The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1893-06-08
HER COMPLEXION.

Mrs. Redmayne was decidedly pretty.
She dressed well and was very careful
In wearing only the colors that suited
her. She was fragile, delicate looAing
little woman and affected half lights,
like rare fern; the strong sunlight with
Its fierce glare did not suit her. Her
little drawing room-''my little nest,
as she used to call twas shaded by
heavy lace curtains; stained glass, Jap.
anese screens and thousand and one
pretty things, each interesting and beau
tiful in its way, were crammed into it;
but not one of the pretty trifles was half
90 interesting and beautiful as pretty
little Mrs. Redmayne herself.
She was pathetic creature, too. dou-
bly, fascinating, doubly dangerous, when
narrating the troubles and trials she had
experienced during her married life, and
with her troubles and trials she was ac.
customed to entertain her numerous
adorers in the drawing room of her little
bijou residence in Blank street, Mayfair.
There was something almost intoxicat-
ing In the heavy odor of sandalwood
and potpourri mixed which pervaded
the apartment.
Mrs. Redmayne herself, like most emf
nent consulting physicians, never re-
ceived more than one patient at time.
Her visitors were all men-not that there
was anything shady about Mrs. Red.
mayne, but she did not encourage lady
callers. She invited few female in
Inmates to dinner, but she took very
good care that those ladies whom she
distinguished by her friendship should be
good takers and at all events plain
enough to act as foils
The real fact is that Mrs. Redmayne
had married the justice because he was
reputed to be very wealthy man, and
Cissy Redmayne herself, as a girl, had
known all the real bitterness Of poverty,
being poor curate's daughter. Justice
Redmayne's income was very large when
be emarried the pauper curates only child.
Though he was 80, and an experienced
man Of the world, it was purely love
match on his side. Till she was II Miss
Cissy had dreamed of pretty frocks and
q pretty house. Of good living, Of an end
Less succession of balls and entertain
ments and of the public recognition of
her own beauty
In marrying Justice Redmayne she
secured all these things and escaped
from cold mutton and penury. But the
justice, though he fondly loved his pock-
ct Venus Of wife, loved old port wine
still better, and after 10 years of hap
piness the justice fell victim to his
favorite poison and left Cissy $4,000 III
hard cash and the freehold Of the little
house in Mayfair. And then Mrs. Red.
mayne made the following simple calcu-
lation, II can live at the rate Of $4,000
a year for three years, somebody worth
having will marry me in that time, and
II ! fail to find the somebody must
throw up the game and go back to papa
aud cold mutton"
From this it will be seen that pretty
Mrs. Redmayne was practical minded
little woman. She had been quite right.
Several somebodies and good many no.
bodies had paid her great deal of at
tention, but not one of the somebodies
got half 30 much encouragement as
Lieutenant and Captain Strongithearm
Of her majesty's Carpet Warriors. To be
q Carpet Warrior nowadays needs con-
siderable deal Of money, blood or inter-
est; Jack Strongithearm had money and
interest too
He was fool, but the mere fact Of his
being fool by no means disqualified
him for the Carpet Warriors. They have
their own special club, where they drink
magnums Of costly dark and peculiarly
dry champagne for lunch; they play
whist there on an afternoon and bac-
carat, nap and marmora until the small
hours Of the morning, and good deal of
money changes hands. As q rule, save
for the wealthy, three years as a Carpet
Warrior Is seldom exceeded-a man
either marries, exchanges into cheaper
regiment or bursts up. It is short life
and merry one, and it Is very great
privilege indeed to be a Carpet Warrior
at all.
Now, Lieutenant and Captain Strongi-
thearm, being wealthy, was quite vet
eran among the Warriors; he had been 10
years In the regiment, and he was de-
ssrvedly looked up to by his brother Of
fcers as o connoisseur and judge of
beauty. He was very critical and terri
bly, hard to please. He it was who had
blasted the chances Of Lady Dorothy
Fitz-Urss when he gave her the nick
name Of dolly the Dairymaid" and
hkened her lovely pink and white COM
plsdon to strawberries and cream.