New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-20
A PROPOSAL.

made M nv mind TO do really awful tning
vhen went to the Hay-Thesgers' ball am the
or,v daughter of one of the richest commoners IN
England | came out two years ago. ana hau
not heen out very long before began to have Of
~. orce read a book called How Men Pro-
,os." Some day | shall write a sequel to IT,
an, con,netent TO do so. What's more, could aod
chanter to say how women do 1t, too. when they
ore driven to desperation, though that part Is
great secret
lam not exactly beauty but do Know no"
a. dress A woman who has that knowledge anu
the means to use II needs no more thliih can
cav without vanity that my eyes are eoou' A"eS
are gray and sparkling and long. win very curry
,ashes Yet there are plenty OF jealous peop'e
who say that it is only lies beaux yeuN ue III"
cassette" that make me popular DO not care
env more am idiotically happy because Kho"
,orfactlv we'll that in the eyes OF one man
s,ou,d he lust as charming If the "Bellheld pat
ant" had never "revolutonized the cychhg
world"
ouote An advertisement. but though we ad-
vertise we are not vulgar Indeed grandpa was
a Younger son, and did not work for his hVihe'
preferring TO drag up his family on small al
lowance. Papas tastes were Inherent LUCKILY
for me- He being merely younger sons younger
seemed worth while supporting at such pains
Go Saranna Bellfeld is a catch and might have
married a lord-two lords and knights eldest
eon though that is beside the mark. My ad-
nirers said was cynical. for sometimes laughed
at them | couldn't help it. / decided at nine
teen that had no heart. and that l would accept
the first really eligible part that came along II
sounded easy 1t easy until went INTO 'he
country to stay with a great friend OF mihe' ihai
ried to a clergyman who was an Honofaole-"s
we'll as merely reverend. was sick OF peihs 'i'e
Miss Bellfeld. / persuaded my friend TO let me DE
q first cousin Of hers down at Cherrlhgtoh-o"-
Tarn. She is a good. easy soul. His reverence
had gone away 10 a conference. l overpersuaded
her and-well, / had a lovely time as MISS hi't!
Bent.
1t was such an innocent sort of name. took no
maid and dressed the part TO perfection III pi'iA
Bingham and muslins Cherrington-on-Iarn Is
very quiet spot: the season there consists OF TWO
school treats and a flower show. AL All 'h'ee
met the one man. 49,.
He was the doctors son at home on holiday,
and he fell in love with me directly. thought he
IS tremendously clever; they think all the Woriu
Of him In his hospital He is goOd-looking, thihK.
He did not propose to me, though there were OPP
portunties. Jessie was absorbed with a paDs.
and she had no idea how often Miss hltty Bent
met Mr.. Hugh MaydWen
At first did 1t for fun. but when got back 10
London and Major Peile-Farquharson began TO be
attentive. then knew how much happier hltly
Bent was than Saranna Bellfeld. l did not give
way 10 my feelings. / rather hated TO reaZe
had any. House surgeons of big hospitals don't
20 into society. | daresay they nrt with the
nurses-horrid things'-but that is all.
Then Major Farquharson came on my horizon,
very young 10 be a major al all, and very hand-
some. His manner to me was perfect. Luckily
found out how utterly selfish he was; otherwise,
as Dr. Maydwel had apparently entirely forgot
ten Miss Bent Mamma Is dear, kind
hearted thing. and when announced that IN
tended to go to Mrs Hay-Thesgers with that
horrid little Mrs Ewart Nane. she let me do It, |
told Major Farquharson TO be there; then i toiu
mamma he was going 1t was naughty but one
day got Mrs Hay-Thesger to give me blank
card for friend of ours. and sent 1t to Dr. May
dwell. l wanted him 10 see me in my glory ana
wanted still more to see II | should like him In
ballroom as much at CherringtOn-on-Tar /
went warily to work ! wrote a short note with
the invitation; said should be there, signed II
X. Bent, and wrote on plain paper with no au-
dress
do? | knew he liked Kitty: If Kitty, why not
Saranna Catherine? II was his awful pride and
independence l dreaded. He had told me very
meaningy that he would never ask a woman 70
home He never apparently contemplated the
possibility that she might have means TO supply
that.
yicarage garden Rtve dor. | used TO wear the
buds in my white gowns. | got dress for the
ball of their exact shade. ! wore one in my hair,
again. and had very simple posy to match IN
stead of carrying Major Farquharson's big. rather
vulgar erection OF orchids.
There were not five people VINO were In socie-
" al Mrs Thes!ger's. But the ball was thor
oughly well done and. except Major Farquhar-
son. no one appeared to be at all sensible OF the
fact There girl there who lived quite
near his mother in the country; the two fami-
lies were intimate. l knew. This girl was not
very young any longer. though she VAS certainly
pleasing She had few partners. end | noticed
that when Victor FarQuharsOn passed her with
q smiling bow she looked disappointed Years
ago that girl had had what people cal disap-
potnfment She had loved some one who did not
love her Perhaps she all the more panied
by the marked neglect of an old friend saw
a touch OF sadness in her eyes. ana IL niade me
realize sharply that the attentive caNaIer VINO
was asking so humbly what | would give him
had no real good nature.
| knew by signs that he meant TO be even
more empresse than usu&L He was so hand-
some that sometimes my heart had beaten quite
fast when he had made love to me. He WAS
standng beside me with that devoted air ne
can put on well. when ! suddenly saw DOC
Tor Maydwell. He looked der and rather
faded: neat enough. but certainly not fashion
able at all He was very grave when ne saw
me- ! suppose the young person in radiant
golden brocade not quite the same az Kitty
in her Liberty hat. He just glanced at Major
Farquharson. and was obviously going TO pass
on without even asking me for dance Then
Il flashed across me that he had found out, and
that he was angry. He looked quite stern. |
dismissed Major Farquharson Enthusiastically;
"Ten and eleven, II am mere
I did not care for his annoyance. He had
made Ellice Wedderburn unhappy. and he was
showing Mrs. Thesiger how exclusive ana SUI
narior ne was by being thoroughly useless.
Inst to make me a Peile-Farquharson by mar
riace would be a supreme honor. he evidently
Imagined NV own opinion was rather different.
7 was not going 10 pay for his hunters and
other amusements In exchange for that dubious
privilege. ,.,
Then | held out my hand TO DIR. Maydwell.
s.Haye Won forgotten me altogether" He did
look stern; but II rather became him.
II expected to meet a lady who Is not mere
Miss Bellneld." he began very coldly This
sort Of thing is not much In my way and
think / had better say goodnight | could not
resist a chance OF meeting Miss Kitty Bent
again but as that Is impossible the sooner