Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1893-10-26

lNcDdfu oAtVoh tA' ftth
1T was Mr.. Conrad Fforde, Lord
Southwold's nephew and heir-heir at
least to the title. but to little else
so 1 should suppose" said Norreys,
indifferently. The Southwolds are
very poor"
How queer that he knew your name
IL you have never met him be-
FORE said Mrs. Selby. But / dare say
It's through the Flores-C Carriers; they're
such great friends of mine. you know,
end they are staying at Laxter's Hill
as well as the Southwold party"
Yes" Despard agreed, he had evil
IDENTIFY heard of you"
And of You. too. in that case. Peo-
pie do so chatter in the country. The
Carriers are dying to get you there.
They have got the Southwolds TO prom
Ise to go to them next week. They
the Carter girls-are perfectly wild
about Lady Margaret. l think il would
be better taste NOT To- make up TO her
20 much: il does look as il it was be-
cause she was what she is, though 1
xnow 1t isn't really that. They get UP
these fits of enthusiasm. And she Is
very nice-not very pretty. you know,
but wonderfully nice and u~nspoiled,
considering
"Unspoilt.' repeated Despard. He
vas glad To keep his sister talking about
Indifferent matters. II don't see that
poor Lord Southwold's daughter has
any reason TO be spoilt."
"Oh, dear, yes-didn't YOU know? L
thought you knew everything of that
kind. 1t appears that she is a tremen-
dous heiress; / forgot the figures. The
fortune from her aunt's husband.
Her mothers elder sister married an
enormously wealthy man, and as they
had no children or near relations on
his side he left it all to this girl. OF
course she and her father have always
known ii, but it has been kept very
quiet. They have lived In the country
six months OF the year and travelled
the other six. She has been most care
fully brought up and splendidly edu-
Gated. but she has never been out IN
society at all till this year"
Il never remember hearing OF them
In town. said Despard.
"Oh, Lord Southwold himself never
goes out. He is dreadfully delicate;
heart disease. l think. But she-Lady
Margaret-will be heard of now. IL
has all come out about her fortune
now that he has come into the title.
His cousin. the last earl, only died
two months ago"
And said Despard, with a strange
sensation, as il he We're listening to
some one else speaking rather than him
self, It'll he came into the title what
was he called? He was the last mans
cousin, you say:'
Yes. of course: he was Mr.. Fforde-
Fforde with two rs and an e. You
know. Its the family name of the
Southwolds. That young man-the one
you spoke tots Mr.. Conrad FIorde,
as | told you. They say that
But a glance at her brother made her
hesitate.
"Despard, is your head worse?' she
asked, ~anSiously.
1T comes on by fits and starts" he
replied. But don't mind mind; so on
speaking. What were you going to
say?'
.Oh. only about young Mr.. Fforde
They say he is to marry Lady Margaret
they are only second cousins. But ]
don't think he looks good enough fol
her. She seems such a womanly, nice
feeling girl. We had just been intro
duced when Mr.. Ffordc came up with
your message, and she wanted him &c
go back to you at once. But he said
YOU would be gone already, and ]
didn't quite believe about your head
being so bad, and perhaps | seemed
very cool about it, for Lady Margaret
really looked quite yexed. Wasn't II
nice of her? The Carriers had been tell
ing her about us, evidently. i think
she was rather disappointed not to sec
the famous Despard Norreys, do you
know? / rather wonder you never
met her this summer In town, though
perhaps you would scarcely have re
marked her just as Miss Fforde, fol
She isn't"
But an exclamation from Despard
startled her.
.'AIaddie," he said, don't you under
stand? 1t must be she-she, this Lady
Margaret-the great heiress! Good
heavens
Mrs. Selby almost screamed.
"Despard.' was all she could say
But she quicly recovered herself. Wei,
after ALL" she went on, Il don't see that
there's any harm done. She will know
that you were absolutely disinterested,
and surely that will go a long way,
But-just to think Of it. Oh, Despard,
fancy your saying that you half thought
she was going to be a governess! Oh,
dear, how extraordinary! And / that
was so regretting that you had not
met her. What n good thing you did
not--I mean what a good thing that
my letter showing your ignorance was
written and sent before you knew
who she was. Don't you see how
lucky IL WASP
She turned round, her eyes sparkling
with excitement and e~agerness. But
there was no response in Mr.. Norreys'
face; on the contrary, its expression was
such that Mrs. Selby's own face grew
pale with dread.
"Despard." she said, why do you
took like that? You are not going to
say that now, because she is an heiress
Just because of money with a tone
of supreme contempt. that you will
give il up? You surely
But Mr.. Norreys interrupted her.
Has the letter gone, Maddief'
She nodded her head.
Then / must write again at once
mysclf-to Gertrude Englewood to
make her promise on her honor neve to