| Show amr ambitious AI mrs rs Wil Will latts alls by W E NORRIS L 1 1 V I 1 t 11 1 4 t the butler came in and handed her a card well its Ws what I 1 consider a very reasonable ambition said mrs underwood pouring out a second cup of tea ten for herself III more than that its tha the sort of ambition that every woman would have to own up to it if she were honest men alen can nse rise above the rest of their species in a hundred ways wa s but I 1 should like to know what triumphs are open to us except conquering hearts and dressing exquisitely and getting the most exclusive society to acknowledge us with your face yon you cin can conquer as many hearts as you please with your money you can employ the best dressmakers in the world but to persuade these english aristocrats to come to your our house so easy and I 1 say that a success of that kind is worth taking some trouble to win pretty little mrs Wil latts jerked up her shoulders 1 I dont know seems to me theres more trouble than success about it anyway anaw ay she remarked you a and nd I 1 have taken trouble enough over aver this ball and its going to be a failure after all because that dowdy old dolly of a duchess wont come how do you ou know that my dear now I 1 have it on the best authority that shotwill she will come lord george has been moving heaven and earth for you luand and he told me this morning that the old lady had given glenin in you dont sa 1 exclaimed mrs wil latts excitedly well maggie youre a real friend and lord george is worth what ive lies worth more than I 1 thought he was any an y why th this Is I 1 is 8 perfectly splendidly i these two transatlantic ladies were seated in the drawing room of the spacious mansion in pont street which the younger of them had hired tor for the seison season and which as she fondly hoped was destined to be the scene of some magnificent social festivities london did not know much about mrs Wil latts except that she appeared appe ired to have plenty of money but on the other hand it was fairly well w eu acquainted with that lively widow mrs wood and was w as willing enough to accept ferword her word for the fact that the new with whom she had taken her abode awe this year was all right the money at all events seemed to be all right and in these latter days high society has learned to consider wealth as a c ent passport especially if the possessor thereof be pretty amusing and a of the united states the duchess of stratford however how ever was exceptional the duchess had remained faithful to worn wom out traditions ehe she was exclusive she wanted to tor know who people were w ere and put a good many inconvenient questions before she would consent to shed the light of her countenance upon them and this waa was why mrs Wil latts was so eager to extend her hospitality to one oni 0 whom she had hall described truthfully as a dowdy dow dy old dolly well I 1 presume slie she wont do more th than an walk in and walk out again the expectant hostess observed reflectively but if shell do thit that it will answer the purpose once ive been recognized by tho the duchess of stratford I 1 dont see sea what therell be to stop me I 1 should like to see sams face when he lie reads about it in the newspaper st the only trouble is is that he wont know the difference between bet een the duchess of stratford and other duchesses he ile dont know anything at all returned mrs urs underwood contemptuously he dont even know enough to keep from quarreling with a wife who could have sho shown a him how to get some som value evalue for his dollars as well as her own let him stay home and slave at piling up v wealth since his notion of enjoyment luckily lucail Luc kil youre independent of him mrs Wil latts sighed why it stands to reason that I 1 am independent of him said she it any fault of mine that helas he was too stupid and obstinate to allow anat ia a fat fact in law I 1 want to quarrel I 1 only insisted upon my rights if there bad had not been an actual quarrel between mr and mrs Wil latts there had been a very good imitation of one the oung young couple had bad married under circumstances of comparative poverty but shortly after their wedding tho the brides father old senator kendrick had by b a happ happy combination of luck and astuteness acquired an immense fortune which w bich on bis his decease had been divided equally between beaw een her and her brother it was on account of the perhaps unreasonable claim of mr Wil latts to have a voice in the investigating and expending of his wife a riches that differences bad had arisen which had resulted in the departure of mrs Wil latts for E europe drope and her subsequent partnership with the experienced perien ced mrs underwood id like him to be here though sha she remarked ingeniously so he might see tor for himself that I 1 dont need any man to show in me my way wa her wish was fulfilled with a dramatic promptitude which may not have ha a been entirely welcome to her for hardly were the words out of her mouth when tha the butler came in and handed her a card cud carr oed in bold capitals with tho the name of samuel T Wil latts bercyl Mer cyl exclaimed the little lady tossing the card over to her companion wh chatis atis to bo be done now send him away answered mrs U but mrs Wil latts demurred to the adoption of such drastic measures if samuel means seeing me I 1 guess hell see me tie suid said she besides I 1 dont want he should think im afraid of him only be he shall not come to my ball unless he gives me bib solemn promise that he wont wear a white waistcoat or adia a dia ria moua stua mrs underwood intimated d her ber opinion 10 n that the very least mr Wil latts could d do 0 w would on lon bo be to as assent ant to that modest at stipulation ip nl fi and after her friend had left lier her she awaited results with some anxiety mrs underwood was clever but elie she was not rich she appreciated aristocratic toc to society and was appreciated in it but unhappily her private mean were inadequate to hie me entertainment ol 01 dukes and duchesses since therefore she had the prospect of free and comfortable quarters for several months to come site she could not feel any very ardent desire for the healing over of tho the breach which existed in the Wil latts household her apprehensions however were apparently groundless tor for at the expiration of twenty minutes mra mrs Wil latta latts entered reentered re the room flushed and excited and throwing herself down upon a sofa exclaimed 1 I do hate that mant man I 1 abao cutely hate h tie himl poor fellow said the relieved mra mrs underwood with a laugh what has he been doing now oh I 1 dont know as he did much its biscay liis way of talking to me and looking at me that makes me so mad well sa sally ily he drawled out having a good time over here I 1 told him I 1 was having a perfectly lovely time and he lie said he was glad to hear it he chehad had found out all about the ball bat but he was afraid ho he should have to ask me to excuse him that evening As it was uncertain how long lie might stay in london he concluded he had bad better remain at the hotel why sally yon you surely offer to take him into your house no I 1 and I 1 thought he might have waited for the invitation before declining it then he wanted to know whether I 1 continued to my broth pr er with the entire management of my A affairs ff airs and whether I 1 still had full confidence in henrys discretion A great deal more than I 1 should have in yours I 1 answered at which lie grinned well observed mrs underwood philosophically so long iong as he interfere with yon you you trouble about what he says or thinks of your brother but my dear I 1 believe lie will interfere w ith me lie have been BO so cool and malicious unless he lie had soma scheme inbi in liis head shead he lie has prospered extraordinarily of late he tells me and now he lie has come over to see we london and pa paris ris I 1 know kaow just as well as it if he had said so that he wont bet set out before he lie he lie has done his best to spoil my ann oh maggie maggle do you think he could be wicked enough to go around telling all these people that fattier father began life as a factory hand 1 I dont see how he be is s to get the chance replied mrs underwood and it matter ft a cent it if he did A baw of them such as the duchess of stratford might disapprove of your living apart from your husband but it is about as certain as anything can be that mr Wil latts 8 wont bee see the duchess of stratford dont you be uneasy with all the will in the world he cant shako shake your position there timer if i Z Y 1 I 1 l y va v 1 1 7 dioio da do you vou do lord george curtly she would have been lees less confident ot of that had she known a little more about the energetic and enterprising gentleman of whom she spoke mr Wil latts waa was capable of accomplishing a great deal in a very avery short space of time between then and the day fixed for his cifes ball he ought to be able to put through a certain nefarious design which had just suggested suggest pd itself to him to do him justice he did not look like a man who was in the habit of entertaining nefarious designs hia his blue eyed C conveyed an impression of honesty while the set of his lips seemed to indicate a philosophical and easygoing easy going disposition his present situation however was of a it nature to disturb the serenity of tho the calmest philosopher and he be had quito made up his mind to effect a radical change in it his first step was to have himself driven to a certain club and to inquire for lord george curtis who he was informed presently was in the but would be with him in a P few minutes indeed he lie was not made to wait long before lord george a well weil preserved man min of forty came down the staircase mr Wil latts ad advanced and said how do you do lord george curtis if convenient I 1 should be glad to have a word or two with you upon a matter of business certainly answered tho the other leading the way into ft a small unoccupied room on the ground floor wont yon you cit it down perhaps you are related to my liny friend mrs Wil latts of font pont street more or less sir I 1 have the honor to be the ladya ladys husband although wo are running Be parati establishments for the present I 1 understand you have been of great service to mrs Wil latta latts pre her to your aristocracy only too delighted I 1 am sure to have been of any little use and continued mr Wil latts imperturbably t tur ur it has come to my knowledge that your services have received liberal re remuneration in une ratio n the smile faded from lord face ace 1 I am surprised said he be a third person should have been told what I 1 was assured would remain purely confidential transaction but tince that promise seems to have been broken I 1 had better perhaps mention to you that the sums to which you allude represented a loan not a remuneration A short while ago I 1 happened unluckily for myself to be in financial difficulties and mrs Wil latts very kindly me temporary assistance of course I 1 possibly have accepted excuse me Int erupted mr willaetta Wil latta latts this is irrelevant in the course business mrs willetta Wil latta latte drafts had pass through my hands otherwise should not have known that she ak r at L A las brawn any in your lavor I 1 jua have venore no re marks to make upon the question of loan or payment but I 1 presume I 1 may maysak w without 1 th rio ut offense that from what I 1 have say h heard e a 1 your financial di faculties are not yet entirely at an end and you yon may say nothing of the sort r sir ir interrupted lord george in his ilia turn 1 11 I owe no account of my actions to yon you nor to my best beat belief does mrs Wil latts whom I 1 have always understood to bo be a lady of independent means it if your object in requesting this inter view was to cross examine mo me you will gain nothing by protracting protract ing it mr Wil latts remained boated seated my object said mid he lie calmly and deliberately was not to be offensive quite the re ro verse I 1 am not here to sit in judgment upon you english aristocrats I 1 am a simple business man lord george and I 1 have a simple b business us in ea s proposal to make to you mrs Wil latts I 1 believe f intends to give a ball on or the twenty sixth of this month lord george stared and nod nodded dd well I 1 myself have it in contemplation to give a ball on the sa same m e date that ball is going to cost mo more re than any ball that has ever been given in this city for the last latt ten years ears and it is going I 1 hope to be graced by the presence of their royal highnesses the prince ami and prncess of wales and all the prominent members of london loudon society and from what I 1 have heard and read about you I 1 believe you are the man to assist me for your assistance I 1 am willing to pay you a much larger sum than you have had from mrs wil iva latts and I 1 may add that if you are successful A 1 shall cou consider bider the money well spent and well earned excuse my bluntness as you know I 1 am quite un accustomed to civilized ways of doing doin things now sir what do you sa lord george hardly knew what to say he wan was in debt and had before this bad recourse to divers expedients for raising the wind which had been at least as discreditable as that now suggested to him moreover molt over lie was sowell so well known und and so popular that he had little doubt of Us ability to earn eam mr Wil latts lutts check at the same saine time he be felt some natural corn com function ion iou about betraying the lady whose whom cause lie had hitherto espoused it I 1 ia very short notice he said at length there is an empty honsa house in grovenor Gr owenor place and assuming money to be no object I 1 dare say I 1 could manage to secure everybody for you except the royalties who are out of the question but you fix a rather later date mr Wil latts made a gesture of dasent money is no object lie replied and as my wife contrived to get the royalties I 1 can ran do without them though I 1 should be glad if you could engage some sort of a serenity ty for me but I 1 need not point out to you that there would be no sense in my giving a hall ball unless I 1 gave it on tha the same night as hers after soma some further discussion lord george agreed to accept the part assigned to him he knew it if his interlocutor loc titor did not that in london the clashing of two entertainments does not necessarily imply the fiasco of one of them besides beides he had really done all that he possibly could do for mrs wil latts people who accepted the cifes hospitality would assuredly wish with to compare it with that of her husband and although the latter litter would probably have to forego the patronage of the duchess of stratford be lie would scarcely grieve over an abstention the significance of which he would be protected from realizing by I 1 his ignorance it may be did not realize the social importance of the duchess of stratford except in so far as cecon he conceived all duchesses to be socially important por tant still she was one of the ladies whom he lie hoped to see at liis ball the duke who had recently visited the united states and had seil 1 large tracts of land in the far west was extremely desirous of acquiring a certain property which was now in the possession of bis his would be entertainer so that the latter in the event of his consenting to part with that Nab vineyard Y ard at a price slightly below its market value would be fairly entitled to request some small recognition of his gene generosity rosi ty two days lays later therefore mr Wil latts betook retook himself to stratford house where on giving his naine name he lie was at once onee admitted in the meantime be he bad had not allowed the grass to grow under his feet the house in grosvenor place had been secured while not a few ladies of rank had bad |
