The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1910-03-18
A Bit Of
Detective Work
By an American Girl Who
Was Engaged to an
Enelishman.
By BEATRICE TUCKER.
.asa -. Aa.l>aa R.oaa
By BEATRICE TUCKER.
Copyright, 1910. by American Press
Association.


some years ago Of Miss Emily Kitson
to the young Earl Of Hartmore. The
earl came over to claim his bride,
bringing with him his cousin. who
was best man.
Harcourt Berks. the earl, and this
cousin, Stanwood Berks. had been
brought up together from childhood.
Harcourt was an only child, and STAN
wood stood next In line as heir to the
title. The wedding occurred at the
home of the brides parents In New
York, all the arrangements that per-
tanned to the groom being performed
by his best man. After the ceremony
Stanwood conducted the clergyman to
the library, pointed to desk on which
there were pen and ink. and there the
marriage certificate was written. Stan
wood received it from the clergyman
and took it to the bride.
The curl and his lady sailed imme-
diately for England and after tour
in Scotland settled down on the fam
lily estate.
A son, Lord William Berks, was
born to the pair. who grew up to be
fine fellow. He was extremely fond
of his mother and said that when he
married he would choose an American
wife. claiming that he owed much to
his mothers broad American views.
SO different from those of English
women of birth, who lived very mar
row lives. Fate brought him and
Dorothy Sands Of Chicago together on
the eve of his majority. She was
merry little elf. at times appearing
very stupid, at other times showing
great shrewdness. They met in Ma
pies and became engaged in Rome.
From Italy he went to England to in
form his mother of his engagement to
one of her own countrymen. He
found her suffering under blow that
had fallen during his absence.
On Lady Hartmore's arrival in Eng
land after her marriage In New York
she had collected number Of papers
kept. but were not likely to be needed.
and put them in the vault kept for the
storage of valuables. Having occasion
to use an old document. she had gone
to the vault to look for 1t. There she
saw her marriage certificate. Opening
It, she was filled with establishment
There were only the printed letters.
none in writing.
Having informed her husband of
the circumstance, thorough search
was made through the family papers
in the hope of finding certificate that
had been filled out and signed by the
officiating clergyman. Lady Hartmore
remembered Stanwood Berks. best
man at the wedding. handing her q
marriage certificate and remembered
looking at it and seeing that it had
been duly executed. She also remem
bered placing 1t on her arrival in Eng
land in the treasure vault. Neverthe
less here was form for marriage
certificate that had apparently neve,
been executed. and there was no othel
Mt hand.
Lady Hartmore wrote to brother
in New York asking him to discover II
the marriage had been recorded ant
received negative reply.
The painful fact that no evidence o,
the marriage between Lord and Lad!
Hartmore existed stared the couple II
the face. And how explain the mys
terry? Stanwood Berks was appealed t.
and said he could remember nothin,
about the matter except giving Lad.
Hartnlore an executed certificate. IL
had since been married and had sew
eral children. his oldest son being
few years younger than Lord William
The position was this: At the death O
Lord Hartmore. since there was n
evidence of his marriage with his wife
Stanwood Berks could claim the It'll
and the property us next of legitimat
kin.
Lord William on his arrival ut hom
went at once to find his mother to on
nounce his engagement. He found he
sunken in gloom. To have to tell he
son that so far as his Inheritance wa
concerned he was .illegitimate was
painful task. Naturally the blow fe
upon him with equal severity. He ha
proposed to Miss Sands as the rightft
heir to final title and estate and
Stanwood Berks or after him his SO
chose to claim both they could sui
stantiate their right to inherit and b
would be beggar.
Miss Sands was to be In Londo
within month. and 1t was decided h
tween Lord William and his mothe
to await her arrival before mention
ing the change that had come over tt
family fortunes. To write her loy
letters without showing that there We
trouble ut hand Lord William foun
impossible. At any rate. the your
lady, suspecting something had got
wrong and having been educated {
the American method to take care I
her own affairs, persuaded her moth
to go with her at once to England.
Lady Hartmore and Lord Villa
met Miss Dorothy In London and Ga,
her the situation.
"Well." she said after hearing
with bit Of that which the Engli!
people call American twang md wi
a businesslike air. 'the first thing to
considered y, What are we going
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