Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-10-18
A HOPELESS CASE.


Mrs. Desmond was supreme disposeT
of men. They were the pawns in the
checkered game of her life. She could
mate in move. Marriage was a sort of
homicidal mania with her. Nobody ever
made the slightest resistance against her
DEGREES. When she thought it proper for a
man to propose to girl, she simply told
him that the hour had arrived. She was
as incontrovertible as the guillotine.
But Tony Seton was Mrs. Desmond's
despair.
Three times had she invited him to her
country house. and twice had he returned
unbeguiled into marriage. Now she was
in despair.
Mrs. Desmond was honestly fond of
Tony Seton. She would have done almost
anything for him, except let him remain
single. That was too much even for her
affection. Bachelors and funerals
hate" she said. Tony-even though he
were bachelor-she could not hate He
was too big and brown and boyish for
that. Nobody ever hated him.
Tony" said Mrs. Desmond one morn
ing Ebony am going to give you ono
IlOlb OiltiIlC6. ~ = III 10 tOIllluB W Sbb lllC
charming girl-by that mean a rich
girl. That is my idea of a charming girl.
Her name is Viola Lorimer. Now, Tony"
and Mrs. Desmond shook her forefnger at
him menacingly, "this is your very last
chance. Think of all have done for you.
You have been almost as much trouble and
worry to me as my husband was. He was
q singularly thoughtless man, until he
conceived the idea Of dying. Well, sup
pose every one has one clever idea some
time-only so few act upon it. You have
been my despair for three years. You'd be
a widower with q lot of money if you had
been expeditions. And now you've let
Fanny Russell engage herself to this-tbis
cousin"
but don't love any girls, expostu-
lated Tony, getting redder as his hostess
enumerated his delinquencies.
"Love theml" she exclaimed scornfully.
al am talking of marriage. Now, | want
YOU to make up your mind-or whatever
you call ito marry Viola Lorimer She
is woman of the world, and you will be
admirably suited to each other. Inciden-
tally she is very rich. Will you promise
to do this for me? Really, you owe Inc
something"
"You have been awfully good to me-"
acknowledged Tony.
"Of course l have" she agreed. 81
have been perfect to you. Did ever make
you do anything disagreeable such as get
ting me ices at parties or dancing with
dull dcbutantes? Never"
But you want me to marry some one."
"Any one" she corrected. "In small
matters like that l may be exigeante,
own, but in big worldly affairs l am ex-
tremely liberal. 1 never made you leave
cards after one dinner before asked you
to another, did IH''
"No."
"Thore, you seel You will never have a
friend like me, not even if you live to be
thousand. Now, you must ask Miss Lori
mer to marry you"
Perhaps she WON'T" suggested Tony,
with suspicion of hope in his voice.
"Oh, poohp' said Mrs. Desmond con-
clusively. "She will jump at you. You
are very good looking-do you know that
Tony? Only you must be careful not to
get fat. You big fair people so often get
fat in your old age. Let me see, how old
are you? Twenty-eight Hcavens You
ought to have been married ages ago.
In due course Tony Seton was introduc.
ed to Miss Lorimer, and he was fain to &C
knowledge that she was charming. Tony,
who had never known a moment of fear in
his whole life, realized that he was in great
danger. He had killed grizzlies in the
Rocky mountains and he had hunted tigers
in Indian jungles, but he felt very inse-
cure, when, a week after his introduction,
he found himself in the leafy seclusion of
the conservatory alone with Miss Lorimer
Tony asked her to marry him, and she
refused him point blank. She explained
that she was engaged already. She let
Tony hold her hand, however. Tony was
not above those things, even though he
was unmarried.
Later he told Mrs. Desmond that he had
been refused and Mrs. Desmond was furi-
Gus. She stamped her foot-it was so
small and daintily shod that such displays
of rage were piCturesque-and finally from
sheer disappointment and chagrin she be-
gan to cry. She was going back to Lon
don on the following day, and Tony unen-
gagged. Somebody must marry Tony. 1t
was grotesque.
Poor Tony had never seen Mrs. Desmond
do anything but laugh, and he had always
laughed with her. He hesitated an in
slant, wondering what to do, and then
suddenly she found herself in his arms.
II love you," whispered Tony.
$50 do 1, she said irrelevantly.
"And 1 want to marry you" he added.
And Mrs. Desmond gave his big hand a
little squeeze and dried her eyes and smiled
again.
$50 do l." she reiterated.
Then Tony kissed her.
II wouldn't have had you go back to
London unengaged for-for anything"
confessed Mrs. Decentralization Sun.