Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-02-07


labor she had ungrudgingly eXpehue'
on her unattractive progeny. Her iO'
had always been hard enough ever since
she had been duchess; even peioi0
her wedding-cake mad grown s'ale sue
had been coping with difficulties; brutal
difficulties. which 1t required all her
strength of mind TO face, and now
when good share of those diiheui-
ties were laid TO rest with her husoanu'
the late Duke, in the family vault al
lonelauds: now. when she had just
managed TO retrieve the shattered ducal
fortunes by bringing off the engagement
OF her ugly. dIssipated son. the present
Duke. TO Claudia Putnam the richest
American heiress Of the season, now ior
this blow TO fall upon her, IT was really
TOO bad The only balm to her anguish
was that Il had fallen at Longiands'
sn the wlds Of Yorkshire, ana that
The whole thing might be hushed up
and hustled into oblivion without any
one being the wiser. She had gone 10
Longlands TO recruit after her superhu-
man expenditures Of energy during the
London season: her only guest was
Claudia Putnam. her sons iiancee, with
whom she was busy planning alterations
and renovations for the new regime
But the moment was robbed Of all It's
snvor by this horrible catastrophe; Thu,
what else could she cali it?-this dnsost
ling idiocy OF the least plain aln,grbters.
hopeful of her six ungainly s,I story
She would have kept the n. n"h her heart
10 herself II she could bssides: Clau-
was too full for silen1S"a'r of Yankee
oie hau her night suggest a briiiiaht
.st,,,,o,, e. the probe" 30 .slt' ~
eoiu''oli ~ Of tea In her DouooiI w
D,.<fess opened ne, n9" '0'''0
5aughter-in-law.
frtnre asraid. Claudia. dear" she began
~ we are going to have serious trouble
nc Henrietta" Claudia was very
WI Of the Duchess, so she tried 10 look
svppathetic. though with Lady Henrietta
who was wrapped up in parish WORK
who wore impossible clothes, and did her
hair grotesquely, she had no sympath,
whatever.
"Dear mer' she replied. "rm sorry
hear II; hope she's not sick
"Sicloi" repeated the Duchess, u WIS.,
abe were. or anything half SO sensible
The fact is, she has been and got her
self entangled in most uhDecohii"s
love affair"
Miss Putnam opened her blue eyes very
wide. and set down her tea-cup WIN d
ier< "Afyr' she exclaimed, "and VINO
ON earth has been making love TO Hen
The Duchess lowered her voice; MY
dear" she said, impressivey II 10 NJ M,
Gibson. the curate. She VOWS she VIII
marry him. Isn't II awful =, .,.,.,,.
"Rather awful for the curate, tnousme
f,,sudia IN herself; aloud she said; HAVE
ever met Mr.. GibsonY ,....,.o
"Certainly not, dear; we do not invite
hin, here He Is not gentleman. ~,
s,rhen where did Henrietta meet nm
"ob I'm cottages and at the schooi'
You SEE she likes parish work. anu l en
oouragvd her; It sets such soou sSd
curats before; however, when IML uio
SON came [ never thoughs OF chaperoh-
Ing her because. you selE he ISN'T gem
'ls sPat. ! suppose .shsnrietta thinks he
will make her a. ;I6itable husband ..
MY dear,.,,rysried the Dueness' ., , snr
can't posS zthins sb sD M Me hasn', been
- md diversity Oh, It's altose.her
dreadfb, 4! and she's as obstinate as "
mule about II. ..o,oa 70 adj
she broke off as the door opened 10 81 ",,-
nit young man in shoo. .,ns, 1 ,,ar'
He was plain, insignihcaht-ioo ~ eien-
sonage. with an air OF
prevail. -,,,.,. claudia about
this stupid affair Of Henrietta 3 "e"'
ssnd what does Claudia think aDou'
itq" asked the plain young man. VINO W. va.
Claudia's accepted lover ana VINO ue
Vested his long limbs on the SOFA
beside her and tried TO bestow lu'"Ne
oaress on the hand nearest to NM
81 guess I'm pretty well taken by sur
,r,se " said Miss Putnam, drawing hef
hand out OF her lovers reach. ,,
"So'm l." said the Duke. placidly' ~
dashed IL / can imagine what ne sees ~
Henrietta. She amt pretty tothel "aSS
about. rather; she's got no money, am
she's wears older than he is. I'm dasheo
90 ia marry a woman like Henrietta
even n I was a saddlers son. I'm dashe'
if I could even' feel spoony on her.
Miss putnam looked at him. she was
going to marry a man very hke i ienli
eta. and she did not feel very spoonN
an him. she had accepted him for sun
d,v reasons. love being by no means I'M
first or foremost - .s...,,,,
chan went on his Grace. ITO lose III
heart TO girl like Henrietta And ne
40 obstinate, too, about 1t; seems as
Ia really cared about her. / though
,erbans IL was mostly ambition-he
iltle and that sort OF thing you know
and I've offered him all my influence Il
the way of a leg-up TO prefernent' pu
no wont hear OF IL. funny thinS' am
ity Now. II II had been girl Ike you
Claudia"---
.Duchess." cried Miss Putnam, sudden
w interrupting her lover Il have an III
srdration. You just send Henriett
away. She can go to Jericho, or any
where else, for n month or so. and whe
she comes back the engagement WI
be broken off. I'll manage II, you bet
She wouldn't answer any questions
She said she thought she understood IN
exact lay Of the land. They might leaV
A. Ali TO her SO to her IL was left, an
the next day Lady Henrietta was packe
off TO a married cousin in South Wales.
The following day. at Lady Henrietta
customary hour Miss Putnam wake
into the village school-room. She wore
dainty blue cambria frock, which ft.e
her as no frock I'm all Henrletta's life
time had ever fitted her. The little boy
and girls opened their eyes wide TO loo
AT her, 50 did the school-mistress. and s
did Mr. Gibson, the curate, who Wa
hearing the whole school in Its ChurC
catechism.
.'Good morning" said Miss Putnam
sweetly I'm staying at the Towers.
have come In Lady Henriettta's place tn
morning She has gone away Tor fe
weeks, and she would like you all
know It."
She looked round the room as she sa
IL. and finally fixed her eyes on the c
rates frank, simple face.
~ hope" he began, hesitatingly, 9Th
Lady Henrietta is not i'll. This absen
IS 80 un--unforeseen.
"Guess not" said Miss Putnam. IS
isn't III, she never was better In her III