Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-04-13
CH.AlNTEH XVIII.

Nfl.Ni y IIiA N II.
The season was we'll nigh over. and all
the scandal had run dry. and gossip. for
the most part. been proved to he incor-
rect. and there was nobody in all Lon
don who excited so much Irritation among
the takers as the new beauty, Vera
Ncvill.
For Vera was Miss Ncvill still. and
there w;is every pro>,cc. of her rcinnin-
ing 50. What OH earth possessed the girl
that she would not marry: Had not men
d:ingled at her elbow all the season:
Gould she not have had such and such
elder sons. or such and s,,ci. wealthy
colnmonrr: What was she waiting for:
n girl without IL penny. who came no
body knew from where. usliercd in I'M
dc. Mrs. I1azellinc's wings. with not a.
decent connection in tn. world TO her.
name. What did she want-tllis girl
whn had only lfcr beauty To depend upon:
and everybody knows how ~tlcrting that
is!
And then. presently. the women who
were cnvinus of her began To whisper
among themselves. There was some
Thing against her: She WAS not wla. she
seemed TO he. The men %ilirtc,l. of course
men will always ilirt. but they were
careful not To commit themselves. And
even that mysterious word .'al%venturcss.''
which has an ugly sound. hut of which
no one exactly knows the precise mean
in;-. began 10 ic bruitcl about.
"lDo you suppose that will come TO any
tliing?' casting Il glance toward the fur
Their end of the lawn. where Vera Neviil
sat in a low basket chair. undci. the
shadow of IL spreading tulip tree. while
Il slight. boyish figure. stretched mt her
feet, alternately chcwcl blades of grass
AND looked mp worshipingly into her face.
"'That." following the direction of her
companions eyes. "Oh. dear. no. Denis
Wilde is. too w~ideawalsr to be caught.
though he is such t hoy
"He seems To admire her"
"Oh. yes. l dare say: those large Kind
OF women do get admired; men look upon
! them as fine animals. l should not care
10 be admired in that way. would you:"
mo. indeed: 1t is disgusting.' replied
the other. who WAS fain to conceal the
bony corners of her angular figure with
a multiplicity of lace ruchings and puff
ings.
Meanwhile the object of all this ami
madvcrsion sat TRANQUILITY unconscious I'M
der her tulip tree. while Denis Wilde was
engaged in. proposing to her for the
fourth time.
II thought we had settled this subject
long ago, Mr.. Wildc." says Vera. tran
gully unfolding her large, black, feather
fan.
ut will never be settled for me. Vera;
never. so long as YOU are unmarried"
"What a dreadful mistake life isl
signs Vera, YEARLY, more to herself than
to the boy ut her feet. Was anybody
ever happy in this world? she began to
wonder.
II know very we'll" resumed Denis
Wilde, that 1 am not good enough for
yon; but, then. who is!"
Young Wilde plucked ut the grass and
chewed 81 daisy up almost viciously.
I.ucicn d'.Arhlct came toward them,
smiling, and sank down into a vacant bas-
kct chair by her side with the air of Il
man who knows himself to be welcome.
He had been paying Il great deal OF at
@tcntion latterly to the beautiful Miss
Nevill; lie had followed her about every
where, and had made it patent in every
public place where lie had met her that
she alone was the sole aim and object of
his thought. She was clover and beauti.
full, and he admired and oven liked her,
but in the beginning Of their ~acquaint.
ance NJ. d'Arblct had had no thought of
making her the object of any sentimental
attention..
Vera was shrewd enough to perceive
that he was only playing a part. Never.
theless, there were times when she felt
60 completely puzzled By his perSistent