The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-18
CHAPTER L
Now FIRST PUBLISHED

Washington season. She would have
ranked as the first belle instead, II only shs'd
been just little bit more human. Her
face was beaulful-as beautiful as q
statues, when one saw it in repose; cold.
clesr-cut, perfect, with regular features
and a creamy complex on; a sculptor's
model in evening dress; full, round bust,
faultlass figure Bat when Msisie smiled or
talked, her charm was lessened, not IN
creased, as it ought TO be with animation.
She was beautiful sill, to be sure-sti.l per-
feet, still faultless; but that was all; noth-
ing in any way better than mere perfection.
She lacked the saving grace OF feminine
touch, winning softness. The other belle
beat her there; the other belle had heart.
Maisie Bowman had only a neck and
shoulders
Yet, strange to say, though she reigned
acknowledged as vice>queen of season,
Maisie Bowman could hardly count
q single lover. Admirers by the
score flocked around her Of
course; "a she entered the ballroom,
young men crowded in, eager to fill up her
card; western congressman Wed with
European attaches in their ardent desire TO
But there the thing ended. 1t was dance
the men wanted, not a wife, Maisie noted
IL was a partner for @ waltz they sought
not partner for lifetime. And this was
annoying, for even in America, oplne, no
woman can live on admiration alone;
especially not Msisie. w hat she longed for
most were diamonds. house, position in
the world, a carriage of her own, and dn-
ci1entallyl a husband.
All these-save perhaps the last-8he
might have in time. no DOUBT, from her own
resources. Her mother was rich-tne
widow Of q wealthy iron-fouuder in the
PittsbIrb district; and people said Maisie
would inherit her wealth. But then Mrs.
Bowman had thirty good years of life still
left in her. A comfortable bark of ample
tonnage, she sailed o. silly down the fu !
stream of life before prosperous breezss. Il
might be long indeed before she came TO
anchor. That made the attaches hang back
somewhat. II the money had been Maises
now, they might have found the protundity
OF their feelings some day too much for
them but as it was Mrs. Bowman's, they
managed to keep their sentiments down to
the level of mere objective artistic edmira-
ration for her face and figure. Besides,
Mrs. Bowman might marry again any day
a widow Of IS. with 10000 year of her
own, may easily excite a tender passion in
the susceptible breast of New England
congressman. Aud when 1 say 10 900 q
year, mind you, mean pounds sterling, not
dollars Of United states currency.
One day, a rev sensation broke upon
Washington, Jose Mansfield, the poet of the
far western world came to visit the CAPT
tai.
All society went wild latter its WON'T over
this its latest sensation. In the dialect of
the time ard place. there was a Mansfield
boom that year in Washington. The world
Aa1k ACf ht,N 10 -. 1.
picturesque mlen, his flowing brown locks,
bis fiery southern eyes, his volcanic energy.
For hot Mexican blood, it was rumored, ran
in jose Mansheld's veins; his mother had
been a famous Spanish beauty at Santa Fe ;
his father, pioneer rancher on the edge of
the Sierras. He was Buffalo Bill with Just
favor of Byronesque poetry thrown in ;
the Wild West subdued and purified for
drawing-room use by the distant aroma of
European culture.
Masie Bowman, like all the rest, was
eager to meet and conquer the hero of the
hour. A true American coouette at heart,
what she wanted most Of all in the world
was conquest. Admiration. not love. was
the stake she played for And it was with
thrill OF conscious pleasure that she re
ceived one cay an Invitation from Mrs. Van
Rensselaer, Brown TO an evening reception
''to meet Mr.. Jose Mansfield"
As the new lion entered the spacious
saloon, Meisies eyes rested long and eagerly
On him. a thrill ran through her-She bad
met her fate. The praire poet was tall aud
handsome, q large-hullt, breezy man, not
wholly out Of place in an evening suit, yet
looki 6 as though a sombrero AMI a W
boys J8cket would have done fuller iustica
TO his big limbs and handsome devil-may-
care features.
Every face in the room was turned to-
ward the newcomer. But as for him. he
o. /,
sio " SWING or man accustomed to the
endless elbow-room Of the prairies; and
even Gs he shook hands with her, his eve mad
lighted full with strange flash on Maisie.
Introduce me to ti.at girl" he said,
briefly. vita the imperious curtness he
affected as psrc OF tle pce;ical manner.
She's as handsome as she can hold. And
looks intelligent, too. Every gifts of nature
except perhaps soul. But after al, il it
cotnts 10 that, a boiY's great deal. | CA
put up without souls. Unjust know her and
sound her"
She's the secord belle of our season. u
Mrs. Van Rensselaer, Brown iuterjected
smiling.
Aud jose Mansfield made answer. with a
wide wave OF h;s bag, brown hand:
Washington: NUT be rich, Indeed, II Il
holds Tonight another belle who can give
her one point and aeag nor"
Mrs. Van Rensselaer, Brown, not / pleased
took him acr 81 Aui Introduced him. The
poet. IA,Fing lis long barbara brown
nIus.acEe for moment, ike some western
Alarlc. scanned her over from head t. foot
as he might have scanned tr tting horse.
and approved # her mentally Then he
turned to his hostess with grave politeness.
Not the second beilen be said. in a very
distinct voice. The first. The only
one"
IL was audacious. It was cruel. He
ought not SO TO have betrayed Mrs. Van
Reusselaer Browns confidence. But il took
Maise by storm. Never before Ia her life
had any man IN the world so openly ad-
TDired her. For the first recorded time,
Mslsia Bowman buShed. She flushed
crimson 70 her finger tips. a great wave
seeming 70 pass through her from head TO
foot tumultu usly. The poet marked the
warm blood rise with still greater approba-
ton.
I'm glad said it.n be murmured in a
whisper Of the prairies. 100 ma bly,, too
staTuesoue, when you stand up at Tspose.
But the color vitaliSes: suffuses. informs
brings out 20 the surface the latent human
element.
And he was quite right. toa. For hffec-
fations apart, Jose Man field bad at least he
trUs poetic temperament de loved beauty
and read 10 Ike an open book. His instincts
OWNED these things BY pure intuition. For
fhe nrsE time sinOe she came our, dnisie
Bowman was conscious Of sOmetblDg mere
than the Wish 70 inspire admiration. She
so d before her fate. She fst she could
love this men. as she uDderstoOd love. sns
ssit sbs would Ike tnis man 70 love her