The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-02
AN ENTRANCE INTO
n GOOD SOCIETY.
The Surprising Happenings on an
English Estate After 1t Fell
TO a New Heir.
copvyisn,. 1908 ov WIN. Hnoo0ou osborne.

tragedy OF fnRuSn Llt lilul SpIHlH' i''''
the genteel habit OF entailng properties.
The instant that the breath left his body
he and his were Immediately stripped
of the title to the famous SOuthdown es-
tatcs in land For these vast estates had
been conferred by some ancestor upon
Lord Southdown and upon his heirs male.
Heirs male he lacked. and while his soul
was fluttering away the title TO the lands
lowered for an instant in the air and then
swooped down upon a distant relative
some remote Southdown unknown even
10 the late incumbent
Lord Southdown was not childless, for
he left behind him the Honorable Peggy
Southdown, fair. slender and some 10 years
of age And he left also his worthy sister,
the Honorable Carolina Southdown,
gentle spinster Of resource and tact
But when this gentle spinster began TO
realize, AS she did soon after her brother s
death, that her brothers. entire wealth
was now the property of some one else.
her tact and her resource seemed incon-
tinentlv 10 abandon her However, She
kept the news from her fair and slender
niece.
III il were not for Peggy" she kept
eyclaimng 10 herself, Il would not mind.
could gel, along. But Peggy" with
\ mist floating before her eyes the tender
hearted spunster watched her young niece
as she swung along the green.
We certainly must d" something
walled Aunt Carolina TO herself What
can we do-.what can We do? Poor Peggy!
She'll know it all too soon must keep
il from her while I can,
One day the Honorable Carolina was
exceedingly befiustered to receive for
nal looking package by tho post. When
she had opened it, however, she uttered
\ sigh Of relief II was a brief note from
the London solicitors Of the new Lord
Southdown. stating that their client would
refrain from demanding possession of his
estates until som" time during the middle
~ the summer.
Thank goodness" CIRCULATED Aunt Caro-
lima This gives liz plenty of time to turn
around And now l must get my wits
together and arrange some plan Of action.
Aunt Carolina was good at arranging
a1vthing and she WAS past mistress in
the art of Planning, but the present situa-
ton put her to it beyond any experience
that she had ever had
Aunt Carolina was not a woman with
an immobie face. and though she told
herself that she was keeping her secret
well and safely from the Honorable Peggy,
this same Peggy finally put two and two
together.
Poor Aunt Cardinal" she said to her
self when she found it out What will she
ever do?"
Now. on certain memorable day in
her career. Aunt Carolina shut herself
up in her rooms in the east wing ana sur
reptitiously united bundle. When she
did SO, every daily paper In the Kingdom
fell out of it and Aunt Carolina began her
systematic search for profitable and dig
nified employment.
In the very first paper she tackled, a
small notice in a corner attracted her at
tention. She read 1t through and then
gasped with horror.
Dear me-" she exclaimed that any
gentlewoman would 20 demean herself.
Wait, let me read that over again" Then,
after reading it, she shook her head.
NO, nor she exclaimed. that would
never, never do. could never do II, and
II Peggy ever found it out
She continued her perusal, but ever and
anon she returned to that small notice
II wonder if it would be so bad" she
reasoned Perhaps | could manage 70
keep it from Peggy after all, And / could
tell her that-that they were-were distant
cousins, or old school frends-or anything
She glanced about uncertainty.
1T is Just awful think of it, but why not,
after all? Needs must when-when there's
Peggy to he considered. And we'll have
four months more here, and in that time,
why"
Aunt Carolina rose and, taking a pair
of scissors out OF her workbox. cut out the
little notice.
I'm do it," she continued firmly It's
awful. but I'll do it
Halliburton was a young man who, for a
time at least. had nothing to do He sat ut
one Of the windows of his her expensive
London lodgings, yawned once or twice
ar thrice, and then rose and st retched his
arms above his head, after the manner of
Young men when all alone He frowncd
"Confound it," he exclaimed. This is the
first time in many years that I've had abso-
lutely nothing to do. feel like cat in
81 range garrett
He was strong individual with bronzed
complexion. His attire was of the cur and
fashion of the season, but there was about
him an unconventionality of movement
and appearance that set him Just bit apart
from other London men.
Nothing to do for the first time in years,
lie repeated,
He reseated himself istlesslv at the
window and picked up n morning paper,
which with the exception of the adver-
tisements, ne had already read through.
Under the circumstances. therefore, he
tackled the advertisements.
With a curiosity that would have done
credit to Yankee or a woman he first
examined that column of the paper which
in America. and in England, too, contains
personals spicy and otherwise; those deli
cate bits Of inquiry and answers inserted
bv ladies' desiring husbands and by gentle
men desiring wives; by sportive youths
who having seen for the first time, upon
a tramcar or coach, some object Of especial
admiration. seek to extend their admiration
into acquaintance and acquaintance into
friendship.
Half way down the column he paused
with his finger on the page.
This one he said aloud, "is not quite
40 nervy as the rest. BY Jove, I'll answer
one or two of these, II will give me good
sort Of entertainment, and who knowsp"
he added with laugh, sit may get me into
good society, after all
The published notice hat he had selected
read about like this: