Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1889-09-21
lS long rs ne cared TO.

Us long as ne cared to.
Helen Knowlton liked West Hastine
very much. He was attentive an
amusing, and he didn't ask her TO MARI,
him. think that if he had put th
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 iongings up to this time,
and Aunt Rebecca had instilled into her
mind the idea that men were delusion
and snare; that her art was the only
thing upon which she could rely
| 1.-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 me!
haven't lived all these years among men
for nothing. They can't take me in, and
they never could" l 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
30 he would have to give the reins into
her hands and resign the drivers box
/ forever.
Aunt Rebecca 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 a girl from falling In
love; but she would with her witty
tongue put man in 80 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 match for her niece. II she
had once given Helen a 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 and 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 80 opposed to Helens
marrying. except that che wanted her to
make even more of 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 a selfish old bachelor
(he was only 80), and every little thing
he did that might be regarded as selfish
she magnifled. 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 q mans disposition.
Hastings had everything in the world
that he wanted, and he was never crossed
in any of his pleasures 1t piqued him a
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
riage 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 greater liking for him
than for any man she had met before,
and the astute Miss Sandford said to her
self, ITO break this of 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 II /
can't shall accept the situation grace
fully Che has eighty thousand dollars q
Year, and consider myself shelved for
the rest of my days, But l 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 gamo of chess is to some people,
and she loved to plan a 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 drawing room.
Her mind was on the gallop all tho time,
and it could work as we'll in one place as
in another; indeed, she contended that
the motion of q train only stimulated her
thoughts. Helen was naturally Of an
active disposition, but she had grown
passive under her aunt's s dominating influ-
ence, and did not assert herself as much
AZ she should have done. Once in a GREAT