The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-08-04
HER DILEMMA,


beetrewn carpet of the drawing room
In Victoria street fiat swept and rus
tied the laces and silks of Mrs. Ven
ning's newest Paris tea gown.
What shall do? Whatever shall I
do?" cried Mrs Venning as for the
hundredth time the writing table barred
her progress and turned hor footsteps
back to where tho carved mantolpieoe
positively groaned under It's lood of
Dresden china, old worries, fresh roses
and bibolots Of every description.
She crossed tho white fur rug. and
pausing g,zcd with q self plying smilo
at the pretty profusion that met her
eyes.
Roses at Christmas" sho said aloud.
THAT'S tho text OF tho old sermon For
the three years of my widowhood Two
had roses at Christmas and everything
else to match. Laura Marindin spent
$500 when she hung hor boudoir with
French brocados. l ran in debt as many
thousands by doing up my rooms with
old enbroideries. suppose she's got
receipt for hor money. l have county
court summons for mino''
She dropped into tho writing chair
and loaned her chin, dinplod and round
as baby's, i'll her palms. "It seems to
DO about $50, 600 tho horrid people want
from me l can't mako it any less, and
I've added everything together = dozen
times. OF course know 1 have bscn
eXtravag;nt; but, then, I'm young
and-not bad looking which was
Mrs. Ncnning's way Of considering her
undoubtcd bcauty-'nnd widow into
the bargain. And widows uuo expected
to be so very smart nowadays.
Still the tradcspeoplo should not
have given me such unlimited credit
All, that's the real root of the whole
matter The credit system is tho ruin
of women, who, like myself, must have
pretty things about them
Thirty thousand dollars and most
OF it to be paid almost at once am
worth nothing-in cash These things"
she looked about her luxurious sur
roundings with appreciativo eycs-''I
wonder what they would fetch if it
came to sale? l paid-ot least Owe
an awful lot for some Of them But it
mustn't, it shan't, como to sale A
rich marriage. Now, let mo think who
will do.
I'D throw tho handkerchief to Raph-
ael Gluckstein In n moment and
know he'd positively jump at mo for
the sake of my visiting list and the
country houses 1 stay at but that he
would want to pry too much and would
find out at once that when my late hus-
band, Robert Venning diod no only loft
$50, 600 behind him and not the 800
600 year with which society and tho
tradespcople have chosen to credit me
Glnckstein wouldn't marry penniloss
woman to attain oven the Duchess Of
Newland's little dinner parties
And so. with crinliled brows and
slender forefinger that licked off each
victim TO Mrs Vcnning's charms as he
came Ill view, the prctticSt and most
popular woman in town passed before
her minds eye such men us, by their
station on fortune, could alone save her
from social and financial annihilation
The Earl of WcSscX she had openly
snubbcd n month ago, and only week
back his engagement to a Chicago pork
packers daughter had been announced.
Hon. Berthe Shorthouse was nice
boy, and his prospects truly grand, but
no had been very wild on his own &c
count, and a marriage with him might
scarcely DO neutrality-suspicious. the point
Of view Of the clamorous tradospeople
The young Duke of Woodford WAS
highly eligible but the old duchess,
his mother, kept a sharp eye on the lad
and had openly expressed her detosta-
ton of widows
Tho bishop of Barchester was rich
and vol preserved man. but oh, so
prosy and 30 dreadfully intolerant Of
the ways Of tho world
And so Oh through endless strings Of
moths, who had fluttcred round and
burned their silly wings at tho flame Of
Mrs. Venning's bright eyes
Suddenly she paused, blushed deli
ciously, then laughed ut herself for do
ing SO.
"It's dreadful thing to do" sho
said, passing her fingers lightly over her
burning checks. II don't know how
such an idea could ever come into my
head"
Sho opened the blotter. drew some
dainty monogrammed paper toward her,
and taking q pen began hastily to scrib-
bio few names across tho sheet
Lord Fordwell, Of course The duke
Il can't help it If his mother doesn't
like it The boy must marry some day
Tho bishop of Barchcstor. Gluokstein-
I'll risk him Colonel Dingwall is %
nice looking follow, with comfortable
income, and he was most epris with me
at Goodwood. Lord Arthur ST. John
will certainly write to- Two not seen
him for 81 year INT I 1,DO1y no 10 ar