The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-02-22
An Ambisuoue
Answer.
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Alice season in town, hoping to marry
her off. By doing so she had run badly
into debt. Lady Lester was a handsome
woman, tall, stately, fortunate in the
possession of figure that did not age,
clever and discreet In repairing the raw
ages Of time She usually wore black,
partly because it was intensely becoming
to her, partly for economy's sake. She
presented a marked contrast to her daugh-
ter, who was petite, piquant, dainty, with
retrousse features. Taking the pair to-
gether, they were as attractive mother
and daughter as one could hope to see, II
It had not been for the eternal discomfort
written on their features.
Her troubles had not improved Lady
Testers temper.
'If you had only" she said peevishly to
her daughter, "given half the encourage
ment to Lord kimberley that you have
to that wretched Anderson, you might be
Lady kimberley, off my hands and able
to help me little out of this scrape."
"It's no fault of mine," sail Alice sui
lenly. 81 did all could to encourage the
stick, wasted no end of dances on him,
wore myself out with endeavoring to talk
to him and make him talk, next to asked
him for his box seat at the meet Of the
Coaching club
"Well, you got It." interposed her moth
eyes, and everybody Of course thought
that 1t meant something, but l knew bet
ter. I am quite sure that he never in
tended to offer it to me and that my Of
fering myself was not agreeable
"Then why didn't he say that he had
given 1t away already"
'That's a mystery to me. But know
perfectly well that he did not give it to
me for love of me and also that he obvi-
ously thought before taking my very
plain hint
81 am sure that he was most NICE
"Nice" cried the girl shrilly. HE al
ways is nice in kind, aggravating, broth
erly way. Hope you are enjoying your
self like a good little girl Can l help?
Don't mind me If you don't want me-
That's what he always seems to be say
ing. Could any one make anything out Of
that2"
"But he comes here a good deal''-
eyes, and Is just as pleased to talk to
any Of your old friends as to me. Why, ]
believe he is just as pleased to talk
to you as to me-"
"Then why does he come" said Lady
to her daughters rudeness to notice 1t.
"Oh, don't know. Why does any one
do anything7 One must do something.
He is not a man of deep reasons. He
finds US pleasant. He meets pleasant
people here. We are kinder to him than
many. But there is one thing that is
quite certain-that I have tried to give
him every kind Of opportunity, and he has
never taken advantage of one of them
On the contrary, his one desire has al
ways seemed to get away"
"Your foolish encouragement Of Ander-
SON.
Its no good going on like that, NAM
ma" said the girl, blushing suddenly red.
II stuck to Kimberley as long as there
was ghost of a chance, and when saw
there was none and no other man came
forward-well, / suppose I love George
Anderson as much as a girl like me can.
I know we can't marry, but what's the
good of going to dances and dancing with
useless stick after useless stick all the
timer
Lord Wimberley Is not a useless stick"
said Lady Lester, with sudden warmth,
which brought a tinge Of color to her
cheeks and made her look much younger
and unusually handsome. at is you who
are such foolish and frivolous girl that
you are incapable Of approaching his tai
ents. His speeches In the house Of lords
have been much admired
"Oh, why don't you have a go in for
him yourself IL you admire him SO much?
will make you present of my chance.
for 1t isn't worth a straw"
"Alice, how dare you speak to me like
that? Remember that l am your moth
er."
Alice had not seen her mother angry
for years. She was amazed and a trihe
alarmed at the unexpected ebullition of
the wrath of the dove.
"Of course I was only joking" she
said sulkily. "You gave it to me. and
thought I might have a little one back.
OF course he is not likely to think Of you.
He Is great deal too wise to make such
a--erum-well, you know what l mean.
a-er - UNI - well, you know what l
mean"
"You are an exceedingly insolent girl"
was the mothers reply to this polite apol-
ogy, land terribly regret Gripping my
self in this way in order to give you a
chance that you have wasted"
81 never asked you to-"
eyes, you did. You were always say
ing that you never had a proper chance
like other girls and what you would do
II you had. Well. now you have had it.
and what good has it beenW
In this dialogue Of 81 never did" and
II wish l hadn't" there was no doubt a
great deal of truth on both Sides Lady
Lester had been foolish. Alice had been
unsuccessful. Both had concurred in this
folly with their eyes open. and success.
after all, does not depend solely on the
desire and need Of the seeker. 1t would
have been better IL the ladies had accept
ed the inevitable without recrimnation,
but they had both been ground to such
sharp edge by the continual stress Of pow
erty that the slightest contact was liakls
70 wound. Doomed as they were by ma
ture to fill the greater part of their time
with talk, whether it were well or Ill, 1t
was inevitable that their conversation
should recur again and again with in
| creasing sharpness to the topic which
they had most at heart equally whether
1t were well or Ill.
There was a ball that night, and the
Testers went. Lady Lester was queer,
distract, sharp. but distinctly looking her
best. Alice was thoroughly down" and
conscious that she was by no means in
her most attractive form. Nor did any
special success attend her entrance to
raise her spirits. Pretty, penniless girls
| with sharp tongues are q mere drug In
the London bathrooms. George Anderson
was, of course, faithful, and she danced
several dances with him. "It Is better
than sitting out all the evening"" she said
defantly when Lady Lester remonstrat-
| ed.
Lord Wimberley took her from George
for his usual one dance.
THAT seems nice young man." he
said in his kind, friendly, unloverlike
way. "Not well off, is he? 1t Is a pity
he hasn't some clever woman to push him
along"
"Why, what could a woman DOR de-
manded Alice, surprised and interested.
"Oh, lots of things. Women can push
and ask when men can't. They are sure
to be treated politely even when they are
refused, and very often they get what
thy want simply because 1t Is difficult to
refuse a woman. Besides, they can stick
to the subject. Don't you remember tina.
the unjust judge gave way to the i'm
Fortunate widow solely to get rid Of her,
whereas he would have ordered a man to
be thrown out. Well, now, what Mr.. An
derson wants Is that a woman should
6nd out some comfortable berth vacant
and never rest until she has pushed him
/ into it."
"But how does n woman begin" said
Alice, with deepening interest, for there
was something fascinating in the picture
which kimberley drew so lightly.
"Oh, she talks to people and finds out
NOw II hanDeOa oddly onouph that I