Cañon City record., 1899-02-16
THE CONQUEST OF
MRS. VIVIAN.
THE BRIs-sRE garden party wa.
BY CHARLES kENNETT sURRou-


sense Of duty. but when rapid survey
failed to reveal the slight figure and
delicious irresponsibiIity Of Jack vivi-
an, the sense of duty theory collapsed.
Nu. Vivian, thought. had been in
clined to treat me somewhat coldIy.
and / wondered, rather angrily, how
she came to have such daughter rs
Jack. There was certain vague GEM
blance between them, certainly. but
nothing could convince me that Mrs.
Vivian had ever been sligh., and my
imagination was not strong enough
even to suggest that she had ever been
irresponsible.
There were not more than half .
dozen people whom | knew. and Of
them not more than two whom cared
to talk to. Most of the men seemed
to have got together in the middle of
the tennis lawn. the ladies were Ian
gushing in the shade of the beeches;
only one or two couples seemed to be
engaged in occupation for which. sure
ly, garden parties alone were invented.
Mrs. Bristowe. my hostess, seemed very
much depressed
"Why don't things move faster, Mr..
AildmayY she asked, plsintively-
"why don't those wretched men do
something?"
my dear LADY" said, they never
do at these affairs. i don't know why
II is; perhaps there's too much daylight
for them"
But one must give garden parties" :"
she said.
II thank Providence / have no gar
den.r / said. II might manage a little
dance. a very little one. in my studio.
but a bachelor can't do that kind of
thing, you know"
Il wish you'd go and talk 10 Mrs.
Vivian" she said; "she's sitting all
alone there. and thinking of nasty
things to say afterward-"
wanted to talk TO Mrs. Vivian. SO
went. The fact is. knew that jack
had q great talent for drawing and
wanted to cultivate IL. and / had a
vague idea that / might induoe Mrs.
Vivian 10 allow me TO give her daugh-
ter lessons. particularly as il would
cost her nothing. II was G wild no.
tion. but worth trying. and Jack agreed
with me. / therefore strolled up to
Mrs. Vivian and sat down by her in q
casual way.
'-The parties here are always so allow.
aren't they?- she asked.
-Are they slower here than anywhere
eise7~
Il trus. ours are not so dull she
snapped.
-'Ah. but you have genius for social
organization l said. unblnshingly;
.apd so few people have even talent"
do not wish to depreciate Mrs. Vivian.
but her love of fia,,ery was as great as
her capacity for small and totally un-
necessary lying. She condeseended to
smile upon me People are so differ
emit she said.
.You would notice that all the more
after your stay in the country said.
-How charming the coast is al Pen
quite. and what glorious sketchiLe
ground? suppose Miss Vivian did
some work there?"
She ignored the last part of my ques-
ton.
DO you know that part of the
world p she asked.
.Oh. yes" raid. perfectly.
'rhat reminds me-" she said. smiling
again. ..that met Col. Mildmay at
my cousins house II did not occur
TO me that he might be relative of
yours. Is hep
Hes my uncle. and a dear old boy.
too: but don't see much Of him now"
Her manner instantly fhawed; I be-
lioye she had an idea that an artist
must necessarily be the son OF fraud
ulent bankrupt or a fourth-rate actor,
or something of that sort. Then she
condescended TO answer my previous
question.
Indeed. how strange that we should
meet in that way, Phoebe painted
good deal while she was there"
wondered. for . moment who
Phoebe waS-I had called her Jack for
quite three months.
1 felt that I was getting on famously.
snd was just arranging in my mind
how 10 make the next step when Nrs-
Vivian spoke again
What a charming place Lord ST.
Ailcyn has at Poigarth." she said.
Very l answered, eying her fur
lively.
-And what delightful man he ia
she said: I'VE dined there twice"
Hes an old chum of mine" said;
I'VE were up a, Oxford together"
saw her vince. and her manner re-
Iaxed even further. | felt profoundly
sorry for Jack.
How interesting" she said.
II see almost more OF him than of
any of the old set" ] said. I'VE used
to get into glorious scrapes together.
He never did any work.
And suppose you dic7- sAe aug
gested.
"A little,- admitted
'Oh. you young men, she laughed.
and wagged her false old head.
have not, as a rule. been particu-
larly lucky man. hut certainly that aft
ernoon the fates were on my side. As
I turned to see what had become of
Mrs. Bristowe behcld the familiar
figure OF my old frieJd St. Alleyne
come round from the west side of the
house. He was strolling along in his
usual dreamy. casual way. very well
dressed. perfectly AT case. apparently
thinking of nothing. knew the atti-
'ude we'll; IL meant that he was in
tune for any kind OF fun.
Happily he turned into the pathway
which ran before the seat on which
Mrs. Vivian and were sitting. He
paused for five minutes 70 talk with
MrA- Bristowe. and then. sighting me,