The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-12-24
She HAD A METHOD.
By NEWTON CALDWELL.

Wnen Miss Arietta Beale of Chicago
uiove to her hotel in Lucerne, Switzer
!and, 1t was not to see sights nor =,
puy lingerie in the shops on the Low.
enstrasse before which young women
~ Swiss costume sit embroiderinp.
Her purpose was to meet younp
man she had never seen coming in mn
opposite direction, with a view to dc.
termine II she would accept him for
husband. Moreover, the young man
was coming to determine if he would
accept Miss Beale for wife.
Inc prelude to the story is this:
Hiram Beale, land speculator, had Dor
rowed money from Edward Larned
(who had plenty to lend) to carry his
property, which If held would in time
make him Immensely rich. The ready
iuhas OF Larned united to the real es-
tate OF Beale would produce a colossal
fortune. Gould the two induce the
GUY son OF the one and the only daugh-
ter OF the other to marry? The young
people agreed to the plan, provided
tney suited each other; hence the
meeting in Lucerne.
NOW. it pleased Miss Beale to have n
look at her enemy from under cover.
For this purpose she had brought with
her her friend, Miss Laura Bergen,
whom she proposed to introduce to
young George Larned as herself and
observe him as a disinterested party.
On her arrival at Lucerne she sent q
note to Mr.. Larned's hotel notifying
him that she would attend the opera
to be given that evening in the Kursaal
(Casino) and between the acts would
SIT IN company with her friend, Miss
bergen, In the salon, where she would
be pleased to meet him. He would
know her by lavender orchid in her
hair.
Mr.. Larned had been travelling with
his friend George Pierson. and, since
: Miss Beale would have friend with
her, he invited Pierson to go with him
to the meeting that he might eliminate
Miss Bergen. 1t was during the first
intermfssion of the opera that gen.
tleman stepped UP to lady with an
orchid in her hair in the salon of the
kursaal, announced himself as Mr..
James Larned and introduced his
friend. Mr.. Pierson. The lady-Miss
Bergen, who was personating Miss
Beale-introduced the friends to the
real Miss Beale as Miss Bergen. After
n short season Of Introductory CONVEX
sation the bell rang to announce con-.
tinuance Of the opera. and the quartet
adjourned to the music hall. Mr.. Larned
taking seat beside Miss Bergen and
Mr.. Pierson one beside Miss Beale.
After the opera, when the two girls
were retiring, Miss Beale admitted
that she infinitely preferred Mr.. Lar
ned's friend, who had been her attend
ant Miss Bergen declared that Mr..
Larned was the more attractive man
of the two. The men made similar
statements with reference to the girls,
each preferring the girl to whom he
had been devoting himself.
During the next week the quartet
made the ascents Of Mount Pilatus
and the Rigi, excursions on Lake Luz
cerne and spent their evenings in the
Kursaal or its gardens listening to ex-
cellent music. They even risked a
five franc piece on the gaming table,
just to experience new sensation.
The sensation proved the loss Of the
coin. Such life is especially con-.
ducive to lovemaking, and it was not
long before the first and second cou-
pies, SO to speak. were in the last
throes of courtship.
At this time Miss Beale was called
home by cable, her mother being dan
gerously Ill. She had come abroad for
the purpose of becoming engaged to
Mr.. Larned and was grieved to return
engaged to his friend, Mr.. Pierson.
She also knew that Mr.. Larned was
engaged to the friend she had brought
with her to act as her dummy.
On Miss Beale's return she kept her
secret till her mother recovered, when
she broke the matter to her father and
well nigh broke his heart at the same
time. He announced the failure of the
plan to Edward Larned. who received
the information without showing any
especial disappointment. The man Of
ready cash had always been indiffer-
ent to union with unproductive prop
erty He wrote his son that the lady
whom he was to have married had
fallen in love with his friend. Larned,
who had kept his own counsel as to
how matters were going, wrote that
he would return Immediately.
On his arrival he told his father that
he wished for an interview with Miss
Beale in presence of the two fathers
who had arranged the match. Mr..
Larned told his son that If his object
was to bring pressure to bear on the
lady to marry him he would be disap-
pointed, since she had expressed an
unalterable resolution to marry his
friend. The son, however. persisted in
his request.
The meeting took place in Mr.. Beale's
house. When it was announced . to
Miss Beale that the Larneds, father
and son, were in the library ready for
the conference, nerving herself for q
disagreeable interview, she entered the
room.
She stopped and started. The young
er man she saw there was her lover.
He advanced to meet her, with smile.
"You put your friend forward as
yourself" he said.
II did,
"And put my friend forward as
myself "A double negative gives a
positive result"
"You should have been ashamed of
YOURSELF" exclaimed Miss Beale, with
pout and an expression Of infinite
hn,,,;noco min ~ ~ .if ~