Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1912-09-20
The
CIRCLET:
A Singular Case OF q
Woman's Modesty
BY JULIA C. DANA

Two men were talking In a ballroom
in London.
Have you met the American beau
ty, HerbertT asked one.
what American beauty?"
"rhe one who has recently come to
London, Miss Denton. She Is all the
rage"
mo; | have not even heard of her
But since she is creating n sensation
should like to meet her, for curl
osity, If for nothing more. Do you
know her, and will you present me2"
Eyes, | know her and will be happy
to present you. But let me tell you
who are such stickler for birth, you
who claim kinship with the Towards
that these Americans have no real
blue blood In them and this Miss Den.
tons origin Is uncertain. 1t Is wills
pered that she comes of very ordinary
stock, and the source from which she
inherited her fortune, II 1t Is known
In America, Is not known here / have
heard that there Is a story about how
she came into her Inheritance, but
whether 1t involves disgrace or credit
TO her, or neither, don't know"
This Is all interesting and excites
curiosity. But why do you think II
necessary to tell 1t to meT
Because these American women are
carrying Off many OF our best men for
husbands, and don't know but that
II present you to this girl she may
do the same by you. Being your moth
er's friend, l feel more or less respon-
sible for you. You Percys have no
record Of any one Of your family hay.
ing made mlsalliance. You don't
want TO be the first to do So"
Herbert Percy smiled.
"Yes, yes" continued his friend. 81
know that you are thlrty-flve and a
member of parliament, but ut what
age Is man safe from a womanP
"I'll not hold you responsible. Now
for the Introduction"
The two went through the rooms till
they saw n woman Of perhaps twenty.
five surrounded by flock Of men, each
Of whom was trying to get word with
her while groups Of British spinsters,
unattended, were scowing at her. She
was not the beauty Percy had been led
to suppose, nor did she bear herself as
a belle seeming to shrink from rather
than court the attention she was re-
ceiving. But while awaiting an oppor
tunity to be presented Percy watched
her, and her presence kept growing on
him He was puzzled to know In what
that something about her, far above
the ordinary. consisted. That It existed
he was sure. lie did not create It by
his imagination He saw It and felt II
and was ready to acknowledge that II
was superior to anything there was In
himself When an opportunity occur
red and he was introduced to Miss
Denton he dlscerned at once that what
ever wns the source OF her social sue
cess her heart was not enlisted In u
social triumph. The attention she re
ceived rather annoyed than pleased
her.
II have been waiting long while"
said Percy. "fOr an Introduction and
have been delayed by the men who
have been swar alag about you. fenr.
ed would never get an opportunity"
Being an American, I'm II curiosity
| wish II were not 80. | would have
driven them away TO the other ladies',
many OF whom have been very kind to
me, but the men crowd about me be.
cause am new"
Percy was amused. The girls sin.
cerity he did not question, but he did
question the kindlIness of the ladies'
she referred to. He appreciated her
mOdesty and had the art Of showing
sympathy IN whatever degree II might
be required. Other men seeing the
American engaged In earnest conversa-
ton with one Of London's most de.
sirable parts refrained from interrupt
Ing their chat, aud they spent most Of
the rest of the evening In each others
company,
This Is not story Of a courtship. II
what that incident led to. Herbert
Percy fell under the influence against
which her friend and introducer had
warned him and without knowing any
thing about Miss Denton's origin OF
how she acquired her fortune, became
engaged to her.
There was an adornment that Miss
Denton was never seen without when
she wore what Is called full dress. That