West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-11-28


constant attendance. The second who
was of sufficiently attractive appear
ance, dressed plainly. but well. and
seemed to enjoy excellent health Mr..
Dexter himself never alluded To them
except as CLARA and Annie" and
the male visitors grew prodigiously
anxious to make their acquaintance.
But a week passed, and the foreign
moncy-lenders and secdy honorablcs
had not succeeded in attaining the OBJ
ject of their aspirations. Matters were
growing desperate, SO the Count was
deputed to devise scheme which might
produce the desired effect.
CLARA, my dear" remarked Mr..
Dexter one evening to the invalid, 'that
black-whiskcred Italian brigand-looking
chap who calls himself "a Count, wants
us to join in driving excursion some
where
"Of course, you told him you'd do no
such thing answered the young lady,
somewhat fretfully.
IL said I'd ask you-not that ever
supposed you d mix with the tagrag and
bobtail lot of people there are here"
80 you're not going?' said the other
girl.
Certainly not. Why?"
Nothing, but thought you might
like change in the MONOTONE" and
she rose and left the room.
Il wish to goodness some Italian
brigand or nobleman would take a fancy
TO Annie" sighed the invalid Her
temper is really uncomfortable. Italian
Counts are generally on the lookout for
heiresseS. Why can't YOU send her on
this expedition instead of me? Nobody
here knows that she hasn't rot a farth-
ing in the world. We might get rid of
her, and what n blessing that would
be. 80
81 am afraid you are getting un-
charitable. 1t would, however. be
rather smart TO let these hungry fellows
think she is an heireSs. But if | take
her, what is to become of you?n
81 shall get on The people are
amusing to look at, and Hannah will
take care of me. Besides, Annie posi-
lively irritatcs me, | know she thinks
nursing such a dreadful inilction.n
Have it your own way, my dear.
I'll tell the Count that we shall be de
lighted
SO when the appointed day came Mr..
Dexter, accompanied 10y Miss Annie.
and duly mounted on moderately
wcll-appointed coach, was piloted bv
the triumphant Count to IA well-known
show-place a dozen miles from Scar
borough.
Mr.. Dexter omitted to inform Count
Splitzentoif that the young lady under
his charge was not his niece at all, but
the daughter of n dcfaulting clerk, who
had committed forgery and then blown
out his brains. Neither did he say that
she had not a siXpence i'm the world. or
that he had allowed her to assume the
name of Dexter, owing to the disgrace
which had stained that of her father.
The excursion was. therefore. highly
enjoyable. The Count had asked the
Baron Won Stufguzz To join the party,
too. on the condition that he did not
make himself too agreeable to the
pseudo heiress; and the rich Miss Mum
90 and her mother had been invited for
the Baron amusement. SO, after in
speeding some more or less interesting
ruins, the party paired off in tho
grounds, the Count, of course, monopo-
llZing Miss Dexter. and the Baron Miss
Mungo, while Dexter was left To- the ten
der mcrcies of the chaperon. The lat
ter gentleman had decidedly the worst
ofthe bargain, for Mrs. Mungo, who had
originally been Il Halifax mill girl, sub
lected him To II cross-eNaminatiOn of the
most searching and irritating descrip-
ton about his fortune, his nieces the
amount of money he intended TO leave
them, and, in fact, all his most private
and personal affairs
Il hope YOU enjoyed yourself, my
dear, said Dexter to his protege, some
what grimly, when his torments were
over. and he found himself once more at
the Rcgalia
Immensely answered the Young
lady, with much emphasis THE
Count is simply charming, and he is so
well off; he has house in Paris, a villa
in Cannes, and any amount of estates in
Lithuania and the Caucasus. "
~ house i'm Paris and n villa at
Cannes. growled Dexter TO himself, 81
must make further inquiries"
Miss Annie Dexter, once having in
serted the thin end of the wedge by
getting an introduction to Scarborough
society, gave her guardian no peace
until he allowed her to go to the ever
recurring balls, which were the almost
daily solace of the young men and
maidens at the variou. hotels. She had
no difficulty i'm getting Mrs. Mungo. or
some other allablc matron, To look aft
or her. an arrangement which suited
Dexter and his niece TO perfection, as
thereby they got rid of her for the
evening, and were left to their own de-
vices.
Everybody knows what a Scarborough
hotel ball is. The guests Of one hotel
ask those Of another alternately. There
i- usually gentleman who olliciatc, ms
master Of the ceremonies. and intro
ducc- everybody, whether they like IL
or not Hence ono secs Young Iadic, of
title revolving with Hebrew money
lenders. ambitious mammas gushing
over their daughters pcrfcctions 10 the
managers oi IIaymarkot restaurants
and respectable British merchants wor-
shipping at the shrine Of French ballet
dancers and dcmi-mondaincs. Miss
Alice Dexter was not q young lady Of
very refined tastes, and th, sort of
thing suited her admirably Her va
riou- chapcrou- impressed upon the
company That Joe was the hciress to un-
told wealth. and Dexter millions made
such sensation that the Young lady
had half 20 dozen proposals i'm "a, many
days She herself did nothing TO en-
Tighten her many ad1rors as To- the real
stat" Of the case. as She was quite
-hrwd enough 10 know that any such
statement would most materially de-
crease both their numbers and ardor.
On thc contrary. %. She generally Dor
rOwed Miss Clara drc..c. and dia-
moud- sometime with and sometime
without her leave, She did her best to
confirm the popular error
After a few weeks Of this SORT Of life
the Counts attentions became 80 ex-
cce1ingly marked that Annie BEGAN to
expect "a proposal daily The Count.
however. was "a very wary gentleman.
and. before proceeding TO cx'ramIGcs.
Hr determined to ascertain from her
uncle what tue young LADY, prospects
really were IT, accordingly wrote him.
oogy.ny thc favor of few minutes
conversation boo DIS private room The
American ol course know pretty Won
"Ha' Wa coming buf NOT being over
confident Iu Dis OWu aHI.f'p. fO deal