Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1894-07-26
STORY OF HIS DUCHESS.
By Parker l.. Walker.

~HE was not only duchess, but
u she looked like one, of the best
- Du Maurier type. She was love-
~ ly, tall and graceful, with the light
\ of youth and health in her eyes.
- Some cabin passengers from H.
linois said that all sorts of material was
worked up into duchesses, and it did
not mean that she was anything in par
ticular before her marriage-may be a
barmaid or Gayety girl-with figure
and walk like that.
This led to search in Debrett, which
a Philadelphia youngster. was taking
over as part of his baggage, and Illinois
went down before a line of Scottish
earls which began with a CORY forayer
and ended with rosy-cheeked daugh-
ter.
AS His Grace was an invalid his wife
was much in evidence, taking exercise
on deck, with a long, swinging stride
which was the envy Of all the other
women ON the ship. During the first
day she was very friendly to her fellow
voyagers, but some impertinent ques-
tons veXed her, and she became glacial.
John McQuiston declares that he felt
like kissing the shiny brass plate on
the after stairway, which introduced
L
was nice rolling sea on and some
breeze, and Johnny had gone to seek a
heavy coat, and was backward bound
when Her Grace, in descending, slipped
on the brass and went bang into john
ny's arms. 1t was no joke to prevent
that tall young woman from coming to
grief, and Johnny gasped and clinched
his teeth hard as he held manfully to
the railing with his left arm and Rugged
his real live duchess with his right.
She thanked him prettily for his aid
and nodded affably when she came on
deck and met him at the companion
way door, where he was waiting for
nothing in particular if it was not for
that nod. The roll continued to be-
friend him, for he had to help her to
her chair, and there, in order to con-
tinue some vague landsman's COM
ments on the voyage, he sat down be-
side her, and in this way the acquaint-
ance began.
1t was the manner Johnny sang
hymns, however, which cemented the
acquaintance, and even opened the
doors to friendship. He used to think
of the farmhouse and his mother when
he sang "Abide with Me-" and the
other familiar music, and it came out
in the look in his eyes and his earnest
manner-and besides, his voice was as
clear and sweet as his mothers mem
ory. He had dashing way of singing
the new comic opera hits OF music hall
ballads, but dignity settled upon him
when he sang hymn that affected the
Duchess even more than it did other
people. For young woman OF society
she was unusually religious, and the
blood of the champions of John Knox
tingled within her now and then.
"You forget all about me when you
are singing sacred songs" said the
Duchess, apprOvingly. "And | like
it.u she added, looking at him frankly
with great gray eyes.
II am generally thinking of my
mother-and she is not with me any
more" replied John sturdily.
"You could sing yourself into fame, ]
dare say" she said, graciously.
IT did sing myself into trip to Eu
rope" he says, laughing and flushing
fIn concerts ?' and she seemed 6
trifle dismayed.
"Oh, noH' he answered "Shall we
take turn before luncheon? I'll tel
you about it as we walk" and they lef
audience in the ladies' cabin to GOSSIP
about the Irritation in progress between
"that stuck-up woman with title anC
that singer fellow" as the man from
Illinois put it.
II don't know if 1 told you 1 was ,
newspaper man," began Johnny.
ooh, pressman," said she. "Salis
bury used to be one, you know, and lott
of our best men write leaders ant
things.o
.Well, / don't write leaders," eX
planned Johnny. ~ write the things,
as YOU call them, that the leaders ar,
often based on. Well, one day | wa
sent to write up Mortimer's new house
He's about the biggest man we have OF
Wall street now, and he had just don,
up a palace He was at home, an(
showed me about civilly for he wa
proud of planning most of the plac'
himself. Finally we came to the musi
room, and there was a splendid pian
open, don't know how it came about
but sat down and rambled along will
the air of 'Watchman, Tell Us of tn
Night Can you sing that p says Nh
Mortimer. l sang it, and for half al
hour he kept me there singing one oil
hymn after another. / could see h
was in deep thought about something
but he didn't explain. As was goins
away he said You won't put tn
HYMN singing in your article, will
YOU % and he nodded approvingly whel
/ said it was only side issue. Tha
was two months ago. About a wee
later / met him on the street, and b
stopped and shook hands. Our bi
men, as rule, don't do that unles
they want something put in or KEEP
out of. the paper, and wondered wha