Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1902-04-17

Ole Ba chelor's Farewell

Chicago Record-Herald.


!. /:
1t was one of those matches that so
ciety always approves. De Lacy Hatfield
was the scion of an old family young ex-
cessively handsome, the star Of a thou
sand fashionable cotillons, the idol of |;
dozen girls who had nothing better te
bring him than fair faces and faire1
names, and generally regarded as an
eligible party even by the wise dcwagers
who had an eye to the advantages of an
alliance between breeding and bank bal
ances.
Beatrice Smucker on the other hand
was almost as homely as her name, but
her wealth, present and prospective, was
the envy and the marvel of even the
moneyed vulgarians who emuated with
out rivaiing the prodigal hospitality OF
her fathers house. But Beatrice, like
most homely women, was Il most sensi-
BILE, tender-hearted, gentle little soul,
quite superior to her environments ann
bilious for the upper, solar walks of real
refinement, and above all, deeply, almost
reigiously, in love with Hatfield.
He had long ago successfully run the
gauntlet of those who would accuse him
of fortune hunting, for, though he was
poor, he had avoided, may evaded, the
Establishments OF half a dozen heiresses
prettier il not richer than Beatrice So
that while jealous young women of her
set were wondering what on earth DE
Lacy Hatfield could see in Beatrice
Smucker,' the men of his clique, with
their tongues in their cheeks. were saying:
'Old Smokers millions couldn't fall into
better hands. DE Lacy won't do /, thing
to them!
So the handsome gallant's credit went
up far above par when the engagement
was announced and he proceeded 10 live
up" to his assured position in society and
far beyond his normal limitations. His
popularity waXed with the men OF his set
even as 1T waned with the girls who knew
that he was lost to them forever Beatrice
set forth for Paris in March determined TIC
bring back the finest rousseau that
money could buy and about the same time
De Lacy began a more or less continuous
round of dissipation, which he intended
to stand as 81 sort OF memorial saturnalia
of his farewell to bacleorhood. He gave
dinners, drives, smokers and stag parties
bought clothes without stint, gave full
fling to his penchant FOR fast horses and
other speedy creatures, and without so
much as a thought about the day Of linan-
cial reckoning, led his men friends such
lively chase that they fairly yearned
for the day when he could write checks
against the Smucker millions.
Beatrice was to return in September, a
fortnight before the wedding, ana during
tential exile her betrothed and she ex-
changed letters almost daily. First from
Paris then from Venice, then Berlin,
then Paris again, then from Rome, and
finally from Ostend came loving letters
from the devoted girl. But in the last
there was the hint of reproach She
begged him to behave more staidly, to re-
member the dignity of the position which
they We're both about to assume before
the world-n word, to abandon even.
such frivolities as had seemed quite en-
cCsable in an unengagcd bachelor. She
was going to London later, ,ne said;
would spend week or two there, and
would not reach New York before Septem-
Der 6.
.'Humph!'' reflected De Lacy, I'D bet
ter keep under cover. Papa Smoker must
be keeping cases on me"
So he withdrew suddenly from the
charybdis of his wild habits and became
SO stoically proper that his friends chatfed
him about 1t. He was in a fair way to
regain confidence even In his own stability
of character when an extraordinary temp
tation caused him TO fan from grace in u
manner quite foreign to his habits. He
was coming downtown in the elevated
when a strikingly pretty woman sided
into the car She WAS petite dark. dressed
in exquisite taste, young chic, piquantc.
De Lacy was just getting into Il mild
black eyes when he suddenly realized that
she meant to sit down beside him.
AS the car was empty but for them
selves, the coxcomb took this for Il direct
challenge, and had already drawn his
card, when his innate sense of the pro-
prieties told him that the girls mere pres
ence beside him was no warrant for an
introduction. SO he fingered the bit of
pasteboard nervousiy, puzzlag over the
problem which his beating heart made
moInentous. Finally he stole a furtive
glance at her. Her poutlng, red lips were
curled into smile. Her big liquid black
eyes We're fastened unon his card with "A
glance like the half scared half fascinated
look Il quail might hestow upon some
strange insect. She felt his gaze, blushed
beautifully, squirmed little, and with the
prettiest half gesture possible turned to
him and said
'Iles eet Madeeson street yet Msieu?
No?"
NO, miss" he was saying ieightedly,
tits six stops from here to Madison
street"
'Merci, M'sieu, she answered. denlure-
ly, lowering her grand eyes, but seem
ing to smile tantalizingly. He contrived
to get out a pencil and write Oh the back
of his card You are the most beautiful
creature in the world but he hadn't the
courage to hand it to her Till the conduc-
tor cried 'Madison.' Then Dc Lacy
quickly dropped the card into her lap.
She picked ii up frowned as she tried to
read, and, turning to him, murmured
sweetly: "Gomprenez pas, Nj sicu."
Then She was gone. smiling back over
her plump shoulder as she went
Thanks to my nerve.' calculated De
Lacy, half hesitating as to whether he
had better follow her. But he didn't
she has my card, and unless I'm deaf,
blind and dumb, III hear from her all
right. Jerusalem. what picture she is:
French, too. And a brand new one! o.
I'm an unlucky devil, eh?'
And he loled along the sunny side of
the street to his club, where he ensconced
himself in the wrting-room to grind
out" his daily protcstations to the absent
Beatrice. He was just sealing his letter
when the servant handed note. He
looked at the address. gasped. tore it
open and read:
I'm home. Come to the library at s.
Don't ring. Beatrice"
Up. S.-Don't come before s. b.
He ordered cocktail, lit cigaret.
wiped the sweat from his forehead and
sat back in his easy chair.
by jingo!" he said, half aloud, that's
frosty note.' He read it again and
again, as If searching for some hidden
tOna of endearmenf some flash of the