The Washington herald., 1907-10-14
CHAPTER VII.


10 him even more charming than on the
evening before. There are few occasions
that woman appears better than when
dispensing the simple hospitality of her
own tea table, and il is charm which
many Englishwomen possess. Alicia Yer
non had It In great perfection. and her
tea table gave an air Of home to the
hotel sitting-room. Senator March re-
mained a fun hour and enjoyed every
minute of it. Alicia Vernon's voice was
the soul of music and her soft and
gracious manners completed the charm
Of her voice. Then TOO, she was not so
ridiculously young. Before Senator March
left, he had arranged for dinner at his
own house, and also for weekend at
his country place Just as he was leav-
ing Mrs. Chantrey came fluttering in,
and that meant still another dinner for
the English visitors. and Senator March,
being a court card, was at once grabbed
by Mrs. Chantrey for her dinner. Next
was to be a week of grand opera, and
Senator March, who loved music, de-
termined to take the best box AT the
theater, chiefly for the pleasure Of having
Alicia Vernon in IT, Quite naturally, in
all these plans for pleasure Sir Percy
Carlyon was included. Senator March
and himself had become almost chums
from the beginning of their acquaintance,
and what could be more suitable than
that Sir Percy should be one of the party
when his old friends were entertained?
Then Senator March's fondness for Lucy
Armytage, and his somewhat limited ac-
quaintance among the younger set,
brought her into the circle.
At the dinner which Senator March
gave in his big, old-fashiOned house
Alicia saw. with her own eyes, evidence
OF inherited as well as acquired wealth.
There was ton, more or less, of family
silver on the sideboards and cabinets,
while three generations in oil hung upon
the walls
Among the twenty-five guests were
Lord Baudesert, Mrs. VerekeT, Lucy
Armytage, and Sir Percy CarlyOn. The
second meeting with Lucy Armytage
made Alicia Vernon's confirmation doub-
y sure; but there was new personality
present which divided her interests with
Sir Percy Carlyon and Senator March;
this was COlegTove, the man whom Sem
atcr March and Sir Percy Carlyon had
passed in the hotel lobby the day Of
their second meeting. He sat directly
across the table from Alicia Vernon.
who was on Senator Marchs left. Mrs.
Nereker being on his right The mellow
glow from the shaded candelabra fell
fun upon Colegrove's head and shoulders.
He was instantly struck with the beauty
OF Alicia NernOns eyes. as most men
We're, but Alicia was no less struck with
him. They were clear, so compelling
they were the eyes Of the commanding
officer on the field OF battle His we'll
shaped. iTon-gray head. his clear-cut
features, spoke power in the lines of
their contour. Alicia Vernon found her
self involuntarily glancing across at her
neighboT. and whenever she looked at
him she found his glance fixed upon her.
When the ladies retired 10 the draw
ing-room the conversation turned upon
COlegrove, and Alicia found Out that he
was one Of the great railway magnates
of America, che of those men of whom
she had heard and read about, who be-
ginning at the lowest rung Of the lad
der, make their way up by sheer, in
domitable force to the top. and then
kick the ladder down after them. He
had a wife, whom no one had ever seen.
slowed away somewhere in the West.
but was never known to speak of her,
much less to present her. Fabulous tales
were told of his wealth and Of the sim
pliCity Of his mode of living His win
ters We're generally spent at Washing
ton, in comfortable, bat not expensive
hotel where he had a modest suite of
rooms. While the ladies were talking
about him, the gentlemen appeared from
the dinlng-rOOm. Colegrove walked
straight up to Alicia, and seating him
self, plunged into conversation with her
Alicia. with infinite tact led him to
speak Of himself his affairs. his wishes.
his aspirations, and listened so intelli-
gently that she bewitched him even more
than she had Roger March
I think she said presently, in her
slow sweet voice. that I am getting new
IDEAS all the time In this country about
money. You Americans are credited with
thinking much about 1t. I never saw peo-
pie who value money so little"
why should we?' answered COlegroye
smiling. We have no hereditary nobility
no eDtailed property TO keep up. Every
generation here looks out for itself. Then
American ladies don't give their husbands
the best chance of saving money"
How can any woman save money!"
asked Alicia, helplessly. 7 am always in
want Of money, have been all nv life
and yet II doesn't seem to me as If I have
many costly things or expensive habits. &"
&
is chronic replied COlegroye. easily.
The right way TO do would be 10 nav
your bills and ask a smile in return"
He looked at her with such frank ad-
miratlon that it brought the color 10 |
Alicia VeTnon's face; but she was not dis
pleased with him; on the contrary. she
rather liked the sense of power. of in /
nate force, which was so plainly his How
trifiing 10 him would seem the mountain
a-f-a a
labored and which she had only managed
TO keep partially from her fathers knowl- |
edge
Il shouldn't mind a woman spending
money on toilettes, jewelry, carriages. and |
such things That would be lust Ike |
buying toys" he said. still smiling II
am a man of simple taste-you would be
disgusted at the plainness of nv rooms |
at the hotel but / can understand that |
white birds should have downy nests"
COlegrove would have monopoIized Mrs
Vernon, but Senator Marsh would by no /
means have il so. He came up and be- !
gan 20 talk about the coming house party. |
taking Alicia into the library to show her |
pictures of the place. Then her eyes fell
upon pictures of Senator March's family
home, which was in a nearby Eastern |
State and the photographs he showed of |
il proved that il was a fine old colonial |
house added TO with taste and iudp-
ment until it was a beautiful and spacious |
mansion. Also he had a ranch far off
in the Northwest and his nearby coun- !
try place in Maryland.
you have as many homes as a great
English noble"
But they are not castles; they are
only houses, and a man alone, as ]. am.
has no home This was my fathers town
house; he was in the Senate before me.
but you see that it Is an old barn COM