The herald., 1896-01-18
THE POOR DUCHESS.

: It waey really very hard on the poor Ouch
ess. esp, ecia1ly after all the toll and labor
she had ,1ngrudgingly expended on her un-
attractive progeny. Her lot had always
been hard enough ever since she had been
a Duchess; even before her wedding cake
had grown stale she had been coping with
dificulties-tru tai difficulties which it re-
ouired all her strength of mind to face
and now, when good share OF those diff
culties were laid to rest with her husband
the late Duke, in the family vault at Long
lands; now, when she had just managed to
retrieve the shattered ducal fortune by
bringing off the engagement of her ugly
dissipated son, the present Duke, to Clau-
dia Putnam, the richest American heress
of the season, now for this blow to fall upon
her. it was really too bad. The only balm
10 her anguish was that it had fallen at
Longlands, in the wilds of Yorkshire, and
that the whole thing might be hushed up
and hustled into oblivion without any one
being the wiser. She had gone to Long
lands to recruit after her superhuman ex-
penditure of energy during the London sea-
son; her only guest was Claudia Putnam,
her sons ffancee, with whom she was busy
planning alteratio and renovations for the
new regime.
But the moment was robbed Of all it's
SAVIOR by this horrible catastrophe; this
what else could she call it?-this dwelling
idiocy of the least plain and most hopeful
of her six ungainly daughters. She would
have kept the hateful story entirely to her
self If she could, but her heart was too
full for silence. besides Claudia had her
fair share Of Yankee shrewdness-she might
suggest brilliant solution of the problem
so. as they sat over a cup of tea in her
boudoir, the Duchess opened her new
trouble to her future daughter-in-law.
tIm afraid, Claudia DEAR" she began.
that we are going to have serious trouble
with Henrietta" Claudia was very fond of
the Duchess, SO she tried to 10 ok sym
pathetic, though with Lady Henrietta, who
was wrapped up in parish work. who wore
impossible clothes. and did her hair gro
tesquely, she had no sympathy whatever
Dear me!' she replied. 'I'm sorry to
hear it; hope she's not sick''
Sick" repeated the Duchess, AI wish
she were, or anything half so sensible The
fact is. she has been and got herself en-
tangled in a most unbecoming love af-
fair"
Miss Putnam opened her blue eyes very
wide and set down her teacup with jerk.
"My!' she exclaimed. "and who on earth
has been making love to Henrietta?''
The Duchess lowered her voice. "My
dear" she said, impressivey, sit is Mr..
Gibson, the curate. She VOWS she will
marry him. Isn't it awful?"
Rather awful for the curate," thought
Claudia to herself aloud she said, ''Have
ever met Mr.. Gibson?'
Certainly not dear; we do not invite him
here. He is not a gentleman
Then where did Henrietta meet hm?'
"Oh, in cottages and at the school. You
see she likes parish work, and l encouraged
her, it sets such a good example, and we've
always had a married curate before; how
ever, when Mr.. Gibson came, 1 never
thought of chaperoning her, because, you
see, he isn't gentleman
But, suppose, Henrietta thinks he will
make her a suitable husband?"
My dear" cried the Duchess, 'she can't
POSSIBLY think so. Why, his father keeps
saddler's shop! He hasn't been to the Uni
versity. Oh, it's altogether dreadful! and
she's as obstinate a mule about it,"
She broke off as the door opened to admit
young man in a shooting suit. He was
plain, nsignificant-looking parsonage, with
an air of extreme self-approval.
I've just been telling Claudia about this
stupid affair of Henrietta's,'' went on the
Is.
"And what does Claudia think about it?"
asked the plain young man, who was
Claudia's accepted lover, and who depos-
tied his long limbs on the sofa beside her
and tried to bestow festive caress on the
hand nearest to him.
Il guess, I'm pretty well taken by sur
prise" said Miss Putnam, drawing her hand
out of her lovers reach.
so m l, said the Duke, placidly. 'Im
dashed II / can imagine what he sees in
Henrietta. She amt pretty; tother way
about, rather; she's got no money; and she's
years older than he is. I'm dashed if I'd
marry woman like Henrietta, even if was
saddler's son. I'm dashed if could even
feel spoony on her."
Miss Putnam looked at him. She was
going to marry a man very like Henrietta
and she did not feel very spoony on him :
she had accepted him for sundry reasons
love being by no means the first or fore
most.
HE must be an awfully susceptible chap"
went on his Grace, "to lose his heart to a
girl like Henrietta. And he's so obstinate.
too, about it; seems as IL he really cared
about her. / thought, perhaps, it was most
1y ambition-her title, and that sort Of
thing, you know-and I've offered him all
my influence in the way of a leg-up to
preferment, but he won't hear of it. Funny