Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-05-06
/ were talking In a ballroom

ty, Herbert?" asked one.
what American beautyT'
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
/ should like to meet her, for Curl
osity, If for nothing more. Do you
know her, and will you present me?"
Eyes, / know her and will be happy
to present you. But let me tell you,
who are such a stickler for birth, you
who claim kinship 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, II 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 1t involves disgrace or credit
to her. or neither, don't know"
This is all interesting and excites
curiosity. But why do you think 1t
necessary to tell 1t to meT'
Because these American women are
carrying off many of our best men for
husbands. and l don't know but that
If l 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 a misalliance. You don't
want to be the first to do So"
Herbert Percy smiled.
Eyes, yes" continued his friend. "T
know that you are thirty-f1ve and a
member Of parliament, but at what
age is a man safe from a womanT'
I'll not hold you responsible. Now
for the Introduction"
The two went through the rooms till
they saw a woman of perhaps twenty
| five surrounded by a flock of men, each
of whom was trying to get a 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
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 OF
him. He was puzzled to know in what
that something about her, far above
the ordinary. consisted. That it existed
he was sure. He did not create it BY
| &c ;Yoo uor I'D falf
and was ready to acknowledge that
was superior to anything there was il
himself. When an opportunity occur
red and he was introduced to Mis-
Denton he discerned at once that what
ever was the source of her social sue
cess her heart was not enlisted in
social triumph. The attention she re
ceived rather annoyed than pleaset
her.
II have been waiting long while,
said Percy, "for an introduction an,
have been delayed by the men VIII
have been swarming about you. fear
ed l would never get an opportunity"
Being an American, I'm q curiosity
/ wish it were not so. ] would hav
driven them away to the other ladie:
many of whom have been very kind t
cause l am new"
Percy was amused. The girls sir
cerity he did not question, but he di
question the kindness of the ladie
she referred to. He appreciated he
modesty and had the art of shown
sympathy in whatever degree 1t Nigh
be required. Other men seeing tn
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 G
the rest of the evening in each other
company.
This is not story of courtship.
is rather the story Of an incident an
what that incident led to. Herbe1
Percy fell under the influence again.
which her friend and introducer ha
warned him and without knowing an.
4 thing about Miss Denton's origin {
how she acquired her fortune, becam
engaged to her.
There was an adornment that Mis-
| Denton was never seen without whe
she wore what is called full dress TIL;
was at times a band Of black velye
at others a band of gold on her ar
midway between the elbow and II
shoulder. When the occasion admitte
OF sleeves she wore them, leaving 0
the circlet- Perhaps for this reasC
it was not especially noticed that tn
portion Of her arm was never unco'
cred. A few, however. had remarked
and attributed it to the wearer's desil
to give herself an appearance Of tho!
antique beauties who hourished
Rome or Egypt OF Greece some 2.0t
years ago.
3 Herbert Percy noticed the circlet
his first meeting with his fiancee, an
though he had no thought of Miss De
ton wearing it for the purpose that hi
been mentioned. he certainly consi
cred that it effected such a purpose.
was on this account that after the
engagement he called her Zenobi
though when he explained his reasC
COR doing so an expression Of fright
q Of pain passed over her face. At FIR
ne attached no Importance to her orn