MRS. MARSTON.
In the last three years the beautiful little city of Roseland with its
avenues of palms and magnolias had a boom. Large substantial brick and
granite blocks were erected. Very many new and handsome residences were
built, besides putting a new appearance on some of the old buildings.
The commercial, professional and mechanical classes were all doing well,
and living in expectation of doing still better.
Among those who had prospered by the rise in real estate was a Mrs.
Marston, who owned one of the finest residences in Roseland. At the time
that she enters our story her age was about forty and she had a son who
was twenty years old, a month before he left for Paris, and he had been
gone away four months. Why he had gone to Paris, the stories concerning
his mission to that gay city did not quite harmonize. His father came to
the conclusion ten years ago that his mother was too much like himself,
in being a positive, dominant character; that she was a little too
masculine in her makeup, and he thought he would prefer a lady for a
wife who did not weigh quite as much, and one that was a little sweeter
in disposition, and more playful. When he reflected that he was worth
one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, he thought that some of the joys
of having a sweet wife should be his, and particularly when he had seen
Josephine Stearns, whom he thought would more than meet his most
sanguine expectations, for to his mind, she seemed to possess all those
very desirable qualities of disposition which he so much admired. In a
very indirect way he made his mind known to Mrs. Marston, who pretended
she did not like such a proposition, but if he would give her fifty
thousand dollars and let her have the boy, she would consent to a
divorce. Her husband thought it over in this way. He said, "I am not
happy in living with my wife, don't like my home at all, and what good
does it do a man to be worth one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, if
he is not enjoying some of the greatest pleasures in life. Better have
only a hundred thousand dollars with a pretty sweet young lady like
Josephine, than a hundred and fifty thousand dollars with my present
wife." Next morning he scratched his head, and said in a slow kind of a
way, "I think fifty thousand dollars rather steep, but I do not wish to
have any fuss or quibbling, and you can have the boy, and I will give
you twenty-five thousand dollars in cash, and twenty-five thousand in
real estate," which she accepted. To look at her you could not tell what
her feelings were, but way down deep in her heart she was overflowing
with gladness to think she was free.
The rise in real estate made her worth in all as much as her husband was
when he left her. She was known in Roseland as being a lady that was
fond of young people's company, and she was great on entertaining. She
was one of those ladies who are proud, fond of dress and style, very
particular about moving in the upper circles of society, but she had no
interest or sympathy with plain, poor people. She loved to dress young
for her years, was fond of going with young ladies and gentlemen bicycle
riding. She generally had as guests one or two very pretty young ladies,
and another of her fads was to make pets of a few sons of rich men. As
she had a fine large house and loved to entertain, the leading young men
in Roseland, and some of the prettiest and most stylish young ladies,
were very often seen in her parlors and on her well-kept lawn. The
lunches and suppers she served to her guests were the talk of the town.
She had a sister who lived in Orangeville, but who was so different in
her tastes and circumstances that there was nothing in common between
them.
One day she was out driving, and her eyes caught the sight at a little
distance of two persons walking on the sidewalk. She made the team walk
slow when she saw them. They did not see her, but she took in at a
glance what a clear complexion, bright eyes, and lovely form the young
lady had. She said to herself, "How beautiful Stella has grown, but what
plain clothes she has on." She reined the team towards the sidewalk and
said, "Why, Stella, I did not know you had returned from school. Good
morning, David," she said to her sister's husband. "Wont you both come
to the house?" David said that Stella had just come in on the train and
they had been doing a few errands and were expected back by Bertha at a
certain time and could not stop now.
Mrs. Marston said to Stella, "I want you to come and make me a long
visit. I will be out to-morrow at your house and arrange with your
mother for your coming to visit me." She thanked her aunt for her
invitation and said she would tell her mother.
Mrs. Marston had remarked on more than one occasion to her sister
Bertha, that she would die if she had to stay in a place like
Orangeville over night. As that lady did not feel she was ready to quit
her material form with all its attachments and desires, she decided to
leave Roseland at eight in the morning and that would give her ample
time to have a long chat with her sister, and she could then be home by
five in the evening in time to dress for dinner and receive whoever
might call. She telephoned to her caterer to have ready next morning at
eight, one quart of orange sherbet and one quart of vanilla ice cream,
put into two nice dishes and packed in a box with ice, then put two wet
sacks over the box and set it in another box with a cover. She
telephoned to the livery stable to have her span of handsome chestnuts
brought to her house next morning at eight. The next morning she was up
bright and early and put on just a good plain dress, and was ready to
take the lines promptly at eight from the man who had brought her team.
She drove round to the caterer's and got her box, then she went to the
meat market and told the man to put up six pounds of steak, she called
at the bakery and had the man put in her buggy one frosted fruit cake,
one plain cake, one lemon pie, and a peach cobbler, and one dozen fresh
baked Astor House rolls. After she had got a little way out from
Roseland she stopped at a Chinaman's garden and purchased a few early
vegetables. When she reached her sister's home it was about ten, and
after a few minutes' chat she said to her sister, "Bertha, I have come
out to have a visit with you and Stella, and I did not want you to be
giving yourselves a lot of work in the way of getting up a big dinner,
so I bought a few things on my way out, and all they need is to set them
on the table, except the vegetables and meat, and I will attend to the
vegetables; the pies and rolls may need just a little warming."
Mrs. Marston was one of those ladies of skill and ability who could do
anything in the kitchen equal to any hired help when she wished, and
this morning she seemed to be so different to what she generally was,
that her sister Bertha thought she either had improved greatly, or she
had not judged her rightly. She seemed this morning so kind and
thoughtful and so sisterly in her conversation and so ready to assist in
getting dinner. Bertha said to Mrs. Marston, "Why, Helen, you have more
steak here than we can eat in a week." To which Mrs. Marston replied,
that she had brought lots of ice to keep it.
When David was called to dinner, it certainly did his eyes and stomach
good to see on the table such a spread of luxuries and dainties, which
were so seldom partaken of by the Wheelwright family, as they lived very
simply. All enjoyed the new bill of fare very much, and the repast was
seasoned by a very pleasant family conversation. David seemed to open
his eyes several times at the turn things were taking, because there had
been times when his wife and her sister did not harmonize at all.
During the morning when not observed, Mrs. Marston feasted her eyes on
Stella's beautiful form in her new cut wrapper, and mentally said to
herself, "When I get some new stylish gowns on that handsome figure, and
that beautiful face under a becoming hat wont those Roseland dudes just
go wild over her?" She laughed to herself and thought what fun she would
have with her pets.
After dinner was through they sat at the table resting and talking, when
David said he would like to have Stella come out and help him a few
minutes.
Mrs. Marston spoke up and said, "Yes, dear; you go out and help your
father. Your mother and I will wash the dishes."
Mrs. Marston thought now is the time to speak to Bertha about Stella
making me a visit. She opened the conversation by saying: "Bertha, I
have seen so little of Stella for several years, that I do wish you
would let her come next week and make me a visit. Not having a daughter,
I feel as if I would like to do something for Stella, that is to give
her a good chance. She is a bright girl and has an exceedingly fine
form, and about all she has ever seen of society are cow-boys and ranch
men, and may be a few ordinary respectable fellows; but I want to
introduce her to bankers' sons, young lawyers, and rich merchants' sons,
and give the girl a show. You see, she is going on eighteen, and if ever
she is going to have an opportunity now is the time. After a young lady
gets past twenty, her chances with the young bloods are not so good."
"Well," said her sister, "you are very kind, Helen, and I don't know but
what it might be a chance that she needs. You have my consent for her to
make you a visit, and when you give her the invitation you can tell her
what I say."
"There is one matter, Bertha, that you will pardon me for speaking to
you about, and I hope you will let me do as I wish, and that is in the
matter of fixing up Stella's wardrobe."
Bertha said: "Helen, she is your girl while she is with you, and you can
do whatever you think best."
So when Stella came in from helping her father, Mrs. Marston said:
"Stella, I have been talking to your mother about your coming to make me
a visit next week, and she has given her consent and I do hope you will
come and be my daughter for awhile. We will have a fine time, I can
assure you. Only bring the clothes you come in. I will rig you out from
head to foot."
Stella in her own mind felt this way: that she never had any personal
experience of the circle that her aunt was a prominent figure in, and
all she knew about the young men and young ladies connected with the
swim, was only what she had heard and read. She felt that by personally
coming in contact with those of different environments, it would widen
her experience and give her a better knowledge of the world. So she very
kindly thanked her aunt and it was decided that she would come on
Thursday of the following week.
When she arrived Stella was warmly welcomed into the elegantly furnished
home of Mrs. Marston. Her aunt kissed her and seemed delighted to have
her niece with her. The bedroom that her aunt said would be hers was a
gem of beauty, being furnished with one of those fine enameled brass
bedsteads, a fine dresser with a long bevel plate French mirror, and on
the dresser was an elegant toilet set. The curtains, carpets and
draperies matched the tints of the ceiling and walls. Fine costly
pictures hung on the walls representing mostly scenes of festivities in
baronial halls and castles, also in modern Fifth Avenue palaces; showing
up so well the gay brilliant throng of ladies and gentlemen in the
height of their enjoyment. The decorations and furnishings of the room
were well in keeping with the lovely figure that was to occupy it.
Mrs. Marston had a great deal of personal pride, and she did not care
about taking Stella out till her wardrobe had been replenished. After
breakfast next morning the door-bell rang and a minute or two afterwards
Mrs. Rogers, the dressmaker, was announced by the servant to Mrs.
Marston. When Mrs. Marston went in to see her she said: "Good morning,
Mrs. Rogers; my niece is here and I would like you to see her so you can
help me to select what you think would be suitable in the way of dresses
and other garments for her."
Mrs. Marston called Stella in and introduced her to Mrs. Rogers and
said: "Mrs. Rogers will go with me to do some shopping, and we want you
to leave entirely to us the matter of selecting your dresses. I am sure
you will be pleased when we get through."
Stella laughed and said: "If you show as much good taste in selecting my
dresses as you have in the furnishing and decorating of my very pretty
room, I am sure I shall be more than pleased." Her aunt was delighted
with the compliment.
Mrs. Marston said to Mrs. Rogers: "Did you come over on your bicycle?"
"Yes," said that lady.
"Well," said Mrs. Marston, "I will get mine and we will go now and do
the shopping."
At the Marston mansion towards evening several large packages arrived.
Mrs. Marston opened two large ones, looked them over, then said: "Here,
Stella, these are for you."
After Stella had looked at them she said: "Why, aunt, dear, they are
beautiful, but I am not going to be married now; they are pretty enough
for the most charming bride in Roseland."
While handling the fancy worked underskirts and nightdresses, the fine
silk underwear and costly fancy silk hosiery, she remarked: "It is very
kind of you, aunt, to get all these fine things." Then a box was opened
and there was a great assortment of the best shoes, so that Stella might
select several pair from it. She was quite pleased with the different
materials her aunt had selected for her dresses, and Mrs. Rogers would
be up next morning to take her measurement. She was going to put on a
force of assistants for completing them as soon as possible.
Stella was about the same as a prisoner in her aunt's house for a week.
But she had a most enjoyable time in reading some very costly
illustrated books of travel which her aunt had purchased more for style
and appearance than for anything else.
Her aunt said one day, she did not get any time to look at books, but
she was glad Stella could amuse herself in that way so that she might
not find the time long.
"No, indeed, aunt," said Stella, "I have enjoyed every minute of the
time I have been with you."
The week that Stella was a prisoner her aunt had so arranged matters
that there were few callers and Stella did not see them. And she herself
was out most of the time. Stella was not the least sensitive in regard
to the matter of not going out with her aunt till her new dresses were
made, because she saw that she would be a very conspicuous figure among
the well-dressed young ladies of her aunt's circle. She would look like
a speckled bird among a flock of white pigeons.
After the dress-making was completed Mrs. Rogers went with Mrs. Marston
to the milliner's and purchased a pretty hat, Mrs. Marston saying she
would bring Stella and let her select what more she might need in the
line of millinery.
The week following was one of excitement for Stella, for every day she
was out riding once or twice with her aunt, and meeting so many young
ladies, and the well-dressed young men were very particular when bowing
to Mrs. Marston to recognize the pretty young face at her side. Towards
the end of the week Mrs. Marston gave a swell reception in honor of her
niece. The very elite of Roseland were there, also a few from other
places who were on a visit to friends in Roseland, and all made a very
gay and brilliant party. But if any young lady that evening looked
attractive, bewitching, fascinating, and possessed the power of making
the blood in some of the dudes present tingle from the roots of their
hair to the end of their toes, it was that fresh young girl from the
country, with her sparkling eye, her ready wit; with resources that
seemed inexhaustible for sustaining interesting conversation together
with a manner so simple, so unconscious in all she said and did and so
unassuming, which added much to the charm of her personality. All these
characteristics were manifested in fine well rounded form. Is it any
wonder that some young gentlemen saw a certain form floating before
them after they had put their heads to their pillows that night, and
their brains were active in planning for further acquaintance with that
young lady?
Some of Mrs. Marston's pets lost no time in availing themselves of the
standing invitation to call any time. Other parties were soon given by
young ladies in Roseland, at which Stella had very pressing invitations
to be present. The young ladies liked her very much; she was so natural,
so sweet, so unaffected; they observed she was not what is called
"fellow-struck;" while she seemed to enjoy and be perfectly at home in
the society of young gentlemen, the young ladies saw no signs of her
flirting with any of them. There is that peculiarity in the character of
a certain class of young ladies, that while they may think it is their
privilege to flirt and carry on with the young men they know, yet when a
strange young lady is introduced into their circle of gentlemen friends,
they have more respect for her if she shows some originality and does
not behave just exactly as they do.
Mrs. Marston was delighted at the impression Stella made on her circle
of acquaintances, and now the dudes of Roseland paid Mrs. Marston extra
attention and politeness since they had the pleasure of meeting her
niece.
Young Ryland, the banker's son, said to Barker, the rising young
attorney at the Arlington Hotel, "Say, Barker, what do you think of that
new flower which Mrs. Marston has put into our garden?"
"I think," said Barker, "she is the prettiest and most fragrant bud I
have seen; a very rare specimen."
Ryland said: "She is quite a study; the more you see of her, the more
interesting she grows."
After Stella had been at her aunt's about a month she was seen less in
her aunt's company riding out, but more in the company of the most
stylish men in the city. Her aunt encouraged her in going out with these
young gentlemen. She talked very much to her about how rich young
Ryland's father, the banker, was; and she expected Barker to become one
of the most brilliant lights at the bar. To-day he was worth twenty-five
thousand dollars in his own name. Then there was young Westbrooke, son
of the leading merchant in Roseland, the only son. He was home from
college, with bright prospects. There was young Brookes, who owned fifty
thousand dollars in real estate, and had traveled in Europe and seen
lots of the world. He was a very great catch, her aunt said. These four
young men, who always dressed with great taste, were Mrs. Marston's
favorite pets. For a while Stella favored each one of these young men
with her company, in buggy riding, but towards the end of the second
month Westbrooke was the only one with whom she was seen riding.
She never took her aunt into her confidence by relating her experience
in going out with these various young gentlemen. She thought it policy
not to; but to be pleasant to each one of them, even if she had decided
not to keep company with some of them. She remembered she was her aunt's
guest, and should make herself agreeable to her aunt and her aunt's
friends. What she did not relate to her aunt she did to her mother, when
she returned home from her visit the week after the second month of her
stay in Roseland. In conversation with her mother, Stella said, "I am
really glad I went to Aunt Helen's, for I have lived in two months a
year of my life. I have seen so much of a world concerning which I
previously knew nothing only by hearsay. I feel it has done me good in
many ways. Aunt was kind to me, and made everything very pleasant, and
so did her friends. I do say I am glad that I have lived in her world
and tasted of its pleasures, because I don't go now on what I hear about
that world. I know from my own personal experience. It has given me much
to think about, and furnished a great deal of mental food for the study
of character, and I have learned more about my own self. I know better
now than I ever did before my strong points and weak ones." She told her
mother what fine piano players the Miller girls were, what sweet
singers Dr. Lacy's daughters were, and the male quartette was very fine.
Ryland and Westbrooke are members of it, and after relating a number of
other things which she heard and saw, she told her mother she could not
tell her all now, but would some other time.
So one afternoon, when they were alone, Stella said: "Well, mother, I
will relate to you now some of my funny experiences with some of the
swell young gentlemen of Roseland. They were all aunt's special pets. I
had been out riding with young Ryland, the banker's son, several times,
besides sometimes meeting him at parties. He is very dudish, and dresses
very extravagantly. He is labeled as catch number one, because his
father has said his son should take his place in the bank some day, and
on his wedding day he gets a gift from his father of twenty-five
thousand dollars, with the promise of the bulk of his father's fortune
when he dies. On the first few occasions when I met young Ryland he
seemed reserved and quiet, but the more I went out riding with him I
found he was getting rather soft. He did not seem to show any other
traits of character, and his company was dull, but he made it more
sickening each time with soft, slobbering talk. I only went out with him
to please aunt. The last time I rode out with him he plead so hard for
me to allow him to kiss my hand that I consented grudgingly just to
quiet him, but after he kissed it instead of his being quiet, as I
supposed he would be, it seemed to fire him all the more, so that he
wanted to kiss my cheek. You ought to have heard the way he talked; you
would think he was about to die, and the only remedy there was for him
was to kiss my cheek. If he could only kiss me on the cheek, life would
come back to him and he would feel a new man. In my own mind, I said to
myself, 'This is the last time I ride out with you.' The more I tried to
show how foolish he was to want to kiss a young lady that did not want
any such manifestation of affection, the more he persisted, and said, 'I
must kiss you.' I said, 'If I loved you, it would be a real pleasure to
receive a kiss from you, but instead of loving you I lose all the
respect I ever had for you because you try to force me to accept a kiss
from you when I don't want it.' But he persisted, and said, 'I must kiss
you, it will do me lots of good, and won't hurt you.' I said, 'Have you
no respect for me or yourself to act so senselessly?' He replied, 'It
may appear senseless to you, but I can assure you it would be bliss to
me.' I tried to turn the subject of kissing me to something else, and
did the best I could to entertain him in conversation on other subjects,
but no; he was more stubborn than ever to think of nothing and talk of
nothing but kissing me on the cheek. Not wishing to have any
unpleasantness with him on aunt's account, I said to myself, 'You are
nothing but a simple, little, contrary, foolish child, in a man's form,
and I shall have to humor you as I would a little boy, for you have only
the mind of one.' I told him if he, as a young gentleman of honor, would
never say one word more to me about kissing, he could kiss my cheek just
once, which he did and was quiet afterwards. He was very pleasant during
the remainder of our ride, and when I got out of the buggy I was glad he
did not ask if he could call again on me. When I think of him I cannot
keep from laughing, the foolish simpleton. I would not have him for all
the gold in California. I must tell you about another of aunt's pets I
went out riding with several times. There was more to him than there was
to Ryland; his name is Barker, and he is worth twenty-five thousand
dollars, and aunt says he will become one of the leading lights of the
legal profession. Well, he was full of humor and jokes disposed to be a
little gay in his talk, and from what he related concerning himself one
might infer he had been at times a little swift. One afternoon we were
out in the country riding and he became very animated in his
conversation about taste and style of young ladies' dresses, and from
that went on to say what a fad it was among young men to notice and
admire the bright hosiery which young ladies wore when bicycle riding,
and continued in that style of talk, saying what good taste I displayed
in my dress; he was sure that the pretty, bright hosiery, which he
supposed I wore, would do his eyes good to behold. Just as he was
apparently making a motion as if to inspect my hosiery, his nigh colt
shied at an old post that was leaning over at the side of the road. He
had all he could do to manage the horse. I laughed, and told him 'He had
better keep his mind on the team, and not think about such things as the
kind of hosiery I was wearing, that he must not look upon me as a
dry-goods window.' He acted kind of mad with the colt, and said no more
about ladies' hosiery. That was the last ride we had together.
"Well, one evening young Brookes, who was said to be worth fifty
thousand dollars in real estate, and had seen much of Europe in his
travels, called to take me to the theater. I had been out riding with
him several times, and met him at every party. After the play was over,
it being rather a warm night, he asked me if I would not like an
ice-cream, and I agreed; so we went into a cafe, and the waiter showed
us into one of the private boxes. After bringing ice-cream, cake and
soda-water, he drew the curtains. We had a very pleasant chat while
partaking of the refreshments.
"Brookes asked me if I had any objection to his enjoying a cigarette.
"I said 'No.'
"Then he asked me if I would have one with him.
"I laughed, and said I had not become fashionable enough for that yet. I
would have to live longer in the city.
"He said, 'Why, the Paris young ladies smoke.'
"'Yes,' I said, 'but I am not a Paris young lady.'
"In looking around the little compartment I observed some pictures on
the walls, but I perceived that the artist was not a Rubens or a
Raphael, and they belonged to that class of pictures that one would not
see on the walls of a Sunday-school room.
"I saw Mr. Brookes was looking at them, and then he started a
conversation about his travels in Europe, which was very interesting,
saying he was a great lover of art and speaking of works of art he saw
there. He said it was astonishing the genius that had been displayed in
marble and on canvas to represent the beautiful form of woman.
Continuing in that strain, and being free in his expressions, he
finished by saying how lovely must be the beautiful work of nature which
was covered up here, putting his hand on my shoulder. I smiled, and
said, 'This work of Nature is not on exhibition this evening; when it
is, I will send you a complimentary ticket.' He took the remark in good
part, and laughed. We got up and went out, and he saw me to aunt's door
in a very pleasant, gentlemanly way.
"Westbrooke, the merchant's son, was the most sensible young man I met.
He appeared greatly interested in his college studies, and we had lots
of good talks on school studies and other subjects.
"He asked me if he could come out to see me.
"I told him 'yes' for I should be pleased to see him.
"I want to tell you, mother, that when I was out and passing through
those funny experiences with the three different gentlemen, I never felt
in the least timid or scared. I felt just as calm and collected as I do
now. I felt this way about the matter: While I have long ago lost all
prudishness, yet I did not wish to stimulate their over-excited
imaginations of sensuous things."
Mrs. Wheelwright said: "Well, Stella, if you had not been well balanced,
I should have some doubt about it being best for you to go to your
aunt's. But I knew, dear, your tastes and inclinations were not on the
sense plane, and I thought the opportunity of living in another world
for a while would do you good, for it would be the means of giving you a
better knowledge of yourself than you could get in any other way."
Stella said: "Mother, the cow-boys and hired ranch hands have a hard
name. Now, I know this class of men well, and my experience with and
observation of them has taught me that any girl who behaves herself when
in their company will always be treated with respect. There is some
manhood about them in that way. But those fine city dudes have such a
polished, underhanded, deep, sly, foxy way of attaining their ends. Dr.
Lacy's girls told me that those fine, city young gentlemen loved nothing
better than to get acquainted with some pretty, young, green, innocent
girl and enjoy the fun of breaking her in. They are skilled in that
art."