The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1898-10-19
MY MANAGEMENT.

I began my plans~as soon as Uncle
Hanks funeral was fairly over. Per
haps it might have been little before.
Certain it was that I did not care to go
away out west for that occasion and
reflected that he would not at this time
be able to take umbrage at the sight.
The very thought of his great barnlike
old house standing in the midst Of great
bleak pastures filed with ferocious cat
tie and boun led by wind twisted draws
gave me spell Of tho horrors. How
Uncle Henry q ought to call him by
that name now he's dead) ever made
such great fortune out there never
could understand, except that it was by
stock raising. Well, he was gono now,
and all of his thousands could come
into civilized Use. They were all left to
my cousin Charlie, his only child.
Uncle Henry had been widower for so
many years that I cannot picture any
time when he could have been under
woman s influence. No need to say that
life for Charlie had been barren of any
thing like pleasure unless helping ac-
cumulate money could be called pleas
ure. believe mankj1d does consider it
such, but womankind takes another
view of the matter. Charlie was most
comfortable sort Of boy, and for his
sake I had spent some little time every
otl er year in the far west in order that
the boy might have an idea of what
woman is like. Now he was in full pos
session Of that immense fortune. and
must see to it that he had future that
should recompense for such a past. just
% he was and not bad looking fell
low after l had helped him into the
right sort of clothes The thing was, Of
course, to marry him to one Of my
friends and so put the money where we
all might have little comfort from it.
II Ihave one trait of which am just.
ly proud, it is my ability to manage,
and I determined that this country
cousin of mine should marry one Of our
most attractive girls
"We'll go into the country this sum.
mer, Alfred" I said to my husband,
"and take few people for Charlie to
meet. He will be all right in the coun-
try, but must confess he must serve
full probation before I undertake town
season with him. I hope may marry
him before then. :"
''To some cne else, presume. May J
ask whom?''
"I shall invite Mae Hatherell."
Alfred drew long breath. "You
aim high for the young galoot.
"Well, would love to have Mae for
a cousin. She is the sweetest girl I
know"
"No doubt Charlie will think so, too,
but Miss Mae is one Of the handsomest
young ladies in the city, aside from her
music. She thinks she could go on the
stage, if she wanted to, and stagestruck
girls are hard to catch. -
"No money could hire Mae to go on
the STAGE" responded, all the more
emphasically because I fear I am not in
the right.
''Of course not, since she has money
enough anyway, but there are other
considerations. Any one else?''
"That pretty little Carroll Church
ILL.,"
"You are all right there. She will
have to marry money, and Charlie will
have a chance, if he doesn't fall in love
with Mae, which he is certain to do.
Will you take Alice and Frank::'
The last named are an engaged couple
who go with US everywhere; so, of
course, that is understood. Now comes
the question I am expecting from my
worthy husband:
"Will there be any one can enjoy
myself with?''
know well enough whom he wants,
and since it is going to be little more
expensive before am through with it
than he now knows, and also because I
am wise enough to know that only
foolish woman will attempt to avoid
the lady her husband openly admires, I
hunor him and say:
81 shall surely ask Constance.
"Will she come, do you Think" His
interest is lively enough now.
81 happen to know that she wants
just such quiet little time this sum.
mer. She is tired of going places. -
"I'd ask her right away before any
one else does, if were you," and
know very we'll Alfred won't let the
matter rest until it is settled.
Constance Merrick was friend Of
mine when ! was girl, but if one has
every reason to suspect that she refused
the very man married it mot a pleas
ant reflection, even after have been
married to him nine years and over and
she is still free. Gree is better word
than single as applied to her, though l
wrote that frst.) If ever any one en-
joys freedom, it is Constance. No one
ever thinks of how far she is past 80, if
they knew Of it, although year after
year she has been the principal person
age in our social circle. There is moth
ing handsome about her, except that
wonderful yellow red hair Of hers. But
she Is young with Cleopatra kind Of
youth and interesting beyond any Wo1n
an ever saw Size has 10 especial &C.
complisnments, only that knack of in
tereSting every man, woman or child
upon whom she cares to spend her time.
She likes married men. She says it is
because they can't take it into their
heads to marry her, and I believe her
when she says it, for she has refused
every man who ever did aspire to such
thing, and don't doubt that they are
legion. I say all this Of her honestly,
and yet don't like her, even though l
like her company. like young girls
who are not so smart, who confde in
me and tell 5ne am the dearest little
woman on earth, girls like Mae, Alice
and Carroll.
My management is always perfect.