Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-07

| from below came loud, rough voice:
Tell your mistress l am here,' it said, land
/ can spare her just two minutes-not second
more"
That" said Mrs. CRANKY with conviction, "is
the Duke Of Foxford."
Nonsense came again the strident
voice from below, apparently in angry retort to
the servants feeble, argument that the owner
thereof could not possibly be the Duke of Fox
ford since the Duke of Foxford was at that mo-
ment upstairs "I don't know what you mean;
/ will go up and see for myself"
They heard heavy footsteps on the stairs, and
the two da5ed women gasped aloud, while Jere-
miah moved hesitatingly towards the door He
would have dearly liked to run for it, but instead
he waited on the landing while there ran up the
stairs brisk little man, not very much unlike
himself in general appearance. Every separate
hair of this newcomers whiskers seemed to be
standing out straight with wrath and indgna
tion and as he caught sight of Jeremiah he de
manded angrily:
"And who the dickens are you sir?"
"T am jeremiah J. Tibbits, and I live just
down the street." answered Jeremiah with a
meekness that only produced snort of disdan
from the Duke he brushed past him
The stairs we're clear now, and Jeremiah look
ed at them longingly, but man with wife and
bouncing boy to protect could not permit him
self to play the coward, even under these most
trying circumstances, and though suffering sun
dry pangs Jeremiah still waited. The Duke had
halted somewhat abruptly on the threshold of
the bedroom, and it seemed to Jeremiah as he
watched him that certain change came over his
rough and indignant mien his eyes rested on
the lovely pale face of the girl in the bed, about
whose head lay her shining golden hair like a
crown. Indeed, the young mother with her baby
by her side appealed to instincts so profound that
even selfshness and temper and thwarted ambi-
tion were less strong than they All the same
the Duke, though he hesitated and softened for
a moment, spoke roughly enough.
"My sister Jane, who is fool like all wom-
en-" he began, "tricked me into promising to
come and see you personally. Well, l am here,
and repeat to you by word of mouth what my
lawyers wrote, that since my nephew has chos'
en- to defy me and marry girl against my will
girl had never so much seen-he may in
herit the title, but not penny shall go with it..
You may have got duke young lady, but he
will be pauper duke, than which there is moth
ing more contemplate on the tace of the earth. !"
II beg your pardon" said Jeremiah mildly
from behind, plucking up his own courage as he
saw how the two shrank before this
angry trade, and indignant as he saw, too, how
poor Mrs. CRANKY trembed and held her child
close to her. He remembered his own Emma,
and thought how he would feel if anyone spoke
to her so roughly and he said quite firmly:
"Really. sir, you must not shout like that
you'll wake the baby, perhaps" he added as .
clinchng rebuke
"And who the dickens are you, sir?"
The Duke swung round like lightning, and his
face was crimson as he demanded:
IT have already told you" replied Jeremiah,
gently remonstrative, that I Jeremiah j..
Tibbits, and that live just down the street"
"Then," said the Duke explosivey, "you had
better 90 just down the street."
"I WILL said Jeremiah with alacrity "only
should like to explain that there seems to have
been a slight misunderstanding. / think these
ladies thought l someone else, and when l
talked about my own little chap-as bouncing a
boy as ever was-they thought it was your
baby"
"NIy baby?" cried the Duke in horror. "Why,