Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-07-04
AN AMERICAN DUCHESS.

My friend, the burglar, when asked
him to drink, called the buXom young
lady behind the bar FlOssie darling
and asked her to give him some gin
hot-unsweetened.
He drank to a toast of ten thousand
a year to all of us, and sat down near
me. Then he took off his soft cap and
silently busted a few crumbs off the
marble table and put it on again.
The best looking business | was ever
mixed up in, he said slowly, was down
at Heron Court, near Guildford. l may
be bit c,d-fashioned in my tastes.
but I've always been rather partial
to ducheSSeS. He said this with
relish, as though they We're something
sold in tins. And when l saw in
Lloyd's that the young duke had gone
and married Miss Deborah Clancy,
daughter of the we'll known rubber
merchant of New Haven, Conn, and
when l saw that the wedding presents
were both numerous and costly, and
the happy pair had left town for the
dukes home near GuilfOrd amid a
shower of rice and old slippers, then
said to myself, 1 said: 60 in and
win, my boy, and play the game off
Of your own bat. Don't have no part
ners,'' l says to myself; don't have no
confederates, but jest go in and have
a good old try" So l dressed myself
up very Hastily and l went down to
Milford station.
had Gladstone bag with me, and
in that bag l had a few necessary ar
ticles that no one can do without. |
don't care how clever you are, you
can't do without their help. And l had
a little money with me, too. That's
another thing you always want to have
about you. Many's the little business
I've known spoiled just for the want Of
a sovereign or two.
| was walking out one afternoon, and
l was going down a lane pretty close
to the grounds of the mansion. In
front of me was a neat girl, in blue
serge, with a bonnet box in her hand.
She was one of the slim WASTED sort,
and she carried herself very upright.
AS l passed her l caught sight of the
address 1t was for the duchess. l
lifts my hat like this. Look!
Pardon me, Miss" l says, "but
might you be one of the maids at
Heron Court?"
''Well,' she says, Il might
"Ohr' / says. pleasant weather
we're having, aren't weE
She said yes it was very pleasant
weather indeed. She said this she
said in a particularly affable way she
was afraid we should have wet before
night
''Been here long?" L inquiries.
No, she hadn't been there long she
said. Only three weeks.
Come down with the dukes party
1 SUPPOSE"
Yes, she said, she came down with
the dukes party.
Like the placer
She said she didn't mind it. l asked
her few questions about the people
She said she could get on all RICH
with the duke and she was on awfu
good terms with the duchess; but sh'
wouldn't give a dollar a gross for thu
servants. For one CnlnS, Sue ulGH
believe that they kept proper look gu
at the place. While they were wastin:
their time in smoking, and drinkin;
and flirting, burglar could get in a
almost any moment.
"Oh, well, miss, after all l says
we're none Of us perfect, you know
We all have our little 'obbies."
l put on my best smile and made u
my mind to have dash for it. aske
her whether there was any chance 0
having a look in and a bit Of suppe
in the evening. She looked at IN
straight. Then she said
"Say, mister, where do | come In
How much am / going to make out
this little game"
: 'Well," I says, eff you are going
put it that way. suppose I'd bette
' speak out straight. I'll give 20
d twenty quid now. and I'll give you al
r other twenty after its over"
t. MAKE it thirty sovereigns now an
thirty AFTER she said, '.and it's done
J. I started to argue a bit, and 81
g turned on her heel.