Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-12-17
,
THEY TRIED TO MAKE
HER A DUCHESS

kOtaS.Ac
Bridget" said Pat Flanagan, spy.
an idea" ~"
What kind Of an idea:"
"a social idea"
Bother yer social idea. 70, ..,.
bear TOO plain the marks q ,ba
ear. Y can't make silk purses Of m,s
It's not US I'm talkin' abont. ~
the kid Haven't y heard q all tha Nv
women goin' over t Europe and mas
ryin' princes and jukes and lorsa,
Since we got all these millions .ogo.ss.
I've been thinkin' we noigh d. ~
same for little Nora. only we'd hue
to give her up"
After a desperate struggle ho,uo.
love and ambition little Nora thsu
three years old, was sent away froas
home to be educated for an Amer;,o1
title catcher. She was to fo.ger bar
father and mother and assun, . nov.
name. She was entered as an ornban
and a guardian was appointed who
was T. turn over to her a fortrno
Of 100000 when she should ynsrrv-
with his consent.
Fifteen years later a Mrs. Van Val.
kenburgh Of New York opened a bouso.
in London for the purpose Of ~introdrr.
ing her niece. Winifred De Witt into.
society. Mrs. Van yalkeahurgh too.
no car to conceal the FACT that he,
niece would receive a comfortable dot
at her marriage, and there was q
pricking up of ears of the young blood,
Of London.
Mrs. Van Valkenburgh proceeded
meshodically. procuring an introduc-
ton for her niece at court and giving
a splendid coming out ball, at which
many Of the nobility were present.
Winifred was rather a pretty girl. of
fair complexion and a subdued reddish
hair, and bore the marks of having
been brought up to associate with the
most a~ristocratic American girls.
OF the many suitors who appeared
the Marquis of Crowelhursr. heir to
the dukedom of Marlebut. and vii.
liam Pitt Burleigh, a rising member Of
the house of commons. We're the most
conspicuous for the reason that the
former would surely have the sane
ton Of Miss De Wits guardian and Il
marriage with the latter would be a.
love match. The marquis father was
in a dying condition, and certain obi.
cations on the part of the estate were
hn;Dp c+a-al ofp ain oS-0- ~ ]ootL
With the hope that his son would sue
coed III marrying a fortune with which
to pay them and build up the estate.
though it was feared that Crowelhurst,
who was of the smart set and a typical
London swell. would spend any for.
tune he could get on himself rather
than on his estate.
Mrs. Van Talkenburgh engineered
matters sc that the suit of the mar
quis a successful. Winifred De Witt
told her lover. Burleigh. that her whole
fortune was involved in her choice Of
a husband. If she married him she
would lose it. Why, she knew not.
Her parents she knew nothing Of. She
1o1 q 'tSdC lCtllGllD dl(C VI q NOuIop
who had the care of her baby days
who could not possibly have been her
mother. Burleigh was affected just as
she was. He wanted her, but did not
want her to lose her fortune. After
many signs and tears on her part and
heartbreakings on his they decided
that they must give each other up.
Winifred accepted the marquis. but
his father at the time was at the point
Of death. and for various reasons con-
nected Herewith the marriage was put
of till after the sons expected aces
sion to the title. Indeed. Winlfreds
guardian, whose instructions We're that
she get a duke, insisted upon this.
But the old man was such a long
while dying that when he did die the
new duke was Informed that owing
to a recent financial panic in America
Miss De Wits fortune had been so Tar
reduced that no settlements could De
made-at least not for some time.
This was the end Of the PROPOSED
marriage. Mr.. Burleigh returned to DIS
allegiance, declaring that since VIM
fred would not suffer financially by
marriage with him he wished her TO pe
his wife. But meanwhile Mrs. flaha-
gan had suffered a protracted agony
at her husbands plan for their dausn,
ter, and one day the couple appeared
at Mrs. Van Valkenburgh's LONDON
residence, announced themselves as
her niece's parents and gave away
the whole plot. Fortunately more tnan
twenty years of intermingling WIN
wealthy people had rubbed mucn Vi
the rust off Pat and Bridget. and tne!
did not appear at so great a alsau'
vantage as II would suppose. WIN,
fred. who had always been lonely az an
orphan, gladly accepted them. beslue,,
there was something touching as WEI
as amusing in their sacrifice 70 l1a"s
her a duchess. Furthermore, there Wa
good individual stuff in Nora flana'
gan that seemed to belong only 10 nel
self, and she made up her mlnd 10 ~.
to repay some of her parents sacf'n so
eve if it had been unsuccessful at tus
last moment. To cap the cllInaA ~
was glad to be relieved OF Cro"e'
hurst.
Che uo +ho -hol> otory TO her lO''