The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1889-08-15
JESSICA'S MARRIAGE.

CEOOlOA > MAhfIlAUE.
1t Occurred Many Months Before
She Met Her Husband.
Jessica Wynne had waving brown
hair, merry dancing eyes, red lips, al
ways parted over small white teeth,
round waist and a bright, fresh COM
plexion; she was barely seventeen, 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 a quiet coun-
try house in Wales, that she had
neither father, nor mother, and had
been since her babyhood the charge OF
a widowed, childless aunt, blessed with
a philanthropic turn OF mind and more
solicitous of sparing labor to her lady
helps than of contributing to the pleas
ures 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
grewup became the acknowledged belle
OF the country side. Herreputation ex-
tended 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 Jes-
sica was invited by some acquaintance
she had met, at Cardiff, and. who had
taken great fancy to her, to spend two
months with them in London immedi-
ately after Easter. The girl passed a
week in a delirious JOY of prepare
ton and anticipation; she dreamed of
triumphs which would eclipse those of
the little Welsh belle, of Intoxicating
delights. of parties, balls, Hurllugham,
Sandown, the New Club, theaters, of
all tho places she had read of in the
society papers; and, looking at the
pretty face in the glass, she even hoped
that it might be her proud fate to see
her name in print as 1.-The lovely Miss
Wynnc' in some glorifed paragraph.
Colonel and Mrs. Tressillian, her
1nture hosts, were a fashionable mid
dlc-aged couple, addicted to Il good
deal of wandering over Europe in
quest of health and amusement, but
generally occupying fine house in
South kensington during the season,
where they entertained literally both
their compatriOts@ and :. foreigners
whenever they "cre not themselves
being entertained.
Jcssica Wynne returned. to Wales at
the beginning of July. 1f::Mrs. Polls
over had been observant.. she might
have noticed - 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,
London was very gay-plenty of things
going on, OF course; lots of fine gowns,
good music. o, yes, heaps of concerts.
too-many of them" Had she en-
ioyed herself?" ''Of courses; how
could she help enjoying herself in
London during the scason?' and an.
swers to that effect.
The truth Of the matter was that the
popular little Welsh belle had been
sorcly neglected in London. She found,
to her indignant dismay, that her
beauty, wit and repartee remained I'M
appreciated; with increasing choler
she soon remarked that other maidens
as fresh and fai- as herself shared her
ignominious Obscurity. Her conscious
ness, which was not .conceit, told her
that she was sacrificed to rivals less
fair, less clever, and, above all, less
young: she realized that one and alt of
tho successful queens of society were
odious married women-fast, bold, en-
acting, tyrannical matrons, who mo-
nopolized the attentions Of the. men.
She saw those uprincipled creatures
surrounded by their courtiers at the
play and atfthc races; tho ~ were asked
to dinners, picnics and balls, and when
poor little Jessica did get card for a
dance the entertainment. painfully re-
minded her of the breakipg-up festivi-
ties Of her, school, where the white
frocks SO hopelessly predominated over
the black coats. Remembering all
these things, the girl Set her teeth
hard. gathered her eyebrows into a
resolute frown and vowed that if she
had lost her first innings 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 became
almost al hciress. When six months
had passed, a little paragraph appeared
in several Welsh papers containing the
following intelli 5ence: .,.s
"Wo understand that the beautiful
Miss Jessica Wynne v;ill.at' the expira-
ton Of her mourning, return to society
as tho bride of Captaih Montgomery
Swift This gallant s3nicer, now on
leave, will. however, shortly after the
honeymoon be compelled to join his