New-York tribune., 1900-11-25
LADY MARY'S STRATiGEM


gate TO Sir Robert Black was announced, most
OF the young lady's friends asked one another
how on earth she managed to catch him.
FOR Sir Robert Black, Bart, of Radcot owner
oi great fortune and man of good family was
not only amiable. agreeable and accomplished
but' at the age of thirty-five, was looked upon
as one OF the lights OF the Liberal party and
likely to reach great position in the State If
and when that hapless party came into power
again. while Lady Mary the almost penni-
less sister of the Earl of Potter Heigham.
whose poverty caused him to spend most of his
time outside his native country.
How earth did she manage to catch him."
they asked one another She's twenty-seven,
only passably good looking, and every
knows that for years she has been unsuccess-
fully striving to find desirable husband
Il wonder" said her dear friend, Lady Hick-
ling, whether poor Sir Robert knows that dear
Mary has had a shot at half the eligibles in
London; that she became q Roman Catholic in
the hope of catching Lord Thursie. that she
turned Protestant again when pursuing Sir Will
lam Mundesley, that she golfed at poor Francis
Slapton. fished at the Duke of Torcross
Summed at Lord Cantle acted at Freddy Far
ingdon, and, in fact, has been all things to all
eligibles except wife"
Lady Hickling does not know-indeed no one
Lady Mary Black and this chronicler
knows-by what means Lady Mary caught her
husband. Here is the plain and rather ugly true
tale Lady Mary met Sir Robert in August at
the Lechladess where there was big house
party. When she arrived she found that two
girls, prettier and younger than herself and
helped by mothers. Were courting Sir Robert.
The lookout seemed bad and the poor orphan
was in despair until she perceived that she had
mere bunglers to compete with-girs, of
whom thguyht A and
ated occurrences would win the day. whilst the
other relied upon good looks and slangy liveli-
ness of manner.
A chat with her old friend. the Hon. Charlie
WriothesIey, showed Lady Mary that the way
to Sir Roberts good books lay through Blue
Books, and that she must pose a serious in
telligent young woman in order to have any
chance. The butler surprised to find her
al O'Clock morning in the library gravely
studying Hansard; the housemad was amazed
to discover political books in her bedroom. and
whenever THE Times" missing the hostess
said: Il expect dear Mary mas it,"
Sir Robert soon took interest in the in
telligent. well dressed pleasant looking. if hard
ly handsome girl, who listened eagerly his
Rost serious conversation and surprised him
with the range of her knowledge and soundness
OF her judgment in agreeing with all his views
after thoughtful discussion. On one occasion
she amazed him by quoting some sentences from
the speech which first brought him into prom
inence, and her hesitating avowal that she had
studied his career because he seemed to her
the most picturesque figure In modern politics
caused him of the keenest pleasures of his
life Yet, after a fortnight. Lady Mary felt
that she making no progress. She guessed,
and guessed correctly, that the other girls-or,
at least, their mothers-weTe at the bottom of
the matter. Sir Robert far busy with
politics to know much about society its gos-
sip, and Mary right in her assumption that
he at first would be ignorant of everything
about her her history; but the poor girl could
not prevent her rivals and their allies from
telling him tales concerning her and her search
for a husband, and although. relying upon what
he assumed to be his judgment of human char
acter Sir Robert disbelieyed nearly all that was
told to him. there remained In his mind un-
pleasant feeling that Lady Mary Applegate
might be a charming, intelligent young lady.
hut was also a dangerous nirt and schemer.
When Lady Mary guessed the difficulty there
were many frowns upon the white forehead
which she displayed more lavshly to Sir Rob
ert than to any previous object of her pursuit,
and her we'll cut, rather large mouth. her best
faatu-e pursed itself up time after time while
she wondered and planned week went by
LADY Mary was in despair. She recognized with
,,oir tho fact that not only was she unlikely to
.,,coaad hut also that for the first time in her
life she was trying to win something more than