The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-04-13
SlVE JILL you kindly rise and let
w me E s .sso s' M.

You Will do very well.
VIII you marry me?'
Marry you, Ell, Marry you? Yes, by
heaven. l Will"
This b-ief and remarkable dialogue oc-
Cured or the night OF the New Year hunt
bal al Tenally Inn, seven miles to the
no h OF Washington, on the road to
Rockville The woman who asked the
question / did not know. The man who
answered was Dick Fenton-myself.
Everyone around Washington knows the
Fentons, but fer the enlightenment of
those who live outside the District of
Columbia it may be well to explain that
the family represents type of the paste
board aristoc-acy, which plays so promi-
.nent part in the social life of the Ma
tons Capital Our bearing and good looks
we inherit from our mother, one of the
Kentucky Lehmans. Our ertree TO tie
more exclusive society Of Washington and
Baltimore is the bequest Of my late, la
mcnted father, Charles Carol Fenton,
and formed the chief legacy in his last
will and testament.
Mother and father both died, leaving
me as heritage the family name and its
perquisitc-the prospects which lay in the
field of matrimony-and so, when the
daughter 81 wealthy Western Con-
gresham, girl for whom | had been
making strong bid during the season,
informed me this very night of her en-
gagement TO bandy-legged, round Shout
derei attache to one of the foreign le
cations, whose shrunken chest barely
afforded space for the glitte-ing baubles
upon h,s coat front, had slipped away
into q1iet corner of the inn to think
II all ove- In the soothing presence of
q great fauing fireplace.
II wac ssre that the strange woman
found nE, sid my mood had much to do
with the answer l gave her. Who she
might Ia, : cared less than / knew. Ny
heart vas filled with anger at the girl
who hao refused my hand and the thought
suddenly occurred to me that her heart
too might suffer a twinge if Dick Fen
toms marriage were announced on the
morrow. And thus, with genuine well
come. bowed to the unknown woman who
stood there In front of the hearth where
1 had been cursing my ill-lucI.
1t was plain that her figure lacked moth
ing. The glare of the fire threw 1t into
strong relief On account of the shadow
of the Inantel, against which she leaned,
II was impossible to make out distinct
" her features and head; excepting her
luxuriant hair, which was neither decf-
dedly brown nor yet decidedly golden;
but such a color as an autumn leaf might
be when frightened by sun ray peeping
through the trees. Her well-made riding
habit was black and the Jacket fitted
enugly at the throat over a full white
stock. Her skirt. slightly elevated, per-
mitted me to observe that her foot was
shapely and her boots dainty made-two
marks of a well-bred woman.
perhaps observed, you will move
q trihe from the mantel so that the light
may fail upon your face. 1t is only nat
urai, you know, that a man should be
somewhat interested In his fancee's fea-
lures"
NO she answered quickly, II am all
awry, and, besides. We must go to town
Immediately. Our marriage must take
place tonight"
/ confess that have known many fe-
males OF indefinite ages, not averse to
setting IN early date for their weddings.