Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-09-09
A HOPELESS CASE.

Mrs. Desmond was . supreme disposcz
of mon. They werc the pAwns IN the
oheckered game Of her life. She could
mate In move. Marriage was q sort Of
homioidal mania with her. Nobody ever
made the slightest resistance against her
decreos When she thought II proper for a
man to propose to girl, she sinaply told
him that the hour had arrived. flhe was
as incontrovertible rs the guillctine.
But Tony Seton was Mrs. Desmond 8
despair.
Three times had shc 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 les him remain
single. That was too much even for her
affection. Bachelors and funerals
hate" she said. Tony-even though he
were a bachelor-she could not hate. He
was too big and brown and boyish for
that Nobody ever hated him.
"Tony," said Mrs. Desmond ono morn
ing, "Tony, ! am going to give you one
moro chance. A girl Is coming to SEQ me
charming girl-by that / mean a rich
girl. That Is my idea of charming girl.
Her name is Viola Lorimer. Now, Tony"
and Mrs. Desmond shook her foreflnger 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
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 1t. You have
been my despair for three years. You'd be
widower with lot of money II you had
been expeditions. And now you've let
Fanny Russell engage herself to this-this
cousin"
but don't love any girls" expostu-
lated Tony, getting redder as his hostess
enumerated his delinquencies.
"Love theml" she exclaimed scornfully.
II am talking Of marriage. Now, want
you to make up your mind--or whatever
you call ito marry Viola Lorimer. She
Is q woman of the world, and you will be
admirably suited to each other. Inciden-
tally, she is very rich. viii you promise
to do this for mep Really, you owe me
something"
"You have been awfully good to me-"
acknowledged Tony.
"Of course I have" she agreed. "I
have been perfect to you. Did ever make
you do anything disagreeable, such as get
ting me ices at parties or dancing with
dull debutantesS Never"
but you want me to marry some one."
"Any one," she corrected. "In small
matters like that I may be exigeante,
own, but in big worldly affairs am ex-
tremely liberal. never made you leave
cards after one dinner before I asked you
to another, did Ir'
"No"
"There, you seel You will never have q |
friend like me, not even IL you live to be q |
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
arc 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 your Twenty eight Heavens You
ought to have been married ages ago."
In due course Tony Seton was introduc- |
cd to Miss Lorimer, and he was fain to ac-
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 picrlresque-and finally from
sheer disappointment and chagrin she be-
gan to cry. She was going back to Lon
don on the following Gay, 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 l." she said irrelevantly.
"And 1 want to marry you," he added.
And Mrs. Desmond gave his big hand
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"
Mrs. Desmond.-London Sun.