Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-07-05


The city editor of the Chicago paper
sent me down to Stanchfeld, a dls-
tance Of forty miles. to write a funny
story about a misfortune which a
befallen one of the best men in the
state of Illinois. His name was Samuel
Brandon, and ne was known far and
wide as a genuine American. a man
whom great wealth had not spoiled, In
every way broad minded and
ly democratic in the best sense OF the
word.
The joke was that Mr.. Brandon's only
daughter had recently become engaged
to a titled Briton, Lord Colewyn, whom
malicious fate had sent to the little city
Of Stanchneld. This was a source OF
pride and JOY to Mrs. Brandon, who
was a BORN aristocrat, and Of deep cha
grin to her husband, whose patriotism
was intense.
TO add to the humor of the situation,
Lord Colewyn was to be a guest OF the
Brandons on the Fourth of July. Upon
this day Mr.. Brandon always threw OPP
en- his spledid estat to the populace
and gave his fellow citizens such an
entertainment as spared the city all ex-
penSe for a celebration. 1t was Mr..
Brandon's one day in the year; upon
the other 364 Mrs. ruled the
demesne in a fashion highly exclusive
l agreed with the city editor thai this
affair partook OF the nature of a jest.
The sense Of humor dawned upon he
world When II OF our monkey ances-
tors pushed another off the limb of a
tree and was amused to see him light
upon his head instead of on his feet,
and fun has not changed much in the
intervening millions Of years.
An early train took me to Stanch-
field, where my friend Tom Mason met
me at the depot. He was employed in
Mr.. Brandon's bank. and l depended
upon him for such of the facts as were
really common property n might be
told without indelicacy. Indeed, Tom
MAD already given me some of them In
q queer letter written about the time
Of the announcement OF the engage
ment, In the middle Of June. He SEEM
ed to suffer for Mr.. Brandon. whom ne
greatly admired, and to expect me to
s~ympathiZe fully.
In company with my friend / went to
the Stanchfeld hotel for a bit of break
fast. AS soon as we entered the dining
room my attention was attracted by a
person who had the unmistakable air of
a gentleman's gentleman. He was su-
p~erintending two walters In the ar
rangement of a table, the most favor
ably situated Of all in the room, for 1t
was VII u udlS III Oh " llCl anu q OIL
most surrounded by open windows.
Lord Colewyn's valet" SAID Tom
"Hls lordship evidently intends to
breakfast in public this morning
why isn't he at the B%randons'?" l
asked.
He doesn't wan4 to crowd the old
gentleman too hard. I guess" replied
Tom. MY lord is not such a fool as ne
looks"
Mr.. Brandon really takes this to
heart, Ell ?" said L.
Does he?" said Tom, with most ex-
pressive emphasis, "an yet he's such
a thoroughbred: absolutely a man of
principle! He believes that a mother
is the atura and proper guardian of
her daughter. In this matter he has
advised his wife. but he would never
attempt to control her. Toward Lord
Colewyn ne is strictly just. He'll be a
model father-in-law in every way.
Including the pecuniary way"
said 1.
Tom smiled bitterly.
LAS to that" said he, "let me tell you
a story-not for publication, of course,
for we are keeDing 1t quiet. His lord
ship had about 1000 in Mr.. Brandon's
bank One day last week a mar pre-
sented a check to me as paying teller
at the bank for $4,000, drawn by Cole
wyn to his own order and Endorsed by
linn. signature Endorsement looked
all right. and / TOOK the man to be that
fiunky over there, who had cashed one
or two similar checks for small
amounts. 1t appears that the check
was a forgery and hat Bitters, as Cole
wyn is pleased to all his valet, was
unprecedented by a swindler who had
a n room in this hotel next to my
lords for about a week and has now
skipped for parts unknown. / could
nav sworn that the man was Bitters,
but he wasn't, because Bitters was at
the Brandon place at the time"
"Who says OF | demanded.
Everybody" answered Tom gloom
lily. Miss Brandon among the number.
Bitters was undoubtedly there with his
/ ought to have lost my Job. But Sam
Brandon is a prince. He instantly made
good Colewyn's loss and lighted a cigar
with my resignation, and the whole af-
fair is dead except that a detective is
secretly chasing the swindler."
AS / was about to ask a question Lord
Colewyn entered the dining room, n
at the sight of him / laughed. A mo-
ment later / began to be surprised that
he should have appealed to me in that
way. He was q big, blond Englishman,
naturally rather good looking-indeed,
he might be called handsome. But he
/. was the absolute ideal of self compla-
cency. In costume, carriage. express
sion. everything to the minutest detail.
he was entirely beyond criticism as the
representative of a type of character.
The picture of self satisfaction vas SO
perfect that 1t even transcribed nature.