Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-05-11
BID For HAPPINESS.

| woman IN the room. DON'T you THINK so,
Cecil?"
Jennie Heron glanced with all hand
some, unsophisticated debutante's admir-
alton at the tall, stately young woman in
black chiffon who was dancing with their
host. Mrs. Meranth's uncommon beauty,
combined with her graceful waltzing, was
attracting-so many of the women pres
ent thought-an aggravating amount of
attention that night
81 suppose she IS" Eenrose admitted,
grudgingly. But she doesn't appeal to
your humble servant. She is so fright
| fully stand offish-makes fellow feel
regular worm. don't you know, and with
out uttering a word!"
| Jennie laughed, and pressed her fance's
arm in mock sympathy.
80 you tried to firt with her, did
you? Never mind Pm not jealous.
don't suppose for moment that you
never made love to any one until you
met ne. Indeed, Pm rather glad you
practiced philandering with other people;
otherwise you would not be such an ex-
pert in the art as you are!"
Il wonder what sort of chap old
| Meranth was" Penrose pondered. Il
never heard much about him, except that
he was an American. made colossal pile
and was burned to death in some hotel
| fire."
'He was perfect beast!" Jennie as
sured him, soiemnly. Helena never said
so; she isn't that kind of woman; but
she never mentions his name. She hasn't
SINGLE photograph of him about her
rooms, and she is evidently in no hurry
TO marry again!"
altogether most convincing testimony
as to the iniquity of the late lamented,"
Penrose laughed. "Still, l am ready to
bet you anything in reason that your
friend does marry again eventually. i
will even venture to spot the happy man.
Talk about telepathy !-she has stopped
dancing. and he is speaking to her now.
Watch her face, Jennie, and then take
my bet if you dare!"
The room was brilliantly lighted, and
Jennie's keen young eyes could detect
every change of expression on Mrs. Mer-
anth's face as the latter stood at the
end of Lady Vereker's pink room smiling
at "Chum' Winstaniey. Jennie duly
noted the flush on Mrs. Meranth's cheeks,
the light in her dark eyes, and her sud
den assumption of an air of absolute con-
tent.
81 believe you are right, Cecil But /
thought Chum was the last man Helena
cared fort"
Helena tucked her programme securely
away among the soft folds of her chiffon
bertha when Winstanley bowed and left
her. 1t had fallen once that evening
! 1. E.. IL. HI ...,I IL
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 excite
ment
No one should have been better ac-
quainted with the premonitory symptoms
| of a proposal than Helena Meranth, for
man. 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 Me~-
anth had proved so disastrous an expert
ment that it was small wonder his wild
ow should resolve that only a grand pas
sion should tempt her into matrimony a
second time. She had been just 81 when
/ she had engaged herself to the middle
aged millionaire, whose handsome fea-
lures and masterful way first attracted
her. Her father was dead, her youthful
mother had married again, and Helena
was free. So she had accepted Meranth.
| She pretended no acute grief when the
catastrophe occurred. Her husbands
end had been tragically sudden. In one
of his occasional moods of amiabiity he
had accompanied her to townsville for
the wedding of former school fellow,
and had even allowed her to attend with
out his chaperonage the ball the brides
mother was giving on the eve of the
marriage.
Melaath had remained at their hotel
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 punctiiously polite to her
/ in public which was to take her to Mrs.
Grimes. Four hours later the hotel was
smoking ruin. and Helena. hurrving
back, identified her husband by his mi
tailed gold watch
Once recovered from the shock and
horror of her husbands demise, Helena
| put her affairs in order-Meranth had
/ LETT her an extremely wealthy woman
and sailed for England When hep first
year of widowhood was over. Helena had
met Chum Winstanley, rising Young
! diplomat, home on leave from his em-
bassy ut Bermania, and the two had
promptly fallen in love with each other.
Since that moment, now a month AGO.
life had held fresh hopes.
I
| Fate destined that We should meet "
| Winstanley was saying.
Il can't believe mere chance brought us
/ together, can your
! AT any rate, it doesn't matter. so long
as we are together" breathed Helena.
softly.
They had been engaged exactly ten
minutes, and in another five their ecstatic