Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-02-19
A WIDOW BEWITCHED.
Kitty's Nice Little Scheme, and
How It Worked.

"If my relations were set of parrots y
soliloquized Colonel Roslyn Seymour.
with only one set phrase among them,
they could not echo more persistently
you ought to get married! you ought to
get married. It's dinned into my ears from
morning until night, and now positively
If Kitty hasn't taken it up-my favorite
sister Kitty, who makes it her boast that
she can twist me round her finger.
"Pshaw! charming womanp ibis eyes
had fallen on a sentence in a letter near
him-s'they are all charming women.
Her husband only lived two years. What
of that? Poor Lucy only lived twelve
months, and / don't want to get married
again. We were schoolfeliows,' 'and Bob
has known her from her childhood That
isn't saying anything; somebody has
known everybody from their childhood,
and haven't such an exalted opinion of
Mr.. Bob's intimates as my meddlesome
monkey of q sister haSP
Colonel Seymour would not have chafed
half so sorely under the interference of
his family had he not seen that there was
some reason for it. His wife, a delicate
companionable as wax doll, had died in
giving birth to q daughter, who had been
left in the care of her grandmother. A
year ago the grandmother had died, and
WQat Co 90 Will the CullU was u question:
everyone had answered except the father.
''You must marry again." they said;
but that was just what he didn's want to
do, and he had accepted his sisters invi-
tation to Ashridge Manor because Kitty
never bothered him about this vexed ques-
tion.
Traitress. He had not a doubt but the
upshot of her letter was that this Mrs.
Coventry was to be there to meet him. He
had good mind not to go; but, then,
= no. oh -hr,r 70 /,
him. Kitty had asked her down, that she
might get better acquainted with her
cousins and had arranged that new gov
erness was to meet them at the station
and take care of Bah during the journey.
sob, hang the women!' he exclaimed,
irritably. Il don't believe another being
on earth is bothered with them as I am.
"Hang Mrs. Coventry" he continued;
stand, as for Kitty, confound her and her
scheme together!"
Now, it happened that On the same
night, and at about the same hour, in a
cozy little boudoir in Kensington Gore, a
very good-looking woman sat all alone,
trying to make up her mind to what
seemed to her desperate action. She,
too, was soliloquizing; before her also lay
a letter. and her name was Mrs. Coventry.
sits the same thing NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
heralded by my money-and that's what
is making Kitty so anxious for me to meet
her brother. I'm sure she knew how much
I admired him before he married, or 1
either. But your face was your fortune
then, my DEAR" she said, addressing the
charming reflection opposite her; "now
you're q rich widow, and it's a different
matter. don't see why 1t should be-,
though" and she regarded herself more
critically: "and as for him, although he
does not know me from Adam, l admire
him as much as ever.o
The little slippered feet were stretched
out again, and she sat gazing into the fire.
Then. without removing her eyes, she
reached out her hand for the letter, and
hello it so that it may be read over her
shoulder.
sDEAR HELEN-Am not the most I'M
fortunate person in the world? My
Cousins little boy is very unwell with
what may be only cold, or the doc
tor says may turn out fever. OF course,
dare not risk the children at Ash
ridge Manor, but if it proves to be nothing
at all, do not want Mrs. Lambton to
be made nervous about having me, so
tanned by a sprained ankle-fortunately /
have turned my foot; and would you let
one of your servants go to Colonel Sey-
mour's, and say from me that am un-
able to fulfill my engagements of taking
charge of his little girl on the journey?
do not know where to address him or I
would not trouble you. Ny cousin has"
But at this point .an Mrs. coyentry's , in,
reading the rest of the letter she re-
Iapsed into her study of the fire.
Suddenly she rang the bell. "Send Ellis
to me-" she said, and in a few minutes
later her maid appeared. 81 have changed
my mind about Thursday. I shall go to
Ashridge tomorrow by the 1850 train.
You can come by one later.
ssl,m sure, ma'am, nobody, unless COM
PEELED to, would leave their home such q
day as this" said Ellis, looking out of the
window. at isn't weather fit to send SO
much as a dog out"
..Then tell John that Rex is to be kept
indoors"
Two bare feet were on the carpet, and
Mrs. Coventry's decision was announced
by 'sorder a outlet for me before go, and
John is to fetch good cab to take me to
the station"
Ellis retired in injured silence. She had
her own opinion of this unwarrantable
mystery-it was something to do with that
Miss Hamblin, who was going down as
governess to Ashridge Manor, who was
always made a most ridiculous fuss over.