The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-02-23
a CORPORATION ROMANCE.


men, one of whom was also vain and
INSCRIPTIONS, and clever man, who
was likewise very stupid.
Lola became engaged to Lawrence
Forsdythe when be was accumulating
the nucleus of that huge fortune which
is now one of the seven wonders of
modern finance.
He was keen, ambitious, resource
full young man, Eastern born and bred,
who had deliberately exiled himself
to the region known as ''Out West"
in search of that living which he felt
the world owed him.
Mrs. Starne kept the most aristo-
cratic boarding house in Leadville,
and Lola helped to make the estab-
lishment exclusive.
Lawrence recognized the girls pos.
sibilities the first time he laid his eyes
upon her. She possessed that vague
and elusive quality known as 'style,
and her temperament was cheerful
and sympathetic.
Lawrence spent most of his time in
the mountains with bands of prospec-
tors aud engineers, stalking out and
gathering together bits of property
which were some day to be consoli-
dated into a commercial dream of
greatness.
Upon his return from one of these
periods of hardship, he found himself
the victim Of perfdy on the part of
his lady love. Lola had married an
elderly Eastern capitalist, who, being
taken suddenly i'll while touring the
West in his private car, laid over at
Leadville, subject to the tender min
lstrations of Mrs. Stearne and her
daughter.
As stated before, Lola was clever,
and when fate flung the right cards
in her lap she played the game so
we'll that by the time Lawrence miss
ed her she was buying fal lals in
Paris, and beginning to feel bored
because she knew SO few people.
The young mans vanity received
such a severe shock that he thought
he was heartbroken.
Lola = Mrs. Heatherington = did
not find herself wholly pleased with
the position she had attained. Her
husband was rich enough, and de-
voted enough, to be sure, but he was
self made and unnecessarily proud of
the job
There is an end to all things, how
ever, and there came an end to Mr..
Heatherington and his perpetual
yarns about ten years later.
Lola breathed gentle sigh of re-
lief. Weeds were extremely becom-
ing to her and she was still young
and undaunted enough to gain some
social recognition if she went about
it in the right way.
At the time of Mrs. Heathering-
tons widowhood Lawrence Forsdythe
was just forcing himself into finan
cial prominence in New York as the
head of a much gossiped about Cor
poration. Also, he became acquaint-
ed with Lucille Lorillard.
Lawrence felt that it was good to
know Lucille after all those hustling,
bustling years in the West. She was
SO unaffectedly sweet and pretty, and
full of innocent fun. She knew all
the things which had meant life to
Lawrence in his college days.
Lucille was a beautiful, bright,
wholesome girl, and she admired
Lawrence's originality and vigor. Of
course, they became engaged in due
time, and everybody seemed pleased.
Lawrence reveled in good luck. He
had been a barbarian just long enough
to be pleased at doing the obviously
proper thing.
Mrs. Heatherington returned to
America from her brief period OF
mourning abroad, just as Lawrence's
engagement was announced. When
that lady read the news in the Social
Registe, she shut her teeth with a
click.
Mrs. Heatherington had made some
very definite plans since her hus-
bands death, and Lawrence Fors
dythe was closely concerned in those
decisions. His marriage was a con-
tingency with which she had not
reckoned.
Lola regarded her mirrored image
discontentedly.
"He knows that I am free," she
told herself, land he seemed ready
enough to make love to me four years
ago IN Venice. He said then that ]
was the only woman he had ever cared
for"
In fact, Lawrence Forsdythe had
put in one whole lazy summer. while
recruiting from brief illness, in max
ing love to his former sweetheart. II
had been very agreeable occupation
and a perfectly safe one.
Mrs. Heatherington sent for Mr..
Forsdythe. He refused to obey he1
summons, pleading a rush of engage
ments, both business and social.
Thereupon our young widow sent