The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-02-17
LOVES VICTORY.

Dy BARRY SHELL.

Well, there's only one course lef,
open TO me now, my dear fellow. anC
that is to marry money I've stavec
off the evil day as long as possible, but
I'm cornered at last SO you will prob
ably hear the engagement OF Maurice
AlgernOn Dayenegh to certain helr-
ess whom we know Of announced at an
early date"
The speaker yawned. leaned back IN
his seat with complacent air, ana
watched the smoke curling fantastlcal-
ly ceilingward from the business END
Of his cigar.
''The dickens it will" exclaimed the
Honorable Claude, looking up in sur
prise And who, if ! may ask, is the
-er-fortunate lady?'
Miss Violet Hunstan.'
"What! Old Chicago Hunstan's
daughter? Maurice, my boy, you're In
luck"
I'm sure | hope so,' drawled the
other, languidly. But there's nothing
really settled yet. AS matter OF 1act,
we were only introduced three days
ago She's quite a child, you know.
and probably hasn't made up her mind.
But | have"
You seem beastly cocksure about It,
remarked his friend, laughing. But
you won't have the field to yourself
remember girl with twenty thou
sand year gets plenty OF offers these
days. Not but what you'd stand as
OH ind nS.
pecially If the lady happens to be salts
fed with a tolerable amount Of good
looks and the bearer Of an ancient
name"
Thanks awfully for the compli-
ment," drawled Davenegh. Claude,
my boy, you shall be best man at my
wedding"
Right, But. say. you mustn't
lose any time, old man. If were you,
I'd push the business; pile on the
presents, see her every day and pre-
tend to be in deadly earnest
There won't be any pretense about
that" interrupted Davenegh. with a
laugh. THE lady has, to be exact,
nineteen thousand, five hundred pounds
a year, and | haye-let me see now
three or four moderate racers waiting
sale, cantankerous uncle with a pas
sion for longevity, bag of debts and
the clothes l stand in"
mot to speak of fairly decent con-
versational powers, nice eyes and a
well-bred air"
Davenegh picked up bulky vol
ume from the table and poised it
threateningly. The Honorable Claude
laughed and, Strengthening his long
legs, rose to depart.
"Well, anyhow" he said, II wish
you luck, old man. Go in and win.
You couldn't do better and the girl
might do worse. Well ta-ta! See you
again in few days"
AS the door closed behind his friend,
Maurice Davenegh pulled himself up
slowly from the depths Of the arm
resting both arms upon it, surveyed
his own reflection in the mirror.
"The girl surely won't expect me to
love her." he muttered; that sort Of
nonsense is out of fashion nowadays.
Besides, as Claude says, she might go
farther and not do SO we'll. After all,
I'm not the worst sort they make, and
I'll Try and be good to her. No doubt
the crudities and the accent will jar a
bit at first, but l mustn't mind that.
I'll have to gloss them over, pile on
the jam and swallow the gilded pill.
It's the only way out. Poverty and
pickles wouldn't suit me. must mar
~ The Marigold, accent and all
Nineteen thousand a year. BY Jove.
it's worth going for. Many fellow
has sold himself for half that. III
take Claude's advice and start the
wooing business at once-hang i'll
yes, this very afternoon"
mfr. Davenegh"
The footman threw wide the door, |
and, handsome, debOnair, smiling as
though he had recently stepped out of |
a bandbox and hadn't a care in the |
world, Maurice Davenegh entered the
room and received Lady Cheynes
somewhat ELUSIVE greeting with a
courtly bow.
The fair widow was delighted to see
her visitor-for reasons. This young
man was we'll born, we'll connected,
heir to a title and unattached-and
Lady Cheyne had the chaperoning of a
daughter, at something
per month. with the prom
Ise Of a lump sum down in the event
of satisfactory marriage.