bootblacks were the only beings
who escaped the formality; tips to waiters, porters, cabbies, etc.,
were recorded and afterward put into a class by themselves. Receipts
for the few dollars remaining in his possession were to be turned over
on the morning of the 23d and the general report was not to be
completed until 9 o'clock on that day.

He kissed Peggy good-bye, 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 to-morrow. Wait and see the result. I
think it will surprise you. Incidentally it is up to me to get the
license to-day 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. To-morrow
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 to-morrow
afternoon."

"Well, I'm damned," exclaimed Gardner, utterly dumfounded 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 to-night, 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 3d of
September. The lawyers were hourly expecting word from Montana men to