Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1904-09-08
A YANKEE TRICK
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In high life there are cases where
q person . admitted to the swim
while his q her family are unrecog-
aized. Miss Bevan was such person.
Why she was admitted vas plain
enough. She possessed the component
parts Of belle-vix. a high bred up
pearance. q courtly manner. the faculty
Of ignoring people out of the set with
out appearing to do so and talent
for using people. Having these. it was
possible for her to get along without
wealth.
Miss Bevan was one of the guests at
Mrs. Langworthy's cottage" An old
English duke. accompanied by his son
the son u man Of thirty-had come over
to visit America, and the two had been
secured by Mrs. Langworthy for visit
during the season. The Duke of Pep
percorn, the father, possessed immense
estates in England. and at his death
the son, Lord Lightly. would inherit
the title and the estates. Miss Bevan
determined to concentrate all her
| Establishments in one supreme effort to
secure the son.
II wish," said Mrs. Langworthy to
Miss Bevan, Ito post you with regard
to the duke. He suffers under form
Of mania. He is a kleptomaniac. His
son is very sensitive about his fathers
defect and, though he takes the great
est pains to return everything his
father steals, will not listen to any Or
binary discussion of constitutional
blight. They say it runs in the family.
only cropping out With age"
Miss Bevan, being of an ingenious
mind, set herself to turn this knowl-
| edge to account. 1t was not long be-
fore she had formed plan. One morn
ing when yachting party was pro-
posed Miss Bevan at the last moment
was attacked by an indisposition and
remained behind. She kept her room
till she saw through her window the
yacht standing out at sea, then opened
her door and looked into the hall. The
doors and windows of the bedrooms
were all open for airing, but there were
no servants about. Stepping back into
her room. she took from Il bureau
drawer q brooch, a necklace and a
bracelet, besides other smaller articles
Of jewelry, then, going again into the
hall. speedily ran to the dukes bed
room, the location Of which she had
noted. An ocean breeze blew in Mt the
window, airing the belclothes, which
were thrown over the footboard. and
his graces evening dress suit. which
was hanging on the back Of chair.
Miss Bevan slipped her jewels into a
pocket of the trousers and went back
to her room.
The party returned in time for din
ner, and Miss Bevan, having recovered,
was at the table She sat next to Lord
Lightly ami, with consummate tact,
having learned the subject his lordship
most liked to talk about, drew him out
on it, listening to every word he said
without the slightest disposition to talk.
For the next few days, or. rather,
evenings, it was noticed that Miss
Bevan appeared without her customary
adornment of jewelry. Lord Lightly
was devoted to her and took occasion
to compliment her on not needing gems
to enhance her beauty, declaring that
she looked more attractive in the sim
pie costumes she wore when she left of
the Jewels. But one morning his lord
ship appeared very grave. He was reti-
cent as to the cause, and no one I'M
derstood it except Miss Bevan. She re-
marked it and was secretly pleased.
That evening after dinner he invited
her for walk on the piazza and when
there proposed stroll through the
grounds Once out of hearing from
those in the house he said:
"Miss Bevan, have something OF I'M
portance to ask you and to tell you
First, will you kindly inform me why
for several days you have worn no
jewels?"
"Must II" she said, with sympa-
thetic note in her melodious voice.
II would esteem it Il great favor"
"My Jewels are missing"
"Let me ask you further whether you
are aware that my father is afflicted in
his old age with a peculiar evidence
Of senility-that he is kleptomanfac:
"My dear Lord Lightly. have been
SO informed by our hostess. You nave
my heartfelt sympathy"
sThen you have suspected my fa-
Their Of having taken your jewels and
have said nothing to me about the mat
ter?"
"Nor to any one else. My jewels are
not worth the wound would have In
flicted."
There was a long pause, after which
Lord Lightly took from his pocket the
missing articles and handed them to
her.
..Miss Bevan," he said, with a voice
full Of repressed feeling, Il do not
know Of your ancestry, but you must
be born lady. You certainly belong
to natures nobility. Not one woman
in ten thousand, picked from the
worlds best people, would have had
the delicacy, the kindness. the I'M
selfshness. to permit herself to be rob-
Ihed Of what women so dearly prize