Evening star., 1895-09-14

and which she had begged Mrs. Prideaux
] to accept a token of sensibility to kind
| ness received since first coming to this
country. kindness which had made 1t pos-
sible for her to rise the ladder of life
! and kindness which she now felt would
| never fail her. And then 1 heard no more
| of this young woman till year or SO had
| passed, and l was called into a case IN
| volsing an attempt to defraud the govern
| ment OF duties on quantity of costly
! lace.
The firm employing Miss Beecher were
| the parties answerable to the charges and
| l went to represent my sister; whom Miss
| Beecher had requested to certify her re-
| spectability. she having brought over the
| lace.
| Her distress was so evident but her at
| testatfons were so quiet and well-bred
| that her innocence impressed young Van
Benthuysen, who appeared for the govern
| ment prosecutor. Il entered 1t as thought
/ should. As 1 did last year." she said,
the blue eyes softened with their brimming
| tears. How can l expect to know your
| constantly changing laws?"
| In these days." said the head of the
! hrm, when many of the nobility of Eu-
rope are bettering themselves in business
we have felt ourselves fortunate in hav-
| ing an English lady of Miss Beecher's
! rank, and associations. and-and birth, at
the head of our dress department. But it
hardly seems to me that we should expect
the same familiarity with our customs
laws as with laces and velvets. from one
| Of the family of the Earl of Saverieigh"
This Lady," said Van Benthuysen.
She bowed "A member of the earrs
nousehoid, she murmured half inaudibTy,
so that one heard only the word "eari''
with distinctness. Then she raised her
head haughtily-that was her innocence CT
| the smugglfng-and looked at me, her cold
eyes melting into something like a be-
| seeching smiie-that was her appeal for
| my silence.
love of truth in general. Here, however,
IL did not seem as II the balance of the
| universe were to be disturbed. Perhaps ir
had foreseen the future; but 1 am not
sure. A pretty woman In distress has a
| claim superior to some considerations Of
] right and wrong. and nature enforces 1t.
MY sister, Mrs Prideaux. has been a
! friend of Miss Beecher's for some years"
said. And 1 beg to assure YOU that ii Ia
| quite impossible to consider this charge in
| relation to her. AS the firm are ready to
meet meet ths demands OF the government I
think you will be quite within the law Van
! benthuysen, If you accept their proposals Z"
l. VIII make such report" said he. And
| no one can regret more than myself the
| unpleasant duty that was forced upon me
| mere. AND after short conversation
with us in general and a few words in
particular to Miss Beecher, he took himself
and his papers off.
"A fine fellow, young Van Benthuysen."
| said the head of the firm. IN training for
political life. Blood will teli-as I'm sure YOU
make us feel Miss Beecher. He is one of
Inc old knfckerbocker stock His father.
the general. fine upright old fellow, was
minister to the court of-concerned ,f re-.
member just where. But he's a millionaire
times over, and he boasts that there's no
tluer blood than his this side of Amster-
dam. But l reckon we can see him, and
go one better. eh. Miss Beecher?"
A great bunch of orchids of a species
grown only in the Van Benthuysen's orchid
houses: that saw on Miss Beecher's dress
az Philharmonic attested possibly young
van Benthuysen's appreciation of this
sangre azul of hers. a little later Some
one eaid she had developed a quite sur.
prlsing knowledge of orchids-orchids, she
had said, were fad of the earls: and it
orchid houses that she met other members
OF the Van Benthuysen family.
DO not, however, know accurately any,
thing about that But In these DAYS one is
surprised at nothing And SO possihiy I
ought to have felt no astonishment hen
IT the course of a few months nv sister
coming IN from her carriage with Miss
Gortlandt, opened q billet containing we'd
DING cards. The old simpleton.' she ex-
claimed Think of it, General Van Ben
thnysen! Is It possible that he has mar
Aiiss Anne Beauchamp. Very aristocratfo
sound. wonder who she is now"
looked over Mrs. Prideaux's shoulder.
land" I said.
Why, haven't you heard?" cried Miss
Cortlandt. 1T isn't half a bad thing,
Brenton Gays; People thought it was Van
money-but then the old general has
CROUCH for two. with a moderate degree Of
economy, you know She is still young
and very well-looking, dresses perfectly,
Quite we'll connected, too. 1 hear the gen.
eral will have her presented at the next
drawing room after they go over, unless
they go first to Italy. She is a member oi
the family Of the Earl of Saverla;gh"
And neither I nor Mrs. Prideaux smiled
Don't You think an impoverished and
lcng-descended Italian prince would do
well by himself If he married the very
wealthy widow of an American general? ?''
said my sister to me once, after reading
her foreign mail. "A connection of the
Earl of Sayerleigh has right TO marry
amoEg princes. Our princess will not be
exactly an example Of ground and lofty
tUmbling-"
mo; only OF climbing a ladder into the
Clouds" l said.
We'll. ycu cannot say my maid and I
have not furnished you entertainments
very pretty petite comedie."
IF 1t Is not rather that high tragedy