The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1907-02-08


on the outskirts of the town, and, al
though Stanhope would gladly have re-
NAMED with the two men to discuss
the events of this night of surprises,
he felt that his mother demanded his
present attention.
Indeed, her ladyship had much to
say to him. She, like the others, had
been impressed by Mrs. Vansittart's
appearance, even under the eXtraordi-
narily difficult circumstances Of the oc-
casion The feminine mind judges its
peers with the utmost precision. Its
analytical methods are pitilessly sim
pie. 1t calculates with mathematical
nicely those details of toilet, those
delicate nuances of manner, which dis
tinguish the woman habtuated to re-
finement and good society from the
interloper or mere copyist.
1t had always been matter of mild
wonder in Penzance how Constance
Brand had acquired her French trick
of wearing her clothes. Some women
are not properly dressed after they
have been an hour posing in front of
full length mirror; others can give
one glance at costume twist and pull
it into the one correct position and
walk out perfectly gowned, with hap
py consciousness that all is well.
Every Parisienne, some Americans,
few glishwomen, possess this
gift. Constance had it, and Lady Mar
garet knew now that it was lineal
acquisition from her mother. The dis
covery enhanced the belief, always
prevalent locally, that Brand was a
gentleman born, and her ladyship was
now eager for her sons assistance In
looking up the LANDED Gentry" and
other works of, reference which define
and glorify the upper ten thousand of
the United Kingdom. Perhaps that way
light would be vouchsafed.
Being a little narrow minded, the ex-
cellent creature believed that scandal
among good" people was not half so
scandalous as an affair in which the
principals were tradesmen cor worse"
She conflded something Of this to her
son as they drove homeward and was
very wroth with him when he treated
the idea with unbecoming levity.
MY dear boy" she cried vehemently,
"you don't understand the value of
such credentials. You always speak
and act as if you were ON board one of
, your hectoring warships, where the best
metal and the heaviest guns are all i'm
portant. 1t is not so in society, even
the society of small Cornish town.
Although l am an earls daughter, l
cannot afford to be quietly sneered at
by some who would dispute my social
supremacy"
AS each complaisant sentence rolled
forth he laughed quietly in the dark
ness.
Mother" said he suddenly, "Mr.
Trail and, / have had a lot Of talk
about Enid during the past two days.
1 have not seen you until this evening
before dinner, so I have had no. OPP
portunity to tell you all that has &C.
Cured"
Some new imbrogllo, I suppose"
she said, not at all appeased by his
seeming (carelessness as to what the
dowager lLady Tregarthen or Mrs.
Taylor Smith might say when gossip
startedy
"Web, 1t is, In sense" he admitted.
You see, we are jolly hard up. 1t Is q
squeeze for you to double my pay, and,
as HAPPENED to inform Mr.. Trail that
was going to marry Enid. long before
he knew she was his daughter, 1t came
as bit of a shock afterward to hear
that he intends to endow her with
100000 on her wedding day. Now the
question to be discussed Is not whether
the adopted daughter of poor light
house keeper, who may be Lord This
fandThat In disguise, Is a good match
flor me, but whether an impecunious
lieutenant in the royal navy Is such a
great fortune"
Lady Margaret was stunned. She
began to breathe quickly. Her utmost
expectations were surpassed. Before
she could utter q word her son pre-
tended to misunderstood her agitation.
"Of course it was fortunate that Enid
and 1 had jolly well made up our
minds somewhat In advance, but it was
a near thing, a matter Of flag signals
otherwise l should have been COM
PEELED to consider myself ruled out Of
the game. Therefore, during your tea
table tactics, II the dowager, or that
old spltfire, Mrs. Taylor-Smith, says
word to you about Brand, just give 'em
rib rooster with Ends two hundred
thou, will you? While they are reel
ing under the blow throw out a gentle
hint that Constance may ensnare
Trails nephezus |Ensnare' is the right
word isCtdt? The best Of 1t Is,
know tHey have been worrying you for
moyAhs about my friendship with girls
of(their- class oh, the Joy Of the en-.
Sunter,S 1t must be like blowing up
a battleship with tuppenny hapenny
torpedo boat"
SO her j1adyship--not without ponder
Ing over certain entries In the books
Of the proudly born. which recorded
the birth and marriage Of Sir Stephen
, I'd. ninth baronst ''Dresent where