The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-06-04
The
CIRCLET
A Singular Case of q
Woman's r1odesty
n. rrTVVA
BY JULIA c. DANA

- - - = - ~ - "a ~
SsseOssOoOSeoSsossOosOOOOS
Two men were talking in ballroom
in London.
Have you met the American beau
ty, Herbert?" asked one.
what American beautyT'
1.-THE 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 a sensation
l should like to meet her, for curl
osity, If for nothing more. Do you
know her, and will you present met"
Yes, know her and will be happy
to present you. But let me tell you,
who are such a stickler for birth, you
who claim ktnship with the Towards,
that these Americans have no real
blue blood in them and this Miss Den
toms origin is uncertain. 1t is whis-
pered that she comes of very ordinary
stock, and the source from which she
inherited her fortune, if it Is known
| in America, is not known here. / have
heard that there is a story about how
she came into her inheritance, but
whether it involves disgrace or credit
to her, or neither, don't know"
This is all interesting and excites
curiosity. But why do you think it
necessary to tell it to me?"
Because these American women are
carrying off many Of our best men for
husbands, and l don't know but that
If | present you to this girl she may
do the same by you. Being your moth
er's friend, | feel more or less respon-
sible for you. You Percys have no
record Of any one Of your family hav-
, ing made misalliance. You don't
want to be the first to do So"
Herbert Percy smiled.
Yes, yes, continued his friend. ST
know that you are thirty-flve and a
member of parliament, but at what
age is man safe from a woman?"
I'll not hold you responsible. Now
for the Introduction"
The two went through the rooms till
they saw 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 scowling 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 1t existed
he was sure. He did not create 1t by
| his imagination He saw 1t and felt it
and was ready to acknowledge that it
was superior to anything there was In
himself When an opportunity occur
red and he was introduced to Miss
Denton he discerned at once that what
ever was the source Of her social sue
cess her heart was not enlisted in q
social triumph. The attention she re-
ceived rather annoyed than pleased
| her
Il have been waiting long while, :"
said Percy, "for an introduction and
have been delayed by the men who
have been swarming about you. fear
ed would never get an opportunity"
Being an American, I'm a curiosity
l wish 1t were not so. l 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 kindness of the ladies'
she referred to. He appreciated her
modesty and had the art of showing
sympathy in whatever degree it might
be required Other men seeing the
American engaged in earnest converse
ton with one of London's most de-
sirable parts refrained from interrupt
ing their chat, and they spent most of
the rest of the evening in each others
company.
This is not story of courtship. 1t
is rather the story of an incident and
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 Dentons origin or
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
was at times band of black velvet
at others band Of gold on her arm
midway between the elbow and the
shoulder. When the, occasion admitted
Of sleeves she wore them, leaving off
the circlet. Perhaps for this reason
it was not especially noticed that this
portion Of her arm was never uncov-
cred. A few, however, had remarked it
and attributed it to the wearers desire
TO give herself an appearance Of those
antique beauties who hourished in
Rome or Egypt or Greece some 1000
years ago.
Herbert Percy noticed the circlet at
his first meeting with his fiancee. and,
though he had no thought of Miss Den
ton wearing it for the purpose that has
been mentioned, he certainly consid-
cred that it effected such purpose. 1t
was on this account that after their
engagement he called her Zenobia,
though when he explained his reason
for doing so an expression Of fright or
of pain passed over her face. At first
he attached no Importance to her orna-