjudged 1,000.00 Monte Carlo education 40,000.00 Race track errors 700.00 Sale of six terrier pups 150.00 Sale of furniture and personal effects 40,500.00 Interest on funds once in hand 19,140.00 Total amount to be disposed of $1,160,040.00
Disbursements. Rent for apartments $23,000.00 Furnishing apartments 88,372.00 Three automobiles 21,000.00 Renting six automobiles 25,000.00 Amount lost to DeMille 1,000.00 Salaries 25,650.00 Amount paid to men injured in auto accident 12,240.00 Amount lost in bank failure 113,468.25 Amount lost on races 4,000.00 One glass screen 3,000.00 Christmas presents 7,211.00 Postage 1,105.00 Cable and telegraph 3,253.00 Stationery 2,400.00 Two Boston terriers 600.00 Amount lost to “holdup men” 450.00 Amount lost on concert tour 56,382.00 Amount lost through O. Harrison’s speculation (on my account) 60,000.00 One ball (in two sections) 60,000.00 Extra favors 6,000.00 One yacht cruise 212,309.50 One carnival 6,824.00 Cigars 1,720.00 Drinks, chiefly for others 9,040.00 Clothing 3,400.00 Rent of one villa 20,000.00 One courier 500.00 Dinner parties 117,900.00 Suppers and luncheons 38,000.00 Theater parties and suppers 6,277.00 Hotel expenses 61,218.59 Railway and steamship fares 31,274.81 For Newsboys’ Home 5,000.00 Two opera performances 20,000.00 Repairs to Flitter 6,342.60 In tow from somewhere to Southampton 50,000.00 Special train to Florida 1,000.00 Cottage in Florida 5,500.00 Medical attendance 3,100.00 Living expenses in Florida 8,900.00 Misappropriation of personal property by servants 3,580.00 Taxes on personal property 112.25 Sundries 9,105.00 Household expenses 24,805.00 Total disbursements $1,160,040.00 Balance on hand $0,000,000.00
“It’s rather broad, you see, gentlemen, but there are receipts for every dollar, barring some trifling incidentals. He may think I dissipated the fortune, but I defy him or anyone else to
