Middletown transcript., 1911-04-22
old Lady spraggI

The next day I received a note
from Billy saying that the fell
lows had come to the conclusion
that, after all, there might be
great possibilities in my plan.
rejoiced aloud. Dolly asked
me what was I so happy about.
| replied hat a man whom I had
never expected to see again had
just returned a fiver he owed
me. Thank Heaven, Dolly did
not inquire further!
That evening l met the fellows
at the club, and to oblige them,
repeated the plan I had suggest.
ed the day before. They CRITICS
ed it less, and one or two seem.
ed to favor it.
But supposing she tumbles,
said Derrick, referring, I sup
pose to Dolly.
Don't be vulgar, replied. And
if she does tumble, as you SO
elegantly put it, she will prob.
ably forgive you all, enter heart
lily into the joke, and wen allli7e
happy ever after.
knew Dolly.
I agree with you, said Billy.
If you will allow me to say so,
Mrs. Burkinton is a darling little
thing, and that's why it seems to
me to be rather a rotten trick to
play on her. ,
Not a bit of it, said I. She'll be
none the wiser, and it will make
her happy to think have SO
many distinguished friends.
Perhaps I should apologize for
not having let you into my secret
before. Briefly, my plan was
this: That Billey Stanthorpe
and the rest should be invited to
ny place under assumed names,
with various titles attached. For
instance, Billy could go as Lord
de Broke, Derrick as the Hon.
orable FitzSmyph, and the rest
could choose their noms de
theatre for should it be noms de
salonY as their fancies dictated.
IN this underhand and doubt
less reprehensible manner they
were to be introduced to Dolly.
and endeavor to leave a good i'm
preston behind them; so that
could invite them again without
fear of bringing Dolly's wrath
on to my head.
That evening at the club we
completed our arrangements and
I invited Billy and Derrick and
two other men to dinner on the
following Monday evening.
Iannounced this fact to Dolly
on returning home. certainly
had to undergo a painful and
very thorough examination
as to whom my friends were. But,
as I have before mentioned,
Dolly was not of a suspicious
nature. Ijust gave her a kiss,
told her I was sure the dinner
would do US credit, mentioned a
new hat, and there I was!
1t was not till later that I dis
covered that old Lady Spragg
and her daughter, Lady Emile,
were dining with US the same
evening. Had been aware of
this fact earlier I might possibly
have altered my plans, and
incidentally, the lives of two of
our friends Fortune is a tickle
female, ,and-still 1 mustn't grum-
BILE, for everything turned out TO
be for the best.
At last, in accordance with our
splendid almanatic system, the
auspicious Monday evening ar
rived, and with it the friends we
had invited.
Tho first to arrive was Derrick
announced as the Honorable
Hubert Hinch- Next came Rob.
iusod, disguised under the
pseudonym Of Viscount Helm
split. Then old Lady Spragg
and Lady Emile arrived. Fol
lowing them came Billy Stan
thorpe who, before I could stop
him, gave the name of Lord
Browne.
Igasped. Phew-w!
I will explain my reason for
gasping: Old Lady Spragg's
daughter, the Lady Emile, had,
as I have before mentioned,
divorced her husband about a
year ago-and he was Lord
Browne!
foresaw an interesting con.
tretemps when my actor friend
was introduced to her ladyship.
This happened q little later on.
Billy, or I should say Lord
Browne, went up to Dolly and
evidently asked for an introduc-