The Somerset reporter., 1901-02-21
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
THE TEST.
b ia
How an Eccentric Belle
Exposed the Motives
of Her SuitorS.

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

the late Eleanor Stevens Immediately
began to inquire into the history Of the
woman whose name was coupled with
so singular an announcement. and peo-
pie who had known Eleanor Stevens
forthwith revived long lists of her Gu
rious fads and fancies concluding al
ways with the declaration:
"Well, it's just what you might ex-
pect from Eleanor Stevens"
Personal-The rejected sutors of the late Miss
Eleanor Stevens may hear something to their ad.
vantage by communicating with Willard Pratt,
solicitor. 49s Cheapside. E. C.
Now, Eleanor Stevens had been by
no means either the crotchety old maid
Or the rattle Drained young one that
these remarks might imply. On the
contrary, she had been a rarely charm
Ing and gifted young woman, well born
well bred, the heiress of a fortune-in
fact, the possessor of beauty, brains
and money sufficient to equip half a
dozen so called society bellies. But in
spite Of these endowments-or perhaps,
because of them-Eleanor Stevens had
been an eccentric, and with every year
since her debut her eccentricity had be-
come more marked. At times for ex-
ample, she would dance and golf, at
tend teas and talk small talk to eligible
young men with persistency and sue
cess that made her for the time the sun
of society's solar system.
Then suddenly and with no excuse
whatever, she would withdraw herself,
refuse all invitations and spend a
month or more In studying Buddhism
or in inquring into the condition of the
poor In great cities.
AS to her suitors, the most remark
able reports had existed concerning
Miss Stevens treatment of those
gentlemen. 1t had been said by some
that each In turn underwent a period
of suspense hung, like Mohammed's
coffin, between earth and heaven, at
the end of which time he was always
lowered to the former element by Miss
Stevens unqualified refusal. Certain
malicious rivals had even claimed that
at times these proposals We're so nu-
merous that Miss Stevens used printed
forms of rejection, like those sent by
publishers with rejected manuscripts,
with space left blank for the name and
date.
In the end society had concluded to
accept the girls vagaries as simply
Eleanor Stevens way"
And this formula had been made TO
cover multitude of oddities. ranging
from the wearing of large hats when
small ones were the fashion to Miss
Stevens sudden and mysterious depar-
ture for the continent exactly two
days after she had taken apartments
for the summer with party of friends
! at a south coast watering place. In
deed, when, six months after her alb
rupt departure, the notice came Of the
young heiress' sudden death-unattend-
ed, except by her maid and companion
in some obscure village In the Black
forest, even her friends could find no
phrase that so well expressed their
shocked surprise as:
"Well. that was just like Eleanor
Stevens. She couldn't even die like
other people!'
And now. following upon the news of
her strange death, had appeared this
still stranger notice.
Eleanor Stevens rejected suitors
Who were they? Would they present
! themselves according to directions?
/ What were the advantages they would
gain by so doing?
To the last of these questions the
public had not long to wait for an an
swer. Three days after the extraordi-
nary personal had made its appear
ance the announcement was made that
Eleanor Stevens had left a will and
that this will had been proved.
Before this news was II hours old
/ the sensation caused by the advertise
ment was completely overshadowed by
that produced by the following clause
with which it was discovered the will
ended:
ITO each one of my rejected suitors
l give and bequeath $4,000 to be paid
subject to certain sealed conditions ex-
actly one year from my death in the IL
brary of my residence, In Beechwood
street, Belgravia."
Meanwhile Willard Pratt was deriV-
ing from the administration OF Miss
Stevens will the keenest enjoyment of
his long and varied legal career. Be
ing a shrewd reader OF character and
possessed OF a large fund of humor he
had vastly enjoyed being interviewed
by the claimants or the claimants
friends, and, though they had got moth
Ing out OF him. he had, on the other
hand. got great real out OF them. As
one after another left him the keen Ju-
rist invariably chuckled to himself:
"Smart girl to refuse him. He was
after the money; that's plain. But
what IN the name of all that's holy
made her give him $4,000 nowY'
But bis enjoyment reached its culmi-
mating point when, just one week be
fore the day appointed for the settle
ment of the will, society was again
startled by this notice in the daily pa
pers:
To Whom It May Concern.-The rejected suitors
OF Miss Eleanor Stevens are requested to meet at
her late residence in Beechwood street, Belgayia.
on Monday, the 2lst inst. at 10 O'Clock a. m.
with reference TO the legacies due to them under
her will. WILLARD PRATT, Executor.
81 think that will reawaken popular
interest" said the old lawyer dryly.
And so 1t did. Seven days later,
when the hour appointed for the recep-
ton of Miss Stevens rejected suitors