The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-06-20
MISS LlRRIPIP'S LOVERS.

NAiss 11irflplp a q pretty face and
f'Ve thousand q year, not to speak of ex.
pecfatlons. Pretty faces IRE common
enough, even in these days of agricul-
s.'fal depression and stagnant trade;
put a girl with five thousand a year is n
rarity; and a girl with five thousand a
year and a pretty face into the bargain
Is a positive phenomenon, and. as sucb
cannot fail to be greatly admired by a
h''mber OF more or less eligible young
men with a taste for beauty of the most
substantial kind. Even middle-aged
bachelors awake from their habitual in
differences when, on being introduced
easa lovely damsel of two and twenty.
taey are conscious that the possessor of
a considerable fortune stands before
them for although money is the root of
all evil, it is q root which most people
very willingly undertake the risk of cul-
tivating.
Since Lydia Lirripip was thus beauti-
fni and thus rich, it is not surprising
that she had not only admirers-men
who dared to wish uncertain things;
but lovers, too-men who had the pre-
sumption to hope. 1t istrue that Lydia
encouraged none Of them, for she was
quite satisfied to live ut home with her
fII .L< ~
father, Gen. Lirripip, in Bruton street,
e~frosvenor square, and to ride in Rot
ten Row in the morning, and to drive
IN the park in the afternoon. But for
tnnately young men do not require en-
enlargement; nay, in certain affairs the
less encouragement they receive the
greater their persistency becomes; and
considering that healthy constituted
young ome seldom, if ever, give any
encouragement to young men, the per-
sistency of these latter in the face of
alarming difficulties is amatter on which
all of us may heartily congratulate our
selves. Indeed, but for the presidency
who knows whether the world would
go round?
1T was the height of the London sea-
son, and Lydia Lirripip went with her
father n evening to a great bail at the
Countess of Carnaoy's. Everybody was
taere-everybody. that is, of rank and
fashion-and ere she had been in the
brightly lighted rooms for five minutes
Lydia was engaged for all the dances
OH the program. Now, to most of her
partners she was only engaged for q
single valse or a polka, but for old ac-
quaintance sake. or for some other rea-
son, she allowed two gentlemen to take
two dances each. Tt was no doubt Very
indiscreet of her to do so. But in one
case at least it was also very good-na-
tured OF her, for she permitted old Sir
PertinaS Popinjay, who, as every one
knew, vas far too stiff and equity to
move about properly. TO put down his
name for the only two sets Of lanciers.
Sir Pertiuax was etl'asively grateful and
smiled his sweetest upon her as he re-
turned her program, and Lydia, instead
ofregretting her kindness, felt thorough
ly rewarded by seeing that she was Civ
ing plcasnreto the gray-haired barones,
who, thirty years before, had been a
noted dandy, and who now struck
her rs being simply a prosy old fellow,
whom few girls would be likelyt dance
with. Lydia's other favored partners
were Mr.. Horace Freake--a young
artist who had that year for the first
time exhibited at the royal academy
and Mr.. Merton Murley, a man who
had no professor and no occupation,
and who, if he had a private income,
derivedit from n source not generally
known even to his friends.
In this world many strange coinci-
dences happen. Two chemists have
been known to make exactly the same
discovery on the same day; and two
astronomers have claimed to catch
sight OF q ley comet Mt almost the same
moment. tits not, therefore, Incredible
that, while dancing these six dances
with her three favored partners, Lydia
casually mentioned to each of them
tllatupon the following evening her faith
er was going to take the chair at the
annual meeting of the Society for
the Encouragementof Cold Water Bath
ing on the Continent: that she
was not going, but would be alone at
home, that she wished that girls were
able like men to amuse themselves: and
that she envied her partners their clubs,
their theaters, and their sociable smok-
ing concerts. Nor is it incredible that,
having heard this, Sir Pertinax Popin-
jay, Mr.. Horace Freake and Mr.. Mer-
ton Murley all made up their minds to
call upon Miss Lirripip upon the follow
ing evening. and to make to her certain
avowals, which, although they had long
mcditated them, they now felt impelled
to make as 0 as possible, and with
ont any unnecessary delay. What
these avowals were may be guessed, but
why the same gentlemen all determined
ut the same time to make them IS n
question which cannot be explained, al
though the fact that Lydia that evening
looked even prettier than usual may
have been one of the causes OF the. ex-
tr%aordinary coincidence.
Lydia little dreamed, when in the
small hours Of the morning she dropped
off to sleep, of what was hanging over
her. Sir PertinaX had made no sign;
Mr.. Mur1ey had not been more atten-
tive than for some time had been his
wont; and Mr.. Freake had been actually
more dull and uninteresting than Miss
Lirripip had ever seen him. She there
fore slept soundly, and was u~ndisturbed
bv fears of the coming evening and its
visitors.
The following day was wet. The