The Colfax chronicle., 1900-08-11
lseat and estate were entailed lent fuei

to the fire.
Lord Whitney had pictured his dear
relation" as typical dowager with the
external appearance of trump and
the manners of true virago. Lady
Whitney, as it happened, was one of
those fortunate women who preserve
their fineness of figure, delicacy of skin
and piquancy of feature. Also she did
not disdain to lend some skihful assist
ance to the work of nature. She had
been married young, but she looked
much younger than she was, and but
for the well-known fact that her
daughters coming out" kas one of
the events of the year, she might have
posed successfully as the typical
femme trente ans.
Whitney ought to marry his cousin
and reunite the title and the property"
was what the world said. Kind and
busy-bodying people even hustled
about and tried to help this on. An
entirely unprecedented effect, how
ever, was produced by some well-mcan-
ing but ignorant rich people. They
put Lady Whitney on his other side at
dinner. She gave him her shoulder
ostentatiously through the soup and
fish. Then he spoke to her. She did
not reply or turn, but she did not con-
tinue her conversation with her part
ner. Whitney spoke again leading
remark Of general kind. She turned
on him with flashing eyes and replied
in a manner that from one stranger
guest to another was decidedly fierce,
not to say rude. Whitney was not at all
| abashed. He seemed rather amused
and continued the conversation.
Don't you Think" she said, abrupt
ly, "that fortune-hunter is a des
picable thing?"
Certainly" he replied, readily.
"And don't you think that for
tune-hunter who pursues girl SIM
ply for her money when he knows
that he will never be allowed to marry
her, and that the mere idea is hateful
and not to be borne, and that he
would never dare, if the girl had a
father or brother to protect her"
Most cowardly and Objectionable
person. l am glad that the lady
whom / am in love with is not an
heiress Or
"Oh, you are in love. are your" she
then said. "Who is she"
"Well, now, really, you see, as
stranger"
"You know perfectly well who
am"
Certainly, but as you appear
Lady Witney's really fine eyes lit
orally flashed fire-but at the moment
the ladies fortunately rose.
She reached home without having
delivered herself, and, feeling that she
must do so or burst, she wrote
scorching letter, telling him that his
conduct was most ungentlemanly. and
that she forbade him ever to speak
to her or come near her again.
He replied courteously acknowledge
ing the letter, and begging her "out
of her great experience" to tell him
whether under similar circumstances
he should publicly refuse to sit by her,
or what?
She wrote a cutting note in reply,
mentioning incidentally that though
it was quite true that she was quite
an old woman Underlined twice) it
was not usual in decent society to
tell lady so.
Lord Whitney wrote to disclaim that
he had done this or had any intention
of doing SO. On the contrary, he
knew that she had married as the
merest girl, and he ventured to add
that if he had not known this, her ap-
pearance would have inspired him
with belief that she was even
younger.
She found it absolutely necessary to |
answer this to the effect that she at
tached no value to his opinion of her
and he replied to her.
How long this singular correspond
ence would have gone on is difficult |
to say, but happening to meet Lord |
Whitney at a party, Lady Whitney |
went up to him.
Il know what you are aiming at"
she said. 'You want to get hold of
my heiress daughter, and you think
that If you persecute me, you will
drive me to consent to get rid of the
Il utterly deny the persecution. 1
merely replied to your letters. That
was common peliteness. You might
have ignored the replies"
II could not. There was something
20 insinuating-and could not bear
hat you should think" She stopped
n some confusion.
Besides, deny your accusation. I
would not marry your daughter if
The asked me. love another woman"
There was a pause, and then Lady
Whitney said, in an altered voice:
Does she love Won ?"