The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-30
ADH Marcia Bellew adjusted her
,gold-rimmed glasses and ran.
her eve down the paper till she

aF Objectionable MARRIAGE.
'..Ah, here 1t Isl" she said. Let me
see now. HIM, Yes she must have /
locked very well, don't you think 50,
Miss Manners?'
Katherine Manners started little.
She raised her head from the work |
over which she was bending, and the !
sunlight altering through tho crcepers
which hung over the window. fell on
her golden hair and turned 1t TOT bur
nished halo round her pretty head.
IL beg your pardon Lady Marcia,
che said.
looked very well in her wedding gown
You may depend they spent fortune
OH her, Sheer extravaganza! But that
mother of hers would spend her last
penny on that girls back. 1t is to bel
hoped that they have taken as much |
pride in and care of her character.
Though i have my doub,s-grave
doubts. about the marriage"
Katherine dropped her scissors, and
stopped to pick them up.
And she wore----- she asked hur-
r:edly, as IL anxious to change the sub
ioct--to leave Ernestines character and
u revert to her wedding ilnery
Liberty satin and chiffon velvet
tain, with tlounces OF Alencon lace. If 4
you Observation-Disclosures IN pearls and
silver, One might imagine the girl
was marrying duke, or was herself
the daughter OF q pork packer! And
let me see he gave HER She
paused moment Katherine waited
silently, He gave her string of
an-e thysts."
"a string of amethysts!''
Lady Marcia looked ut her companion
over her glasses,
'sYes. Why, what is the matter with
you. child? You look as if you'd had
shock of some kind"
Nothing; feel the heat" murmured
the girl hurriedly. ut is really moth
iLg, dear Lady Marcia. And-and what
other lovely things did Miss Carnegy
/ ought to say, Lady Erlstoke-get?"
She bent feverishly to her work; and
Lady Marcia took up the paper again.
an6 began to read extracts from the
long and imposing list Of presents re-
coived by Sir Humphrey and Lady Erl-
stoke on their marriage.
But through the list of silver tea
services, salt-cellars. diamond brooches.
and priceless lace, Katherine Manners
heard only one thfng-four words that
rang persistently in her head TIL it
ached madly:
"a string of ame;l,ysts!''
We'll, | was always sorry that the
title had to fall to Humphrey" observ-
ell Lady Marcia presently. 81 never
had much opinion of him. and it's pref
ty certain Miss Ernestine has married
~. nr ~ liie 'itt ~, aiip .iie money.
long time ago-and he struck me as
man not easily to be taken In VEN
.u'eu Na. =. me, mere was unge
" color III her usuaiig pale cheeks.
her eyes We're very bright and hard.
Lady Marcia laughed shortly
My good girl any clever woman
car wind man round her fingers If
she cares to take the trouble And as
10 Humphrey himself, he's poor sort.
Neii' I ohlS Iopc they II pc as happy
40 tiisy usse' W
LADY Marcia turned to her perusal
OF .i.e 5uas news. ana hatherine was
ial. 70 80 ~, on WIN WIN hsr work. AS IS, she
" wv sly ny SiNio siiaueS OF sllkeil
l' Win ner cieNer fingers her
tilo o : MS were la a away from her pres
e.,. nome IN .'e seately Old house,
VIII She liseu Il lle OF quiet II UNI
: u eoiii.orl as lazy Marcia BEL
ieM . I eotiipal.ioii.
WAS not often that she allowed
ner 5nonshts 70 stray back into a past
VIII Wele pe,ter Iofgotteh nut the
~ouiiu sue hau thousht was. heaied
i.au opeheu hsain at LADY marcia $
cale .,i WORDS, aho as the girl sat and
y "oIKea sliehtlv ana mechanically at her
cIhproiderles she saw before her, not
me Pile OF gaily-colored silks. but just
tho ,e words;
string OF amethysts!
y, hal memories they conjured up
getE-the day when Humphrey Erl-
stoke Che had no title in those days.
no wealth or pos!tion) had brought her
string or amethysts and slung them
round her white throat with all q
lover tondness. Ihey had been RI
alcnlously happy. IN spite of their hope
less enga cement There was no money
or either side, but in the confidence
OF their mutual love and trust they
were both content to wait
10 Wa!t-Tnu hs had thrown her
over without a word She had sent
back that string Of amethysts in fierce
Despair and anger, and now she had
To sit and listen to the recital of the
gifts he had showered upon his bride,
and amongst them was q string of
amethSsts. lie might have kept that
y Rack. lie had come into the title, great
wealth., power and position, but he had
forgotten all the past, that was evil
dent.
a strange tangle of Fate had sent
her here. Of all places in the world
when stress OF circumstances forced
M her to earn her own living and hgh