The daily Alaskan., 1908-12-11
THEY TRIED TO MAKE HER A DUCHESS.
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lOrlginall
Bridget" said Pat Flanagan, eve

What kind of an idea?"
 "A social idea"
 Bother yer social idea. You and I bear too plain the marks O the sows ear Y can't make silk purses of us. ,"
 'Its not us I'm taliin about; it's the kid. Haven't v heard O all these women goin' over to Europe and mar ryln' princes and jukes aud lords? Since we got all these millions together I've been thinbin' we molght do the same for little Nora, only we'd have to give her up."
 After a desperate struggle between love and ambition little Nora, then three years old, was sent away from home 10 be educated for an American title catcher. She was to forget her father and mother and assume new name. She was entered as an orphan, and guardian was appointed who was to turn over to her fortune of S5,OOOOOO when she should marry with his consent.
 Fifteen years later a Mrs. Van Val kenburgh of New York opened house In London for the purpose of introduc- Ing her niece, Winifred De Witt, Into society. Mrs. Van Valkenburgh took no care 10 conceal the fact that her niece would receive q comfortable dot at her marriage, and there was a prlcking up of ears of the young bloods of London,
 Mrs. Van Yalkenburgh proceeded methodically, procuring an introduc- ton for her niece at court and giving a splendid coming out ball, at which many of the nobility were present Wlnifred was rather pretty girl, of fair complexion and subdued reddish hair. and bore the marks of having been brought up to associate with the most arlstocratic American girls.
 or the many suitors who appeared the Marquis Of Crowelhurst, heir to the dukedom Of Marlebut, and Will liam Pitt Burleigh rising member Of the house of commons, were the most conspicuous for tue reason that the former would surely have the sapc- ton of Miss De Wits guardian and a marriage with the latter would be love match. The marquis father was in a dying condition, and certain obi. cations on the part of the estate were being staved of tlll after his death with the hope that his son would sue ceed in 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 bis estate
 Mrs. Van Yalkenburgh engineered matters so that the suit of the mar quls was successful. Wlnifred De Witt told her lover BurleIgh, that her whole fortune was involved In her choice of husband. If she married him she would lose it. Why, she knew not Her parents she knew nothing of. She had a vague remembrance of woman who had the care of her baby days who could not possibly have been her mother. Burlelgh was affected just as she was. He wanted her, but did not want her to lose her fortune. After many slghs and tears on her part and beartbreakings on his they decided that they must give each other up.
 Wlnlfred accepted the marquis, but hls father at the time was at the point of death, and for various reasons con nected herewith the marriage was put of tin after the sons expected access sion to the title. Indeed, Winifreds guardian, whose instructions were that she get duke, insisted upon this.
 But the old man was such a long while dying that when he did dle the new duke was informed that owing to a recent financial panic in America Miss De Wits fortune had been so far reduced that no settlements could be made--at least not for some time.
 This was the end of the proposed marriage Mir. Bwleigh returned to his allegiance, declaring that since Wini- fred would not suffer financially by marriage with him he wished her to be his wife. But meanwhile Mrs. Flana- gan had suffered a protracted agony at her husbands plan for their daugh' ter, and one day the couple appeared at Mrs. Van Yalkenburgh's London residence, announced themselves as her uieces parents and gave away the whole plot. Fortunately more than twenty years of intermingling with wealthy people had rubbed much Of the rust off Pat and Bridget, and they did not appear at so great dlsad' vantage as one would suppose. Winl- fred, who had always been lonely as an orphan, gladly accepted them. Besides, there was something touching as well as amusing in their sacrifice to make her a duchess. Furthermore, there was good individual stun In Nora Flana- gan that seemed to belong only to her self, and she made up her mind to try to repay some of her parents sacrifice even if 1t had been unsuccessful at the last moment To cap the climax she was glad to be relieved of Crowel- hurst
 She gave the whole story to her low