Montpelier examiner., 1909-12-17
CHAPTER l.

Across the brilliant parquette. from
the bishops box, Miss Winstanley
openly beckoned me with her little
white black-dotted fan. Henrietta
Winstanley ia the bishops sister,
lady more like her own fan than any
thing ! can think Of at the moment
to compare her with: small futter-
ing thing, constantly in motion, Great
ing q pleasant stir wherever she hap
pens to be, smelling deliciously OF
orris root or lavender, her black eyes
sparkling like the iridescents on the
fan
There were beside her in the box
the bishop, Barbara Hemingway, her
brother Dan-the most popular young
rascal In tQwn-Ankony. acting presi-
dent OF the Central Savings Company,
and, for the rest, part of the Forlorn
Hope, as Miss Winstanley calls the
ardent band of Barbara's followers,
whom she has always stoutly declared |
Barbara would have none OF. wish
] had been as sure Of it.
The bishop looked the bishop, or he
would probably have been DR.. Win
stanley, as his father had been before
him, or Winstanley, attorney-at-laW,
following the way his maternal un-
cles had taken, or merely Winstanley,
dealer in loans and real estate, as he
once told me his prediction unde-
niably tended. But he looked the
bishop, and his sister, who was much
older than he, vowed that he should
become what nature SO evidently in
tended. No one ever understood clear
ly just how she contrived 1t, but that
she had triumphantly arrived with
him none could contradict. Indeed,
whatever Miss Henrietta Winstanley
undertakes she is pretty certain to
accomplish.
She had declared to me often, and
with warmth, that II she could help
it Ankony should not marry Barbara
Hemingway, as he very. evidently pro-
posed to do, If possible. Therefore !
was not surprised at the summons
which beckoned me as her atde-de-
camp, for Ankony had been making
the most unmistakable love to Bar
bara ever since the curtain had gone
up and that part of the Forlorn Hope
represented in the box had yielded
itself to what was going on over the
footlights.
There's ingratitude for you," whis
pered she, as | bent over her.
at looks more like devotion" re
marked dryly.
"I launched that man socially. He
had been very nice about my chari
ties. and one must make some return
you know; besides, he isn't altogether
bad sort. But he must not thinl
he can marry Barbara Hemingway"
Does he?"
She made a comprehensive gesture
"You can see for yourself. Such au
daciousness never knew! He seem
to forget the gulf between them"
"The gulf of blood. eh?" said l.
Exactly. What is there harder t
get around? | don't mind
self-made MANN the third genera
ton: but Ankony Is In the first, an
proud Of 1t. And he imagines tha
because Dan is In his employ he ca
force his attention on Barbara whe
and as he likes"
isn't 1t possible that he may nj
meet with quite the discouragemeI
you think?" suggested. with a smi
that was mere braggadocio.
"Nonsensei You don't believe an
such thing as that. Do you suppo:
for a minute that Barbara would r
ceive him-or his impossible sister-i
law either, for the matter of that.
II she didn't feel that she had to
She sighed and hurried on: "One hi
To dc so many awkward and unplea
ant things when one Is poor, and tn
are SO poor Do you know it's ia
that they have to depend entire
nowadays on Dams salary? And {
you see, quite naturally, they mu
be decent to Mr., Ankony."
How they manage to get on dol
know" I dissolved grayely.
Miss Winstanley shook her brisk
tie head. mo more do I. Dan Isl
economical, you know-how can
expect him to be-. with his bringi
nm? It's such a pity their fath
should have made that last unf
tunate investment just before he di,
II must be frightfully hard on th'
both. but the brunt of 1t falls on B
bara. as is natural, perhaps. You
noticed. haven't you. that when
man and woman practice economy
eether it's always the woman W
somehow, seems to get IN the m
exercise? I'm sure Dan is as cons
crate and careful as he knows how
he but he is so generous. you kno
"Perhaps he's a bit too generol
CHE nodded That's 1t, preeis'
49,, thoee are his flowers that