Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-01-17
LAYING A MAN-TRAP.
BY STANLEY MKENNA.

She was widow, and very rich. She
lived in one of the handsomest houses on
Fifth avenue, aud was closing up to forty
three. She had grown daughter, a
French maid, horses and carriages to her
hearts content, and jewels and laces
enough to fill Saratoga trunk. She had
been beautiful woman, and was now in
love for the first time. The object of her
affection was young lawyer. He had
met the daughter at ball, and had since
been paying her attention. The Young
lady was engaged elsewhere, and took the
lawyers politeness to her as delicate
way of showing preference for her
mother.
The good lady was not so roundabout;
indeed, she went straight at the mark.
She began BY encouraging the man to go
to the house, and then sent him little
presents. The trifes were convened
anonymously, of course, but somehow or
another they generally went in papers or
boxes or cases that had the widows name
carefully half erased. They began with
cut-glass inkstand, and continued
through series of gold pens, silver
handled penknives, then double watch
chains, match boxes, cigar cases, and
sleeve buttons, up to large oil painting
in frame. The lawyer accepted the
things as tokens of the widows approval
ofhls suit, and never hinted at their recep.
ton. The lady saw she was not advanc-
ing in the young mans esteem,
and determined on bold flank move
ment. She consulted the French maid,
and together they concocted plan, Her
birthday was near at hand, and she would
invite him to call and pay his respects.
He should be ushered into darkened
room where her beauty would be set off
to the best advantage and he should be
surprised into declaration. A young
lady friend of the daughter would be
asked to come for the afternoon, so that
it could be said she had company, aud
they were to occupy the front parIor
while the widow would carry on the siege
in the back.
This back room was luxuriously furn-
ished, and was generally used by the
"hNo" % a SteGtLsSS -IOOul. L ale DTOCdQeu
satin lined the walls, and it contained
low Turkish lounges, Persian carpets,
wide reclining chairs, pictures and
statues, and heaps of odd and curious
ornaments, Everything had been pre-
pared well beforehand, and when noon
of the eyentful day arrived nothing was
missing.
The French maid was in her ele
ment, and the daughter and her
friend entered into the scheme with
much spirit and energy. 1t was
decided that the widow should repose
gracefully on sofa, and when
the lawyer called he must be shown
into that room with the excuse that the
daughter was entertaining in front The
room was TO be darkened SO that only the
faintest golden tint of the morning sun
should steal through the apartment, and
one could not perceive objects there for
some time after leaving the open dav.
The French maid was to say she thought
her mistress was out, but she would 90
and inquire of the butler. She would
leave the lawyer in the room and give him
time to become used to the darkness, dis
cover the lovely picture on the sofa and
capitulate. AT twelve o'clock exactly the
hair dresser was sent for and instructed
to dress the widows hair so that she
could recline and not disarrange it.
The French maid then robed the
widow in black-lace dress, and with
long flowing sleeves not to hide the
chiseled wrists and arms. She claspeo
three diamond bracelets on one arm. and
four composed of diamonds, emeralds,
rubies and opals on the other. She put
large pearls setin black in the ears, SO
as not to force too strong contrast with
the cheeks, and then she brought the
paint box. She penciled the eyebrows
and under the eyes with black, and
fastened tiny bit of court plaster at the
corner of the eye, to throw out its lustre.
She sponged the face, neck and hands
with vaseline, and then wiped it off with
chamois. She covered the same surface
with white powder so fine that it barely
left snowy shadow on the skin; then
she painted the cheeks, the forehead. the
inside of the eyes aud ears, and tipped
the chin with rose to initiate dimple.
The widow sat at a large mirror, and
held one in each hand so that she could
see herself from every point of view dur
ing the operations. She gave her opinion
of effects here aud there as the maid pro-
ceeded, and, when the task was com
pleted, looked like dazzling beauty of
twenty-five. The maid then threw a
large rose brocaded satin spread over a
Turkish lounge and placed the widow on
it. She sprayed her from head to foot
with cologne, and subdued the light to
tint.
Some difficulty arose over the position
the widow was to assume, and the daugh-
ter and her friend were called in consul
tation. The maid wanted half Stun
bering attitude, as if the widow were
taking nap, but the lady thought that
was not poetic enough, and wanted some.
thing like goddess reposing on shell
in the twilight, or Undine rising from
the sea. The disposition of the arms,
too, caused some trouble, and it was a
long time before the ladies' could
decide on ANYTHING quite up to the
widows notion. The French maid