The Semi-weekly leader., 1905-12-27

Fen country, in a spacious, Wildwood
ed park, close to the town of Hunting
don. -Four centuries ago it was the
dover palace of Queen Katherine, of
Arragon, after her divorce from
Henry VIII. 1t would still appear to
be the residence of her spirit, since
her ghost, in long, queenly robe and
royal crown, is said to roam its cor
ridors even yet. The Castle, however,
has another ghost, less dignided, per-
haps, but distinctly interesting in its
habits. The portrait of Sir John Pop
ham, erstwhile Lord Chief Justice Of
England, and one of the earliest pro-
moters OF American colonization,
hangs in the great han, and its 0rigi-
nal is said to keep nightly vigil for
rogues and poacherS, accommodating
himself, according TO inclination and
moonlight, by either sitting astride
the park wall or secreting himself UNI
der the shadow of the mighty elm
trees. Probably the ghost Of Sir John
is an immense saving of gamekeepers'
salaries to the ducal purse.
Lord Denbigh, who is well remem-
bered in this country from his visit in
Boston few years ago, at the head Of
Company Of London, is the chief of the
family to which the famous novelist,
Henry Fielding, belonged. He likewise
claims relationship with the imperial
Austrian House of Hapsburg; this
claim, however, being ridiculed by
many eminent English geneal0gists.
He is waiting to the King,
and one of the forty Roman Catholic
members OF the Upper House of the
English national assembly.
The Bradley Martins, it. is learned,
have made several efforts to purchase
Balmacaan outright, the magnificent
place they occupy in Scotland. But,
though they have frequently raised
their figures to fancy price, they
cannot induce the owner to part with
| it. The fact that they merely lease the
place does not prevent them from
| spending a mint of money on it. It
is now far more >luxuriously fitted up
than Balmoral, the Scotch royal resi-
dence, and Mar Lodge, the Duchess,
or rather, Princess of Flies place.
pales into insignifcance compared
with it.
The Bradley Martins have been so
long in England that one almost for
gets their rise to influence in the So
cial world. Theirs is a success due to
riches-at least, so it would appear,
and. in fact, such success makes small
1 impression on the thoughtful. Yet,
when you look into ii, you find many
things that arouse your admiration.
1t is no mean thing to make an en-
1 trance in the London world of fashion.
1t requires deal of tact and knowl-
edge of men and women. The Earl of
Craven, the SON -in-iaW of the Bradley
Martins, passes most of his time look
/ ing after his forty thousand acres, and
in attending to his duties as county
magistrate near his Warwickshire
home. Lady Craven Is keenly inter-
Eested in poultry farming, and at
/ Coombe Abbey has bred birds hat
have stirred up the keenest sort OF
competition amongst English fancers.
4 Moreover, it is agreed on all hands
that the boy-and-girl marriage Of 1893
has turned out more pleasantly than
1.-THE wiseacres Of that date predicted,
4 And the Countess Of Craven grows
Il prettier as she grows older.
4 Prince Nanzeta Pehassnez Monte.
! yuma, who claims to be the nneal de-
i scendant of the famous Aztec King Of
4 that name, is small, olive-skinned
Il youth, with large, heavily y-fringed
gray eyes, d full, red mouth and long
hair. He wears civilian clothes. q
broad trimmed sombrer0, and usually
lcarries an interesting, carved cane.
van Calava.