SEMI. MONTHLY MAGAZINE
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MfTORI N
Lord Stranleigh and the hQ&Mmpisimn
6u ROBERT BARR
Illustrations by T.VICTOR HALL
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'OULD you liKo to see tlio most beautiful
woiiinn in America?" asked Edward
Trenton of his finest.
Lord Stranleigh drew n whiff or two
from his cigar, and tlio suggestion of. n
smile played about his lips.
"Your question hints that I huvo not
already met her, he said nt last.
"Have you?"
"Of course."
"Where f"
"In every town 1 have visited."
"Oh, 1 duresny you have met pretty girls, but only
one of them is the most beautiful in America."
Again Stranleigh smiled.
"My dear Trenton," ho paid at last, "on almost
any other subject I should hesitate to venture an
opinion that ran counter to your own, yet in this
instance I think you wrong the groat Kcpublic. I am
not good at statistics, but if you will tell mo how
many of your fellow countrymen aro at this moment
in love, I'll mako a very accurate estimate regarding
tho number of most beautiful women in the United
States."
"Liko yourself, Stranleigh, 1 always defer to the
man of experience. J am glad to have hit on ono
subject in which you are qualified to be my teacher."
"I liko t lint 1 Edward Trenton depreciating his
own conquests is a popular actor in n new role. Hut
you evade tho point. I was merely trying, somewhat
awkwardly, to show that every woman is the most
beautiful in the world to tho man in love with her."
"Very well; I'll frame my question differently.
Would you liko to meet one of the most cultured
of her sex?"
"Bless you, my boy, Tin afraid of her already. It
is sufllciontly embarrassing to meet a bright, alert
man, but n clever woman ! Why, I become so
painfully stupid that she thinks I'm 'putting it on,"
"TPHEN let me put tho case before you in still
another form. "Would you like to meet the
richest woman in Pennsylvania i"
"That, as n matter of course," said Stranleigh,
interested.
Trenton regarded him with a shade of disapproval.
"I imagined wealth was the very last qualilicotion
n man in your position would care for in a woman,
yet, hardly have 1 tlnished the sentence when you
jump at tho chance 1 otTer."
"And why not? A lady, beautiful and talented,
would strike me dumb, but if she is hideouslv rich
1 may bo certain of one thing;
shall not be asked to invest
money in some hare-brained
scheme."
"You are quite safe from that,
or indeed, from any other dan
ger, so far ns Miss Maturin is
concerned. Nevertheless, it is but
just that you should understand
situation, so, if you scent dancer
any kind, you may escape while there
is yet time."
"Unobservant as I am." remarked Stran
leigh, "certain signs havo not escaped me.
This delightful mansion is being prepared
for a house party; 1 know tho symptoms: 1
have several country places of my own. Jf, as I
begin to suspect, 1 am in tho way, just say the word,
and I'll take myself oil in all good humor, hoping
to receive an invitation on some future occasion."
"Well, if that's your idea of American hospitality,
you've got another guess coming. You're a patient
man, Stranleigh, and may bo interested in some of
our family history. My father owned n good deal
of land in Pennsylvania. He died a very wealthy
man, and left his property conjointly to my sisters
and myself. He knew wc 'shouldn't quarrel over the
division, and wo haven't. My activity has been con
centrated in coal mines and in the railways which
they feed; and my inheritance has been doubled. 1.
had meant to devote a good deal of attention to this
estate, working along lines which my father sug
gested, but 1 have never been able to do so, living,
as 1 have, in Philadelphia, absorbed in my own
business.
"jWTY sister has, in a measure, carried out my
A" father's plans, aided and abetted by her
friend, Miss Constance Maturin. My sister married
n man as wealthy as herself; a dreamy, impractical,
scholarly fellow who once represented his country
as minister to Italy. My sister greatly enjoyed her
Italian life, studying with enthusiasm tho progress
North Italy was making by utilizing the water-power
coming from the Alps. In this study she was en
thusiastically joined by Miss Maturity the owner of
forests, farms and factories further down the river
which Hows past this house.
"Miss Maturin's land adjoins our own, but she
does not possess the unlimited power over it which
my sister and 1 have over this estate. Her father.
tot
mm"
Look I" ihe cried . .
There wat a crash, and be
fore iheir eyes the town
crumpled like a house of cards
having no faith in the
business capacity of wo
men, formed his under
takings into a limited
liability c o m p n n y in
w hie h, although ho
owned tho majority of
stock during his life, he
did not leave his daughter
untramelled control. Had
tho old man known tho
trouble ho was bequeathing
his solo legatee, 1 imagine
ho would have arranged
things differently. Miss
Maturin has had to endure
several expensive lawsuits,
which still further re
stricted her power and
lessened her income. So
sho has ceased to take in
terest in her belonirinirs.
and has constituted herself adviser-in-chief to my
sister, who has spent a good deal of money on this
estate in undertakings that, however profitable they
may become in future, are unproductive at present.
I'm not criticizing my sister at all, though her man
agement has involved some serious actions for dam
ages, which T have had the chagrin of losing on more
occasions than one, besides being covered with in
junctions, and things of that sort. But are von
bored?"
"On tho contrary," said Stranleigh, "I'm deeply
interested. These two ladies, as I take it, have been
unsuccessful in law "
"Completely so."
"And unsuccessful in the projects tbev have under
taken?" "CMIOM my point of view, yes. That is to say,
they are sinking pots of money, and I don't
see where any of it is coming back."
"Of what do these enterprises consist?"
"Do you know anything of tho conservation con
troversy that has been going on in this country?"
"No; I'm woefully ignorant."
"My father had ideas about conservation long be
fore the Government took it up, and it is on these
ideas that my sister has been working. You preserve
water in time of flood, to be used for power or irri
gation throughout the year. Her llrst plan was to