The herald., 1894-08-25
HER DILEMMA.


tied the laces and silks Of Mrs. Ven
ning's newest Paris tea gown.
"What shall do? Whatever shall
do?'' cried Mrs. Venning as for the
hundredth time the writing table barred
her progress and turned her footsteps
back to where the carved 1nanteapiece
positively groaned under its load of
Dresden china, old worries, fresh roses
and bibelots of every description.
She crossed the white fur rug, and
pausing gazed with a self pitying smile
at the pretty profusion that met her
eyes.
Roses at Christmas!" she said aloud.
"That's the text of the old sermon. For
the three years of my widowhood I've
had roses at Christmas and everything
else to match Laura Marindin spent
$400 when she hung her boudoir' with
French brocades. ! ran in debt as many
thousands by doing up my rooms with
old embroideries. I suppose she's got a
receipt for her money. l have county
court summons for mine"
She dropped into the writing chair
as baby's, in her palms. ''It seems to
be about $50, 900 the horrid people want
from me. l can't make it any less, and
I've added everything together dozen
times. OF course know have been
extravagant; but, then, I'm young
and-not bad looking (Which was
Mrs. Venning's way of considering her
undoubted beauty-''and widow into
the bargain. And widows are expected
to be SO very smart nowadays.
''Still the tradespeople should not
have given me such unlimited credit
All, that's the real root of the whole
matter! The credit system is the 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. l am
worth-nothing- cash. These things"
she looked about her luxurious sur
roundings with appreoiative eyes-'I
wonder what they would fetch if it
came to sale? I'paid-at least owe
an awful lot for some of them. But it
mustn't, it shan't, come to sale. A
rich marriage. Now, let me think who
will do
"Id throw the handkerchief to Raph-
ael Gluckstein in moment, and l
know he'd positively jump at me, for
the sake Of my visiting list and the
country houses I 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, died he only left
$50, 900 behind him and not the $780,
900 year with which society and the
tradespeople have chosen to credit me-
Gluckstein wouldn't marry penniless
woman to attain even the Duchess Of
Newland's little dinner parties
And SO, with crinkled brows and
slender forefnger that licked off each
victim to Mrs. Venning's charms as he
came in view, the prettiest and most
popular woman in town passed before
her minds eye such men as, by their
station or fortune, could alone save her
from social and financial humiliation.
The Earl Of Wessex she had openly
snubbed month ago, and only week
back his engagement to a Chicago pork
packers daughter had been announced.
boy, and his prospects truly grand, but
he had been very wild ON his own ac-
count, and marriage with him might
scarcely be satisfactory-from the point
OF view of the clamorous tradespeople.
The young Duke of Woodford was
highly eligible, but the old duchess,
his mother, kept sharp eye on the lad
and had openly expressed her detesta-
stion of widows.
The bishop Of Barchester was rich
and well preserved man, but, oh, so
prosy and so dreadfully intolerant Of
the ways OF the world
And so on through endless strings Of
moths, who had futtered round and
burned their silly wings at the fame of
Mrs. Venning's bright eyes.
Suddenly she paused, blushed deli
ciously, then laughed at herself for do
. ing so.
"It's dreadful thing to do" she
said, passing her fingers lightly over her
burning cheeks. 81 don't know how
such an idea could ever come into my
head"
She opened the blotter. drew some
dainty monogrammed paper toward her,
and taking pen began hastily to scrib-
bio few names across the 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.
,s The bishop of Barchester. Gluckstein-
I'll risk him. Colonel Dingwall is a
nice looking fellow, with comfortable
income, and he was most epris with me
at Goodwood. Lord Arthur st. John l
will certainly write to. I've not seen
him for a year, but l know he is at
Brighton, and he always said if ever I
felt inclined to change my mind he
would only be too pleased. Sir Roder-
ick Mcpherson and BERTHE Shorthouse
Eight Of them.
Fancy a woman writing to eight
men to express her perfect willingness
to marry any one of them! The only
circumstance that prevents me expiring
with horror at my own temerity is the
Fact that all of them have proposed to
me, and in uheir Inherent ways Expressed
perfect readiness 70 fall in with my
views if ever could persuade myself
to reconsider my decision.
Yet all the time o curious hes.Nnnty
mingled with her air Of determinesS3n.
.els> LII kar ~