Rocky Ford enterprise., 1909-08-27
CHAPTER !.

Across the brilliant parquette. from
the bishops box. Miss Winstanley
openly beckoned me with her little
white blackdotted fan. Henrietta
Winstanley is the bishops sister. q
lady more like her own fan than any.
thing l can think of at the moment
to compare her with: a small dutter.
ing thing. constantly in motion. Great.
ing a 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 town-Ankony. acting presi-
dent of the Central Savings Company.
and. for the rest. part Of the Forlorn
ardent band of Barbara's followers.
whom she has always stoutly declared
Barbara would have none OF. l wish
1 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
II Ankony should not marry Barbara
Hemingway. as he very evidently pro-
posed to do. II possible. Therefore I
was not surprised at the summons
which beckoned me as her aide-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.
1T looks more like devotion" re-
marked dryly.
Il 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
a bad sort But he must not think
he can marry Barbara Hemingway"
Does he?"
She made a comprehensive gesture.
You can see for yourself. Such au-
daciousness ! never knew, He seems
TO forget the gulf between them"
The gulf OF blood. eh?" said 1.
Exactly. What is there harder to
get around? don't mind a
self.made man-in the third genera.
tion: but Ankony is in the first, and
proud OF II. And he imagines that
because Dan is in his employ he can
force his attention on Barbara when
and as he likes"
Isn't it possible that he may not
meet with quite the discouragement
you think" / suggested, with a smile
that was mere braggadocio.
Nonsense! You don't believe any
such thing as that Do you suppose
for a minute that Barbara would re.
ceive him-or his impossible sister.in.
law either. for the matter OF that
II she didn't feel that she had tor
She sighed and hurried on: One has
to do so many awkward and unpleas.
ant things when one is poor, and they
are so poor. Do you know it's a fact
that they have to depend entirely
nowadays on Dams salary? And so.
you see, quite naturally. they must
be decent to Mr.. Ankony."
How they manage to get on don't
know" / dissolved gravely.
Miss Winstanley shook her brisk lit.
tie head. NO more do l. Dan isn't
economical. you know-how can we
expect him to be, with his bringing
up? It's such a pity their father
should have made that last unfor-
tunate investment Just before he died,
1t must be frightfuily hard on them
both: but the brunt of It falls on Bar.
bara. as Is natural, perhaps. You've
noticed. haven't you. that when a
man and woman practice economy to-
gether it's always the woman who.
somehow. seems to get in the most
exercise? I'm sure Dan is as consid.
crate and careful as he knows how to
be. but he is SO generous. you know"
Perhaps he's a bit too generous. /"
She nodded. That's It. precisely.