Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-02-02

ancient lace. IAN else is nothing to
that. That would have killed me.
The money" and she smiled and
shrugged scarcely shrugged-her
shoulders, ut Is a mere bagatelle--
but a MARRIAGE! That would have
been fatal"
Just So" assented the other old
dame. "He left you to manage all;
he was wise enough to know that
he could do for himself You must find
a wife for him, dear and--and I
should get one at once"
And Lady Letchford had felt that
this was sound advice. Though she
had every confidence In her son, she
she felt that If Sir Heron did go
back TO the old life his last state
would be like that Of the man in the
parable, worse than the first. He had
sown his wild oats and had left the
field, but If she had allowed him to go
back, he would reap that whirlwind
which Is the sure and certain harvest
Of all sucn sowings.
SO she sat about making the Void
pleasant. Reminding him that he was
the master, and she a mere dependent,
or house-keeper; she repaired the
stables; turned one OF the dining
rooms into bIlliard.room; built an
armory--with her own money; de-
Clared solemnly that she liked the
smell OF tobacco-whlch she found
uncomfortable seven years ago-and set
about finding society for him.
Sir Heron demonstrated at the
changes made on his behalf but
Lady Lctchford stuck to her task.
you shall not be duh If can help
1t, Heron" she said Il visa the
soclet was a little more brilliant; but
cant ropopuIate Crawford, can 7,
dear?"
At which Sir Heron had laughed in
his careless way, and looked quite con
tent that she could not
mo, It Is not brilliant" said the old
lady musingly Men and manners
seem to have changed terribly since
| was young II Ia bad form now to
know anything about any other sub
ject than money or politics. have
sat ut the head Of this table, with
seven men on each side Of me, and
not duh one among them; but they
| were tho men of the last generation.
Now people think they satisfy all
requirements If they eat and drink
what you give them and hold their
tongues"
I'VE are in the age OF silence, ma
mere" said Sir Heron.
Indeed" retorted the old lady, with
that tone Of steel-like irony which so
often made her friends vince. Isl
enco Is golden. regret that the
golden age should be so intensely dis
agreeable"
Once again, AS in the past years, the
Void throw open its tall doors, and
guests were bidden to the feast En-
tertanmonts, which reminded the
elders OF the days of the Regency and
astounded the young ones by their
stately splendor, followed each other
In rapid succession, The proud and
anxious mother paraded as II were, all
the beauty of the county before her
sons eyes. He had but to throw his
handkerchief sultan-lle, and make
his choice; but Sir Heron would not
throw his handkerchief--he would
scarcely, so to speak, take 1t from his
pocket, The procession of eligible
beauties was marched by In vain.
The dreadful rumor that he was not a
marrying man began to be whls
pered.
Lady Lotchford was In despair
Then she began to think that she had
made mistake. Tho selection had
been too large, too imposing. She
thought that she would thin 1t down
and, having skinned the creme dc Ia
creme, exhibit 1t for his approval 1t
Happened at that time, just a few
months before Mays arrival al Ores
ham House, that society had set up a
new fashionable, who, unlike many of
her kind, possessed, In addition to her
fatal gift of her exceeding lovoliness,
the advantage OF decent antecedents
As Lady Letchford was aware. not
few Of the formidable beauties had
,risen, like Venus Aphrodite. from the
waters not by the sea, but by the
gutter in which they had been dis
covered by some connoisseur In fc-
male charms,
Rose avasour was an exception to
the too general rule, She was not
only beautiful but was respectable,
being the second daughter of Sir Ed
ward Navasour whose responsibility
was proved Ivy his being a distant-a
very distant-relatiou OF the great
Letchfords.
When Lady Letcnford heard that
Rose Navaaours photograph, in va
rious picturesque attitudes, was being
| exhibited In the shop windows; that
the society papers were fun of para.
graphs referring to the same young
lady's nose and eyes, and feet, even,