The Winslow mail., 1900-08-09

femme a 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 unpremeditated effect, how
ever, was produced by some well-mean-
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 a general kind. She turned
on him with flashing eyes and replied
IN 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 a fortune-hunter is a des-
picable thing?"
Certainly" he replied, readily.
And don't you think that a 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 a brother to protect her.
''Most cowardly and Objectionable
person. l am glad that the lady
heiress or"
''Oh, you are in love, are you?" she
then said. "Who is she?"
''Well, now, really, you see, as a
stranger"
''You know perfectly well who I
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 a
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 a lady so.
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 a 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
appearance, 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.
81 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
annoyance"
81 utterly deny the persecution. l
merely replied to your letters. That
was common politeness. You might
have ignored the replies
"I could not. There was something
so insinuating-and l could not bear
that you should think" She stopped
in some confusion.
Besides, deny your accusation. I
would not marry your daughter if
she asked me. 1 love another woman"
There was a pause, and then Lady
Whitney said, in an altered voice:
'Does she love you?"
''Not vet. But she will
"You seem remarkably confident. Is
she SO weak, then?"
mo, she doesn't seem to me weak"
he replied, eying her with a smile.
''She seems to me very determined
and rather fiery little lady"
There was another pause, and their
glances met.
do / know her?"
Yes
"Does she like me?"
"Yes"
81 am sure / don't like her"
"On the contrary, you like her
very much
"Who is she?" inquired Lady Wit
ney, with abrupt eagerness.
II will tell you that at the right
time. In the meanwhile, shall we go
to supper?"
Lady Whitney was about to refuse,
but looked into his smiling, handsome
face, hesitated, and-we know the
proverb.
The lookers-on said, when they saw
the pair enter the supper-room:
Clever man, Whitney! He has got
round the dowager, and now he will
marry the heiress.''
But they were wrong. Six months
later he married Lady Whitney, -
Madame.
what Ends II.