The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-07-14

luxurious bachelor quarters, Of his per-
feet freedom from all domestic ties, and
he would conclude TO wait awhile longer
before making formal offer of marriage,
believing that he could occupy the field
as long as he cared to.
Helen Knowlton liked West Hastings
very much. He was attentive and
amusing, and he didn't ask her to marry
him. think that if he had put the
question seriously she would have re-
fused him. She was in love with her
art. Music was the only thing that re-
allied her ideal. She looked upon men,
the little she saw of them, as pleasant
companions, that was all. Music had
satisfied her longings up to this time,
and Aunt Rebecca had instilled into her
mind the idea that men were a delusion
and a snare; that her art was the only
thing upon which she could rely.
''The more you do for men, the more
you may do" said that wise woman;
"but the more you do for art, the more
art will do for you. Don't tell mel l
haven't lived all these years among men
for nothing. They can't take me in, and
they never could" I don't think the
man ever lived who could have been in
duced to take Miss Rebecca Sanford in,
for he would have known that if he did
so he would have to give the reins into
her hands and resign the drivers box
forever.
Aunt RebeSca didn't intend that her
niece should marry, at least for many
long day, and her influence was very
strong. She wouldn't say: "You mustn't
know So and So" or try any of the usual
means of keeping girl from falling in
love; but she would with her witty
tongue put a man in so ridiculous light
that Helen could never think of him
again without laughing. Aunt Rebecca
was very clever in her way, and she was
more than Il match for her niece. If she
had once given Helen chance to fall
seriously in love the girls attachment
would have been too strong to be shaken
by her shafts of ridicule. But she did
not. When she thought West Hastings
was becoming little too attentive she
asked Helen if she had noticed how he
picked all the truffles out of the pate and
put them on his own plate ard selected
the delicate bits of the celery for him
self. Helen had not noticed this, but she
supposed that if her aunt said SO it must
be true.
Aunt Rebecca was always ready with
an anecdote against Hastings, which she
/ told with a good natured laugh that en-
/ tirely diverted suspicion. No one knew
why she was so opposed to Helen's
marrying, except that she wanted her to
make even more of a career and add still
more to her bank account. And she
really did not believe that a woman was
any happier for being married. MAR
riage is lottery, where all the tickets
are blanks" she would say; and she got
her niece to be very much of her opinion
In the case of West Hastings, Aunt Re
beccas plan was to impress Helen with
the idea that he was selfish old bachelor
Che was only S0), and every little thing
he did that might be regarded as selfish
she magnified. He was a selfish man,
there is no doubt about that Most
wealthy bachelors are. They have had
few or none of the experiences that are
supposed to sweeten a mans disposition.
Hastings had everything in the world
that he wanted, and he was never crossed
in any of his pleasures. 1t piqued him
little that Helen Knowlton did not seem
to be more impressed by his attentions,
but he never for a moment dreamed that
he would be unsuccessful in a serious
suit of that young woman.
At the time Rush Hurlstone saw him
escorting Miss Knowlton to her car
rage at the stage door of the
Academy of Music more than one
half of society thought that he was
engaged to be married to her, though
neither of the persons most interested
had heard the rumor Aunt Rebecca
took a wise course in the Hastings
affair. From the day Helen first met
him at Bessie Archer's coming OUT
ball she showed a greater liking for him
than for any man she had met before,
and the aStute Miss Sanford said to her
self, ''To break this off 1 must be diplo-
matte. 1t never does to oppose young
people openly in matters of this sort.
Let him come to see her. I will stop
him from going too far if can, and if 1
can't l shall accept the situation grace
fully Che has eighty thousand dollars
Year, and consider myself shelved for
the rest of my days. But 1 don't pro-
pose to let him go too far. l don't see
myself shelved at my time of life"
Aunt Rebecca enjoyed the business de-
tails of the operatic profession as much
as her niece did the artistic part. To
outwit the managers was as exciting to
her as game Of chess is to some people,
and she loved to plan winters cam
paign. No travelling was too hard for
her, not even Jump" from Boston to
Chicago. She could make herself as
happy in a car as in a drawing room.
Her mind was on the gallop all the time,
and it could work as well in one place as
in another; indeed, she commended that
the motion of train only stimulated her
thoughts. Helen was naturally of an
active disposition, but she had grown
passive under her aunt's dominating infu- |
ence, and did not assert herself as much |
as she should have done. Once in a great |
while she would rebel, but it was a mere |
flash in the pan Few people who did
not know Helen Knowlton can imagine
such person, and there is no doubt that |
she was an exception to the rule of |
womanhood
Just at the time of which write, she