The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1899-05-12
THE MISSING DUKE

| 1 ILL 1nx0OAAVN AOA11
THAT sounds fair and square enough"
said Miss Haidie Stanton, approvingly.
She was one of those miraculously fair
blondes with corn-colored hair, china
blue eyes, and retrousse features, who
are one of the special products Of the
states.
My darling" interposed Henry Cor
Atlantic liner is not the most secluded
spot to the whole word, or he might per-
haps have proceeded to active demOnstra-
tions.
Yes, but see here,'' continued Miss
Stanton, with II somewhat arch express
sion on her pretty face, "'tisn't all as
plain as that: Poppa's got his eye on
you. He thinks you are carrying on too
| strong. I'Oppa means me to marry Il
lord. He told me to choke off gently
but I've never been popped to by il Brit
Usher before, and thought Id like to see
how Britishers propose"
1t is quite impossible to give any ade-
quate impression of the look of blank
dismay, changing slowly to indignation.
which spread over Mr.. Corbet's counte-
nance as he listened to this singular
speech.
Then YOU have merely trihed with
me-, he began, hoarsely,. -,
Now, don't get rile,l,' replied the
young lady, quietly, there's more to
by lords. All that I've seen left me quite
cold. don't mean to be just married
for my money and left sitting on fence
like Lydie We're de We're and Lady Biloxi
over. 'Twon't suit. Then I'm MUIR
can girl. Poppa can't marry ME to any
one that don't want and if it came to
IL fight, perhaps l mightn't get the worst
of it,"
My darling!' cried Mr.. Corbet, with
great earnestness. if some lack of orig
inality.
Il like that" nodded Miss Stanton. Il
like your way of making love. But Id
rather marry with pops consent and do
and, patting me on the back: So what
you've got to do, young man, If YOU want
yours truly, is to get On the weak side Of
pop. Why can't you make him believe
that You are the right son-inlaw for his
money, and tlaring genius at that"'
~! will try. replied Mr.. Corbet.
anything. But have not yet observed
that Mr.. Stanton has any weak side.'
Miss Stanton laughed.
| He's tough, is Poppa. But you just
try him on pedigree. He's awful stuck
Oh pedigree is Poppa. You're n lawyer
and ought to know all about it, too. May
| NC SOu VIII uelp Hill.
MIR. Corbet was a rising young harris.
| ter, who was making good income at
the bar. He had paid a visit TO the
states IN vacation, and was now Oh his
return to the temple and the courts. He
was an able, intelligent young man, and
most anxious to get into Mr.. Stanton
good graces. The latter had a fixed idea
which was to him the most interesting
| subject i'll the world. 1t is not surprising,
therefore, that after some judicious an
| Cling Henry Corbet succeeded i'll drawing
the American Oh to his pet hobby, and,
| once the subject was broached, the story
came out with rush. Certainly it
was amazing enough.
| 1t seemed that Mr.. Stanton believed
caster, and one of his. objects in crossing
the Atlantic was to lay claim to the title,
to the exclusion of the actual holder.
First point he said, sis this. My
name is Felix Stanton, s,ine as my faith
er's, grandfather's and great-grandfuth-
| er'S. Felix is an uncommon name in the
states. On the other hand, it is the
hereditary given name Of the dukes Of
| Doncaster-the eldest sons being always
named SCATTER Felicia Novel; the orig
inal ancestress, who was one Of your
King Charles Ills beauties. l got that
out Of Burke. Then Stanton is the Don
caster, family name: The present duke
|
do you think of that?''
| Privately, Mr.. Corbet did not think
very much of it, but it would obviously
have been the height of impolicy to say
| so.
| 81 suppose you have other evidence as
weil?' he suggested, automatically.
Heaps of evidence" said Mr.. Stanton.
enthusiastically. He was now fairly
mounted OH his hobby, and it started off
| at Il gallop. You see the fourth duke
was what you call eccentric; that is, he
had good deal Of real grit in him. 1t
made him tired to be always doing ts'o
gartered duke act, so one day he just
as plain Felix Stanton. You let he he
had real grit. He worked his way up to
be first mate, and then one night off the
American coast he disappeared Wheth-
er he was split in the sea or jumped
overheard was never known, but he
never turned up in the old country again
as duke or as Felix Stanton. After Il
dead, and his brother took the title. The
present man comes from that brother.
catch on?'
Mr.. Corbet began to see little more
light:
but was saved, remained incognito all
ms life, and that your great-grandfather
was really the missing duke
THAT is so, sir. That duke was lost
on the coast of South Carolina. My
great.grandfather came from South
Carolina, and have always understood
that he was an English colonist origin
ally"
Once started, Mr.. Stanton was Der.
fectly willing to talk on this subject as
long as anyone would listen to him, but
Henry Corbet found that the train of
evidence was very fragmentary.
1t seemed to Corbet q perfectly hone.
less case, and he warned the American
zealousiy against certain kinds of sharks
VINO will undertake any kind of inyesti-
cation of this nature for the sole Durnos,,
OF adding up fees. The unexpected re-
suit of his efforts was that one day Mr..
Stanton observed:
See here, l like you. You've cot
plenty of grit, you don't bear malice. and
L reckon you are straight all through. I
mean to go through with this deal. and
see how it pans out, but l want locui
man to help me-one who knows the
country and whom | can trust. Will Won
Offer.' wv " e'o''
This question placed Corbet in rather !,
dilemma. If he accepted it, it woul'i
bring him into friendly and intimate re-
latlons with Mr.. Stanton, which might
nave the most delightful results as far ms
daldle was concerned. On the other
hand, surprising he failed to establish the
claim to the dukedom, it was quite nos
| slble that Mr.. Stanton might resent +ho