The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-03-07
A CORPORATION ROMANCE.
By HELENE HICKS.

This is the story of two clever wo-
men, one of whom was also vain and
unscrupulous, aud a clever man, who
was likewise very stupid.
Lola became engaged to Lawrence
Forsdythe when he 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 him
self to the region known as "Out
West in search of that living which
he felt the world owed him.
Mrs. Stearne kept the most aristo-
cratic boarding house in Leadville, and
Lola helped to make the establish
ment exclusive.
Lawrence recognized the girl pos
| sibilities the first time he laid his eyes
upon her. She possessed that vague
and elusive quality known as "style, 4"
and her temperament was cheerful
and sympathetic.
| Lawrence spent most OF his time IN
the mountains with bands of prospec-
tors and engineers, stalking out and
gathering together bits of property
which were some day to be consolida-
ted into commercial dream of great
ness.
Upon his return from one of these
PERIODS of hardship. he found himself
the victim of per6dy on the part of
his lady love. Lola had married an
elderly Eeastern capitalist, who, be-
ing taken suddenly i'll while touring
the West in his private car, laid over
at Leadville, subject to the tender
ministrations 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 Pa
ris, and beginning to feel bored be-
cause she knew so few people.
The young mans vanity received
such 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 devot-
ed 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 undauuted enough to gain some
social recognition if she went about
it In the right way.
At the time of Mrs. Heathering-
ton widowhood Lawrence Forsdythe
was just forcing himself into financial
prominence In New York as the head
of much gossiped about corpora
ton. Also, he became acquainted
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 S originality and vigor. Of
course, they became engaged In due
time, and everybody seemed pleased.
Lawrence reveled in his good luck.
He had been a barbarian just long
enough to be pleased at doing the OBJ
viously 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 husbands
death, and Lawrence Forsdythe was
closely concerned in those decisions.
His marriage was contingency with
which she had not reckoned.
Lola regarded her mirrored image
discontentedly.
"He knows that l am free," she
told herself, "and 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 car
ed 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. 1t
had been very agreeable occupation
and a perfectly safe one.
Mrs. Heatherington sent for Mr..
Forsdythe. He refused to obey her
summons, pleading rush of engage
ments, both business and social.
Thereupon our young widow sent him
a note so filled with suggestions and
innuendoes that 1t brought him TO her
apartment on the day of its receipt.
"I came up to see what on earth
you are driving at" he said, crisply,
as she entered the room, after keeping
him waiting three-quarters ofan hour.
"You are just as impetuous as ever
1 see, remarked Mrs. Heatherington,
languidly.
"And you are still fond of mys-
tery," he retorted.
Enigma is woman's only wea-
pon."
"But why do you wish to stab meF
the man demanded, impatiently.
"You know the quotation about a
woman scorned," said Lola.
'But where is she?" he persisted.
"I never scorned woman in my life.
You once treated me rather shabbily,
and cannot see why you should now