The Saint Paul globe., 1897-04-11
An incident at Sodom
Gollop For dHusboDd
(From London TRUTH

The advent of BAIL Bingham, bache-
Ior, aged twenty-eight. as purchaser
of the magnificent mansion and broad
estate, known as Queens Weston"
produced great excitement among the
matrOns and maidens of the county
He was "eligible' in every sense of
the word. From his father, a north
country manufactur er, he inherited vast
wealth. He was healthy, breezy, good
locking fellow, of Rugby and Oxford
training, inStinctiVely a gentleman. No
undesirable cOntumacious female re-
latives surrounded him. 1t was, there
fore, an outrage on society that this
man, whom everybody voted so aw-
fully nice" should be permitted to re-
main in his splendid loneliness.
His simple life and habits were
known to every lady of family for
twenty miles around. His mistress was
Diana, and he was in love with the
chase; horse and hounds occupied his
thoughts to the exclusion of aught else;
his estimate of men and women was
framed upon basis Of their intrepidity
in the saddle His stables were full Of
costly hunters, he was in close touch
with three packs of foxhounds, and
three of barriers, and he was happy.
He avoided society as much as pos
sible, and was not oppressed by the
majestic loneliness of Queens Weston"
After hard days riding his luxurious
bath, his hearty dinner, his comfortable
smoke and read in his armchair, early
to bed, and his dreamless sleep-it was
+,
clean, abstemious liver, and trained his
body to withstand the fatigues of the
sport he adOred.
1t was not likely, however. that he
could escape the matrimonial designs
Of the girls of the county. That stately
aristocrat, the young and lovely Lady
Constantine Gertrude Scott Fitz-Coke.
daughter of the noble master Of the
Henbury Hunt, famous in society for
the quality Of her rich contralto voice,
had sung to- him, in the seclusion of
her own music room, a touching love
ballad. While pouring forth the thrill
ling strains her habitually naughty
eyes did not disdain to simulate tender
glances at his comely face (or princely
pCckeD; yet the conclusion of this ex-
QUASAAC III tAo4SoA OAlOCO4 c16CtllSn( OnlS
drew an inquiry as TO whether her lady
ships favorite roam hack had ever been
schooled to fences.
Nelly Dawson-a seductive fiirt, with
scores of lovers at her feet-simply
went for him for all he was worth.
He yielded little to her roguish smiles,
her challenging eyes. her charming
figure. But when, in order to be near
him one day, she rode to the meet
an exercise she loathed-and squealed
with terror because her mild paIfry
started at a passing train, the nervous
Nelly put herself 'out Of the running"
for all time.
1t would be waarfsome TO recount all
the attempts to capture the affections
of this insuspectible young man Suffice
1t TO say that they were all failures
Bingham remained for several seasons
the peaceful henedick Of Queens Wes-
ton"
But from an ambush cf comparative
obscurity there was an astute girlish
mind at work observing all, analyznG
the various failures, drawing conclu-
sions and planning campaign on her
own account.
This was the parsons daughter. Kitty
Price, undersized and personally un-
attractive, save from the fire Of intel
Iigence in her sharp brown eyes No
aid had she4 from smart frocks and
striking hats. A hungry crew Of young
er brothers swallowed her fathers In