Wichita eagle., 1889-08-03
MRS. MONTGOMERY SWIFT.

MRS. MONTGOMERY SWIFT.
Jessica Wynne had waving brown hair,
merry dancing eyes, red lips, always parted
over small white teeth, round waist and
bright, fresh complexion; she was barely II,
a perfect edition of the pocket Venus and the
possessor Of a fair portion. These were her
assets, against which stood the facts that she
lived in quiet country house IN Wales, that
she had neither father nor mother, and had
been since her babyhood the charge Of a wild
owed, childless aunt, blessed with a philan-
thropic turn Of mind, and more solicitous of
sparing labor to her lady helps than Of con-
tributing to the pleasures of her niece.
However, on the whole, the odds were in
favor of the girl, who, being gifted with
fearless, independent nature, contrived to
make the most Of opportunities, and as she
grew up, became the acknowledged belle of
the country side. Her reputation extended
as far as Cardiff and Brecknock, and no
county or garrison ball was deemed success
unless Miss Wynne was present. She was
escorted to these festivities by some obliging
chaperon, to whom Mrs. Polsover trusted her,
sometimes for couple of days at a stretch,
with many recommendations as to propriety
and department.
One never-to-be-forgotten day, Jessica was
invited by some acquaintance she had made
at Cardiff, and who had taken great fancy
to her, to spend two months with them in
London Immediately after Easter. The girl
passed week in delirious Joy of prepare
ton and anticipation; she dreamed of tri-
umphs which would eclipse those of the little
al ha1la IF i,to daliorbtc of
ties, balls, Nottingham, Sandown, the New
club, theatres, of all the places she had read
of in the society papers; and, looking ar her
pretty face in the glass she even hoped that
it might be her proud fate to see her n"me in
print as 1.-The lovely Miss Wynne" in some
glorified paragraph
Col and Mrs Tressillian, her future hosts,
were fashionable middle aged couple, ad-
dicted to good deal OF wandering over Eu-
rope in quest OF health and amusement, but
generally occupying a fine house in South
Kensington during the season, where they
entertained literally both their compatriots
and foreigners, whenever they were not them
selves being entertained
Jessica Wynne returned to Wales at the
beginning Of July. If Mrs. Polsover had
been observant she might have noticed a
shadow in the laughing brown eyes, a certain
compression In the scarlet lips. She vaguely
observed that the girl was unusually reticent
about her London experiences. Eyes, Lon
don was very gay-plenty of things going on,
of course; lots Of fine gowns, good music.
Oh, yes, heaps OF concerts, too-nany OF
them" ''Had she enjoyed herselfr' "Of
course; how could she help enjoying herself
in London during the season?" and answers
TO that effect.
The truth of tho matter was that the popu-
lar little Welsh belle had been sorely neg
lected in London. She found, TO her indg
nant disrnay, that her beauty, wit and repair
tee remained uaappreciated; with increasing
choler she soon remarked that other maidens
as fresh and fair as herself shared her igno-
minious obscurity. Her consciousness, which
was not conceit, told her that she was sacri-
feed to rivals less fair less clever, and, above
all, less young; she realized that one and all
of the successful queens Of society were odious
married women-faSt bold, e1acting, tyran-
nical matrons, who monopolized the atten-
tons of the men. She saw those unprincipled
creatures surrounded by their courtiers at
the play and at the races; they were asked
to dinners, picnics and balls, and when
poor little Jessioa did get card for dance
the entertainment painfully reminded her of
the breaking up festivities Of her school,
where the white frocks so hopelessly FREEDOM
mated over the black coats. Remembering
all these things the girl set her teeth hard,
gathered her eyebrows into reSolute frown,
and vowed that If she had lost her first i'll
nings she would be even yet with the London
world
Miss Wynne had not forgotten her VOW, or
else fortune favored her. A year later Mrs.
Polsover died, leaving half her money to the
lady helps, the other half TO Jessica, who be-
came almost an heiress. When six months
had passed little paragraph appeared in
several W elsh papers containing the following
intelligence;
I'VE understand that the beautiful Miss
.Jessica Wyune viii, at the expiration of her
mourning, return TO society as the bride of
Capt Montgomery Swift. This gallant officer,
now on leave, will, however shortly after
the honeymoon be compelled TO join his regi-
ment abroad"
This announcement, shorn of local hyper
bole, gradually found its way into the Bir-
1ningham and Manchester dailies, and finally
drifted into one or two London papers
Mrs. Montgomery Swift took charming
furnished house in Mayfair, kept perfectly
appointed brougham and victoria, procured
her toilets from Paris and forthwith became
the rage. Her gowns were copied, her repair
tees quoted, her o'clock at homes crowded.
She gave neither dinners nor parties, awaited
herself of a few of the tntroductions OBJ
tanned through the TresSillisnS, who were
abroad; with charming impertinence and
pretty audacity dropped all the people she
considered bores, and plunged into the mad
dest whirl of social dissipation. American
girls gnashed their teeth with envy when the
little grass widow" carried off their most
hopeful admirers; dowagers frowned, young
matrons pursed their lips. mothers Of mar
Thick and filnssv.U