Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-03-01
= > =
How an Eccentric Belle
Exposed the Motives
of Her SuitOrS,
Observation-Disclosures

I "V4l"h whose name was coupled with
so Singular an announcement. and Dpo-
pie who had known Eleanor Stevens
forthwith revived long lists of her Gu
rious fads and fancies. concluding al
ways with the declaration:
Wei, it's Just what you might ex-
pect from Elennor Stevens"
Personal.-The rejected suitors of the late Miss
Eleanor Stevens nay hear something to their al
vantage by communicating with Willard Pratt
solicitor. 49s Chcapside l. c.
Now. Eleanor Stevens had been Inv
no means either the crotchety old maid
or the rattle Drained young one that
these remarks might imply. On the
contrary. she had been Il rarely charm.
ing and gifted young woman. wei born.
Wen bred. the heiress Of a fortune-ip
fact' the possessor of beauty. brains
and money sufficient to equip half n
dozen so called society bellies. Rut i'm
( spite OF these endOwmentS-or Dprhans
because of them-Eleanor Stevens had
peeh an eccentric. and with every year
since her debut her cccentricity had be.
come more marked At times. for OK.
ample, she would dance and golf at
tend teas and talk small talk to eligible
young men with pers.Stency 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 \
month or more in studying Buddhism
/ or in inquiring into the condition of tbe
/ 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 Mohammpd's
! coffin. between earth and heaven. nj
the end of which time he was alwavs
lowered to the former element by Miss
Stevens unqualified refusal. Certain
malicious rivals had even claimed that
at times these proposals. were 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 vagares as simply
Eleanor Stevens way"
And this formula had been made +
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
Tor 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 nc
phrase that so well expressed their
shocked surprise as:
We'll. that was just like Eleanor
Stevens. She couldn't even die like
other peopler'
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 will and
that this will had been proved.
Before this news was - hours old I
the sensation caused by the advertise
ment was completely ovprshadowed by {
that produced by the following clause. .
with which it was discovered the will /
ended;
10 each one of my rejected suitors /
| give and hequeath $4,000. 70 be paid I
subject to certain sealed conditions OK
actly one year from my death in the H. /
brary Of my residence. in Bprrhwood /
street, Belgravia
Meanwhile Willard Pratt was dpriv. /
ing from the administration of Miss
Stevens will the kppnpst enjoyment of
his long and varied legal career BE.
ing Shrewd reader Of character and
possessed Of Il large fund Of humor. he
had vastly enjoyed being interviewed
by the claimants or the claimants
friends. and. though they had got no1h
ing out of him. he had on the other
hand got great real out of them. As
one after another left him the keen in.
rist invariably chucklod 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 linn $4,000 now"
But his 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:
10 Whom It Nay Concern.-The rejected suitors
Of Miss Eleanor Stevens are requested to meet AT
hef late residence in Beeclwood street, Bolgravia
on Monday the 2lst inst, at 10 o'clocl, a n,
her will. William pr - -'.ie' ,
81 think that will reawaken popular
interest said the old lawyer dryly.
And so it did. Seven DAYS later
when the hour appointed or the recpp-
ton Of Miss Stevens rejected suitors
drew near, the streets in the vicinity of
nef late residence were lined with an
eager multitude Of men and women.
AS the hour drew near in which they
were to stand confessed as members of
Miss Eleanor's army of martyrs" sew
eral of the intended claimants had
found themselves weakening in their
resolve. Those, for instance. who had
justified their claim solely on tbe
ground Of an admiration felt but never
expressed. saw their courage oozing rs
the ordeal approached Others. who
were burning incense at new shrines. I
considered renouncing n claim
that would decidedly complicate their
present prospects. G
1t was a question whether pride or Il
profit would win the day. In the end II
however. the love Of gold won. Q
When Mr.. Pratt entered the library q
u Miss Stevens late residence at 10 !,
o'clock on this eventful morning bo 4
-ound the room crowded with a body 7
II men clad in mourning garb and sol =
lmnly waiting in various stages of nm. Z
'asiness for the approach of the long
moment. C
As the lawyer silently took his seat a
behind a haize covered table tbp from. .