The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-24
CHAPTER L.

When Mrs. Colonel Waring sold her
old home In Virginia and went to New
York to live. she frankly confessed that
1t was for the sole purpose of giving her
daughters the advantages of social life,
and the opportunity to marry well.
Frankness seemed one of Mrs. Colonel
Warnings crowning charms. Her pow
erty the beauty Of her daughters, her
motherly anxiety and ambition for
their future, We're all gracefully ac-
knowledged; but discretion went hand
in hand with this candor. The lady
was shrewd enough to know perfectly
well when and with whom to talk so
freely Her audiences were carefully
selected. Men We're apt to pity and ad-
mire her, but a few ill-natured women
had declared her to be deliberate and
selfish schemer However, Mrs. Colonel
Waring suffered little from these sour
rilous attacks.
She was small, slightly-built
woman, with Il thin face. queer gray
eyes and dark hair tnged silvery on the
temples. She dressed plainly and al
ways very markedly as a widow, but
Wore some handsome rings on her
Mrs Colonel Waring without also OBJ
serving the old-fashioned diamond on
her forefinger 1t seemed to assist
largely in the perfection of her plans.
When occupied with some knotty prob
lem she would turn and twist it around
on her finger necessarily. As for the
colonel. he had fought gallantly for the
confederacy, and finally lost his life in
its service. People who knew the
family well had liked him rather better
than his wife. He had been hand
some, robust man, as healthy in mind
as in body, truly candid soul without
any preterse or make believe. The
daughters inherited his beauty, and
they might have resembled him more
in spirit had he lived to train and influ-
ence them. But they knew the pinch
of poverty and felt it all the more be-
cause their mother chafed under it so
sorely. Her high estimate of money
and position had its influence with
them, and the two eldest sisters married
according to her wishes. They had the
opportunity, for the Warnings were re-
motely connected with a moderately
well-to-do and very aristocratic family
according to the New York standard
of aristocracy-while Tom Waring, who
he'd made and lost two or three for
tunes on the stock exchange, rendered
valuable service in bringing some of his
moneyed friends to the house. So her
sisters married, and then it was Bar
bara's turn.
For her, Mrs. Waring had made her
afpbitipt,S Y,lo ha
doubtedly more attractive than either
of her sisters, although they We're much
handsomer. She was charming, but
not eager to please, therefore men were
anxious to please her, and then she
possessed decided STYLE" to which,
she, as well as her mother, attached de-
cided value. She listened to her
mothers worldly counsel with a ready
acceptance Of it's wisdom and a cool
impartial appreciation of her gifts and
what was due her family pride. It
would be an exceptional man indeed
who could win her. Her marriage
should be a triumph before which all
the Waring marriages would pale into
utter insignificance. She desired
money, the prestige of fine old name,
and brilliant mind. She would
neither marry a rich fool nor a poor
genius. She read the history of famous
and fascinating women, pored over ac-
counts of the French salons and wished
that she could have one of her own
Her lip curled with dsdain at the
thought of contenting herself with the
frivolous pastimes of a mere society
woman. 1t was her vaguely outlined
plan to draw about her the highest and
best in all the arts and professions. to
become patron of genius and be noted
for her brilliant gatherings as we'll as
the perfection of her gowns. Love had
not even been considered. Indeed, it
rather pleased her to think that she
couldn't love very deeply, that her
head, her well poised, artistically
dressed head, would always govern her.
"A little unwomanly," Tom Waring
would say to himself when his thoughts
wandered in her direction. mot very
deep, either, I fancy. but taking-im-
mensely taking"
Waring was stout, florid bachelor
who had been through an endless num-
ber Of love affairs and who still re-
tained his chivalrous admiration for
women. He had taken the pretty War
ing girls under a semi-professional wing
and felt it his duty to administer many
solemn warnings on worldly ambition
But as he invariably delivered those
warnings after dinner freely he only
provoked laughter and affectionate
raillery. Barbara exasperated him very
much.
"A fellow might kill himself for you,
and / don't believe you'd know enough
to care a bawbee!" he exclaimed, one
evening.
She leaned her head lazily against the
back Of her chair.
"Ah! WELL perhaps not so bad as
that" she said, nonchalantly. But
man who would do such decidedly i'm
beetle thing Is hardly worth pitying,
don't you think sop
II wonder" said Waring, looking
quizzlcally at her, II wonder II you
are not posing. 1t Is your evident de-
sire to appear very flinty, and you play