Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 August 1901 — AT ANYCOST [ARTICLE]

AT ANYCOST

// 7T T any cost, Agatha, I must ** /\ find a husband this year. I am six and twenty and it’s getting serious.’* •My dear Rachel, I will do anything tn my power to help you, but 1 have suggested every one I know who is at All likely to suit you.** “Young men whose prospects are in the dim future or who have no pros* gleets at all. lam obliged t<\you. And some of them were very pleasant, but I have told you before* tlmt kind of Han simply won’t do.” M I don’t think you are asking too much,” said Mrs. Cballlnor, looking at her friend reflectively. “You are good looking, you dress well, have ple'nty of go. To tell the truth, I have never been able to understand why you have hot married long, ago.” •I don’t know, either,” said Rachel, rather savagely. “I felt very low down this morning and almost made np my mind to write to Stead.” "To Stead!” echoed Mrs. Challlnor, Bather helplessly. "Yes; he seems able to do anything And to help every one. I thought of . ■ending him my photograph, stating ' my ease and asking him to try to find ■ome one for me. Do you think it was B very wild idea?” trying to read her friend’s averted face. "Well, I think it was, rather. It (would be wiser not to do that kind of thing. When you are married, you •mow,” she went on, careful to con* aider Rachel’s feelings, "you might meet Stead, or some one else might 'Wee your photograph, and very unpleasant results might follow. Your husband would be in a rage.” "Oh, I shan’t mind that 'When he ' Is my husband he may be in as many rages as he likes. You know, Agatha, It is quite natural for a girl to want to marry. I don’t want a husband just *ifor the name or to show him off to my friends, but I want to begin to enjoy myself; to Lave a better dressmaker land to go al out and have a good time generally.” , “I see,” rejoined Mrs. Challlnor, Rand now I come to think of it I do know of some one else. Our neighbor, Mr. Benn, is coming home to-mor-row. Frank told me last night; he -had a letter from him on business. Be is middle-aged, a bachelor and rich. (Do you think you would care to try . for Mm?” "Benn!” repeated Rachel; "I don’t rare much tor the name ‘Rachel Benn!’ I can’t say it sounds attractive. And . middle-aged; but rich and a bachelor, i ao that I could train him in my own I (ways from the beginning. The pros ■ And eons seem about equally balanced. M would not mind just seeing him, ,if f you would be so kind as to arrange it. f lYou see, marriage is of such importF smee to a girl.” “Certainly,” said Mrs. Challlnor; “he ■han dine with us at the earliest opportunity.” ' There were no other guests on the I evening Mr. Benn dined with them, r Mrs. Challlnor intended Rachel to Shine alone, and shine she did. Her Mress was most becoming, she was looking her best, and the little feeling »f nervousness she had gave her more Shan her usual brightness of speech and manner. She talked much to Mr. I Benn, but, though he listened and ante swered politely, he made no special I effort to talk to her, nor, as Mr. ChaiI, Hnor told his wife afterward, did he I show any impatience to join her in i (the drawing room after dinner. DurI tng the evening she sang and played, I but he seemed rather bored than any- | thing else and said, a little callously, L that he did not* care for any music exI eept “Home, Sweet Home,” and "God I Save the Queen,” and of those he was I not sure which was which until he I saw if the people stood up or remained I seated. Rachel, who, having underI stood from Mrs. Challlnor that he had I some knowledge of music, had spent I all the morning practicing “Across the I (Far Blue Hills, Marie,” “They Played I tn a Beautiful Garden,” and other I songs of a like nature, felt a little rufI fed In temper that her work had been I (thrown away. “Songs Without I (Words’* and melodies of Schubert met I (With no better success. He thanked I ber civilly at the end of each and at I once relapsed into business or political • I talk with Mr. Challlnor, evidently I thinking the ladies might be left to I themselves. At the end of the evenI tag she felt disappointed and out of lr spirits. She had shone her brightest ■ and her rays had not warmed him In I the least; he bad stayed no later than ■ usual and on shaking hands with her I he bad said no more than the conven- ■ don al and meaningless things about ■ having been pleased to meet her. I They saw one another often after I that; Mrs. Challlnor had no difficulty ■ In bringing them together. Rachel was ■ paying her a long visit and Mr. Benn ■ had always been fond of coming to her ■ bouse. No other guest was ever there Ito dispute the ground; Rachel had ■ -things all her own way and yet very ■ little progress seemed to be made. One ■ «fter another she had displayed her ■ various accomplishments, but had re■•ceived nothing more appreciative than Kthe remark that she seemed to be a devr young lady. Mrs. Challlnor even gone so far as to arrange |9kn occasion for her friend to show her

natural sweetness of temper. That had certainly seemed to impress Mr. Benn more than anything else; but when people are visiting friends and working to make a good impression on an acquaintance, sweetness of temper is supposed to be their unavoidable frame of mind and effective tests cannot be arranged every day. “How do you think you are getting on, dear?” asked Mrs. Challinor one day. “What do you suppose a perfect stranger would think who was to see us together In your drawing room any evening?” "That is rather an unreasonable question. How can I put myself in the position of a perfect stranger?” “You don’t want to hurt my feelings. Both of us know perfectly well that Mr. Benn aj;d I are not getting on at alt We are good friends and that is the beginning and end of it He is decidedly heavy, and he thinks I dabble in a lot of things and do none welt I think I shall have to play my final card and show my greatest accomplishment of all and I don’t believe you'would ever guess what it Is.” "For goodness* sake, don’t ask me to guess. I never could guess even the herring and a half for three half pence riddle. It’s a mystery to me yet Tell me at once.” Rachel told her secret In a whisper. “What!” shouted Mrs. Challlnor, "why on earth did you not say so at first? You might have been Rachel Benn now. He is always In difficulties with his servants—he is tn difficulties now. He was telling me about it last evening while you were playing that wedding march from Lohengrin. When did you learn?” "Last year, when I began to grow desperate. I did it on purpose and worked very hard. I thought it might be my most deadly weapon sometime. I kept it to the last, because when a man of Mr. Benn’s stamp knows his wife can cook he generally expects her to live in the kitchen and to read nothing but cookery books. So I wanted to show I could do other things as well and was not a mere domestic drudge. I hoped to succeed without bringing it In at all, but I’m afraid I must” “My dear, your fortune is made. How very sensible you are! It IS a pity other girls don’t do the same thing. You must promise now to put yourself in my hands. I will see you don’t fall.” She summoned Mr. Benn that evening and asked him if his domestic difficulties were at an end.”

“Alas, no,” he said. “I am in chaos. The housemaid won’t stay and the housekeeper won’t go. She says she knows a good place when she finds cne and she is not going to leave me to myself. In the meantime she cooks abominably. I have not had a comfortable meal in my own house for nearly a fortnight and her extravagance is beyond all bounds. Her weekly bills simply make my hair stand on end.” "I think I can help you. I heard of a housekeeper the other day who, I believe would just suit you. If you will get rid of yours or give me authority to do so I will see if I can get the person I spoke of to come.” He thanked her profusely, agreed to everything she proposed and left the matter in her hands. She was at his house when he came home on the following evening. “Mrs. Jones has gone,” she said. “I have persuaded the housemaid to stay and I have Interviewed the housekeeper I told you of. She is willing to come but cannot do so until to-mor-row. I could not persuade cook to do anything for you, but she has very kindly allowed the kitchen maid to come down and she is getting dinner for you now. Cook has not much opinion of her, but I hope she will be able to manage something.” The dinner was uneatable and poor Mr. Benn almost cried with disgust during the evening. He went up to the Challlnors before bedtime and they sympathized with him. It appeared the new housekeeper had promised to come in plenty of time to cook the din.ner the next evening and she had the very highest credentials. Rachel Sang “Home, Sweet Home,” and looked very pretty. If Mr. Benn’s mind bad only been free from those miserable domestic worries he could not have failed to see how exceed'ngly charming she was. Mrs. Challlnor met him at bis own door again the following evening. She said the housekeeper bad come, but had asked as a favor that she should not see Mr. Benn for a week. She was a lady by birth and had never before taken such a position. She felt, therefore, a little shy at first' and was not sure if she would stay. Again Mr. Benn almost shed tears over his dinner, but this time they were tears of delight. Never since he had lost bls first housekeeper, who had married a butler and set up a private hotel, had he enjoyed such a dinner, either In bls own house or any other. It went on for a week. More than once he wanted to see His new guardian angel and to thank her personally, but Mrs. Challlnor forbade It. She said it would be resented as an intru-

■ion and ths housekeeper would pack up and go. Such breakfasts and dinners, such light, savory suppers be had hitherto only dreamed about. A rumor reached him that she Intended to stay only a month, and ho determined to see ber and hear upon what terms she would consent to remain. She must be secured, cost what It might. Without any warning be penetrated into the kitchen one day a little before dinner time, and discovered Rachel in full activity. An explanation followed on both sides, and the question of the housekeeper remaining was satisfactorily settled. They were married almost at once, though how they got on afterward I can’t pretend to say. When people are determined to have what they want, cost what it may, they must be prepared to run some risks.—Waverley Magazine.