The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-07-25
{. ! Bid For HAPPINESS )
~ aaaasiiss '''siI

think SO, Cecil?"
Jennie Heron glanced with all a
handsome, unsophisticated debu-
tante's admiration at the tall, stately
young woman in black chiffon VINO
was dancing with their host. Mrs.
Meranth's uncommon beauty, COM
bined with her graceful Waiting,
was attracting-so many of the wom-
en- present thought-an aggravating
amount of attention that night.
II suppose she is" Penrose adj
mitted, grudgingly. but she
doesn't appeal to your humble serv-
ant. She is SO frightfully stand-of-
fish-makes fellow feel a regular
worm, don't you know, and without
uttering a word!'
Jennie laughed and pressed her
fiance's arm in mock sympathy.
so you tried to f1irt with her, did
you? Never mind, I'm not jealous.
1 don't suppose for a moment that
you never made love to any one until
you met me. Indeed, I'm rather glad
you practiced philandering with other
such an expert in the art as you are!"
II wonder what sort of a chap old
Meranth was" Penrose pondered. II
never heard much about him, except
that he was an American, made CO.
lossal pile and was burned to death
In some hotel fire.
He was perfect beast!" Jennie
assured him, solemnly. Helena
never said so, she isn't that kind of
woman, but she never mentions his
name. She hasn't single photo
graph of him about her rooms, and
she is evidently in no hurry to marry
again!''
Altogether most convincing testi-
mony as to the iniquity of the late
lamented," Penrose laughed. 'sStill,
am ready to bet you anything in
reason that your friend does marry
again eventually. I will even ven
ture to spot the happy man. Talk
about telepathy! has stopped
dancing, and he is speaking to her
now. Watch her face, Jennie, and
then take my bet if you darei"
The room was brilliantly lighted,
and Jennie's keen young eyes could
detect every change of expression on
Mrs. Meranth's face as the latter
stood at the end of Lady Vereker' s
pink room smiling at "Chum" Win
stanley. Jennie duly noted the flush
on Mrs. Meranth's cheeks, the light
in her dark eyes, and her sudden as
sumption of an air Of absolute con-
tent.
Il believe you are right, Cecil
But I thought Chum was the last
man Helena cared fort"
Helena tucked her program Sc
curely away among the soft folds OF
her chiffon bertha when Winstanley
bowed and left her. 1t had fallen
once that evening from her fan, and
she had no mind that prying eyes
should discover the number of times
she had allowed the young man to
scribble his initials upon it.
HE will speak to me tonight"
she told herself, with a little thrill OF
excitement.
No one should have been better
acquainted with the premonitory
symptoms of proposal than Helena
Meranth, for many men had wanted
to marry her since she had dawned
upon the now waning London season,
and had taken society by storm with
her loneliness and reputation for
great riches.
But double harness with Gerald
Meranth had proved so disastrous an
experiment that it was small wonder
his widow should resolve that only a
grand passion should tempt her into
matrimony second time. She had
been just twenty-one when she had
engaged herself to the middle-aged
millionaire, whose handsome features
and masterful way first attracted
her. Her father was dead, her youth
full mother had married again, and
Helena was free. So she had &C
cepted Meranth.
She pretended no acute grief when
the catastrophe occurred. Her hus-
bands end had been tragically sud-
den. In one of his occasional moods
of amiabflity he had accompanied her
to townsville for the wedding of a
former schoolfellow, and had even
allowed her to attend without his
chaperonage the ball the brides
mother was giving on the eve Of. the
marriage.
Meranth had remained at their ho-
tel on the plea Of indisposition and
had talked of retiring early. And
the last time his wife had seen his
face had been as he handed her into
the carriage he was always punctil-
iously polite to her in public which
was to take her to Mrs. Grimes. -Four
hours later the hotel was smoking
ruin, and Helena, hurrying back,
identified her husband by his In
Itialed gold watch.
Once recovered from thu shock
and horror of her husband s demise,
Helena put her affairs IN orAsr Ne