Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-15

prize In the marriage market long before
she was seen in society. There must be
some secret about 1t, and Lady Grimsby
naturally yearned for the knowledge of It,
Certainly none of her daughters showed
the least signs OF matrimonial genius.
Anthony danced twice with Lady Cole
raine. and Lady Coleraine, moving in the
orbit Of beauties introduced him to the
lovely Mrs. Westerly. who within the first
five minutes asked him to call on her be-
fore lunch.
lone Is never alone after lunch," she
said.
Mrs. Westerly would have been con-
s!dered vulgar by orthodox and not too
highly placed responsibility, but by a
curious paradox her very offenses against
the social atmosphere which was hers by
right and training derived a certain dis
| tinction from the environment in which
she moved. She was the sort Of woman
| who in reality slightly offended Anthony
the fact that she was personality and a
power. She had a facility for attracting
the right men round her; that Is to say,
the men she wanted, the men who were
have been extremely difficult to say what
was the exact attraction. There must
have been sympathy somewhere. 1t is
not sufficient for a woman to suggest
that she might be dangerous If sighted.
She must be source of inspiration if she
somehow Mrs. Westerly was a source of
inspiration. Perhaps it was her great
reserve OF common sense. She had an
amazing instinct as to what a man should
do at crisis in his career. and men
especially II they are not asked for their
heart-have a singularly greedy way of
approaching woman of this kind. the
more especially If they can depend on her
not making them ridiculous. Mrs. West
erby had been widow for some four or
f7Vyo Nyoor nd la<n~ ,f~,aI %I,.%
married again-which she was perfectly
ready to dot should be a very brilliant
match, otherwise she had come to the
conclusion that it would not be worth her
while to sacrifice her very comfortable
jointure and individual position. Perhaps
part Of her strength lay In the fact that
she had an eye like a hawk for social
anomalies. She had the instinct of an ad-
ventures who has never been put to the
necessity Of using her more sinister abil-
tiles. At eighteen. she had made a love
match. and at twenty she was a great
beauty. At twenty-one she was a widow,
and so far her position had been alto
gether too comfortable for her to embark
on any intrigue. Still, a woman of her
temperament Is always ambitious, and
she was quite ready to make use of her
talents to secure second husband The
'previous season the Duke of Frant had
been constantly at her house. He had
been In the habit of bringing her his
leading him insensibly to associate her
with mental and material comfort which
would, she was inwardly sure. have ended
in matrimony had not Sybil Travers and
the physical fascination which she had
for him barred the way. She had never
seen Sybil till this evening. and she was
not treasured by her appearance. THAT
Is q woman who will be beautiful at
eighty, although she is so small" she re-
fiected.
Lord Cammarleigh is giving the ball
In honor Of his niece, l believe" she re-
marked to Anthony.
Eyes. he is devoted to her." answered
Anthony. unblushingly.
do you know them well?" asked Mrs
Westerly, looking at him. questioningly.
II am Lord 'Cammarleigh's secretary"
answered Anthony for about the four
teenth time that evening. He had no par
ticular wish that the world In general
should take him for an ordinary secre-
tary, and he just managed to impart into
the announcement something which
awakened Mrs. Westerbys curiosity as to
who he might be apart from his secre-
taryship.
lone never heard of Lord Cammar-
leigh aR likely to dispense hospitality
from motives Of sentiment"
mo, they tell me he has changed Of
late said Anthony. And then he added,
laughing, II am sure kinder-hearted