Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-08-23
we shall be very happy" she added,

| think we shall be very happy" she added,
with sigh.
"Do your said his lordship, dryiy. "Let
me tell you, madame, that my son Toctle is a
| weak minded pauperp
| an find the brains and the beauty" said
| the lady-airily.
| "Brains and beauty amt much to keep
house on" remarked his lordship oracularly.
| "But your lordship can't go ON living for
| ever" said the lady, with one of her sweetest
| professional smiles. "You're Is, you know,
though you have the complexion of boy OF
IT," she added tartly.
"There's nothing like plain speaking" said
| Lord Fanfare. ~ like you for it, )" he said.
snow, what on earth do you want to marry
my son fort"
| ''I want to be Lady Fanfare" said Laura
| Fiarer simply, and she gave her lips profess
| sional bite that made them look ruddier than
| the cherry.
| "And if you married my son, young lady,"
said his lordship, "you would, | suppose-er
quit the scenes of your early triumphsl"
"Well, couldn't go on doing turns as
Lady Tootle," replied Miss Flarer, with toss
of the head.
| "And have you saved much money out of
| your professional earnings Miss Flarer, may
| askeenough to enable you to maintain my
| son in the position to which he has been ac-
1 customedf
And then the lady laughed, dear, delight
full, silvery, unartificial, musical, music hall
sort of little laugh. There's bill of sale on
the furniture" she said, land | owe Psal
manezar five hundred; but Tootle's lord
you know" added Miss Flarer, with "a smile
No, he amt" replied his lordship; "hes
only courtesy lord; he's just electroplate,
| INV Lad hat oil
'Tll marry him all the same" said the
lady.
There's no other way out of it," thought
Lord Fanfare. ''Tootle's big headed fell
low, and she will marry him, and then the
fat1l be in the fire Madam" said the old
nobleman, 81 have other views for my son
George. Would you mind naming figure"
III won't do it, old gentleman" said Miss
Flarer. 81 mean to be Lady Fanfare some
day or other, and it won't do. If you was to
paper this room with bank notes. my lord. it
I'D be no manner of use
And that's your last word madam
asked his lordShip
THAT'S my last word" replied the eldest
and the plumpest of the three plump Miss
Flarers
Then here goes" said his lordship to him
self, as he pulled up his shirt collar, and then,
to the lady's intense establishment, he sudden
ly dropped upon his knees; he placed bis
hand upon his heart and, modelling himself
upon the lover of the melodramas, he began
as follows, in an imprisoned tone:
Miss Flarer, you see at your feet the chief
of his house, the fourteenth Lord Fanfare
who begs to place at your disposal his hand
his title and his heart DO not--er-blight
! my young life by hasty refusal You want
to b Lady Fanfare Be Lady Fanfare-be
Lady Fanfare Immediately Here is special
license" he said, and he drew large envel-
ope from his pocket. There is IA clergyman
in my cab at the door; our nuptialS can take
, place at once. | am, as you are aware, a
, wealthy man. Need | say morer
AT first Miss Flarer was taken aback-toc
much astonished and taken aback to answer.
You will have your joke" she said
81 assure you I'm perfectly serious" said
Lord Fanfare, rising to his feet. pray dc
: not keep me longer in suspense, my dear
young lady"
"Oh, Lord Fanfare!" cried Miss Flarer 81
feel as if | was going to faint. You amt
laughing at mef''
Madam" replied Lord Fanfare with a
shudder, Its no laughing matter. car
, assure you"
Then il you really do mean it, though il
is so very sudden" said the lady, ~ thnG
we'd better have him up But therell have
to be witnesses, you know, my lord, and it'll
have to be put in the papers, you know; and
hope the license is all right, for Laura
Flarer is only my professional name. you
know"
Its Mary Jane Briggs in the license SAID
his lordship simply.
That's as right as ninepence," said Mis-:
D Flarer. 40 you dear, thoughtful old gentle
mani" and then she rang this bell MARY,
she said, as her smart parIor maid entered
the room, TASK the reverend gentleman il
the cab to step up, and call Parker. my
maid
Within half hour Mary Jane Briggs be
came Lady Fanfare
Il wish your ladyshp a very good morn
ing" said Lord Fanfare I'm pay off the
bill of sale, and I'll pay Psalmanezar, and IN
allow your ladyship pound IA week, and I'm
very much obleeged to your ladyship"
And that's how Lord Fanfare got married
and the why and the wherefore CT it; and
who shall say that his lordship was not G
heroi-Lond0n World.