Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1911-04-27
Observation-Disclosures
By REGINALD ID. HAVEN

A party of travellers sat chatting on
the deck of Pacific liner. and the con
versation turned upon British lords
marrying American heiresses. One of
the party whispered TO a lady sitting
next to him:
THAT Englishman is one of EN-
He's going over for multimillion-
airess."
(Which one?" asked the lady inter
ested.
"The short. thick one. The other is
his lordship s secretary"
Young Peterson, who made this
statement. was great waG. He did
not expect it to be believed and was
astonished later when one of the girls
Of the party said to him:
'Do you know that one of those
Englishmen is an earl going over to
America for a rich wifeT'
you don't mean itr' said Peterson
with feigned establishment.
Peterson winked at a man standing
near to follow him, and the two went
or together.
by Jove. Charley said the wag,
1--WE got something that win help to
kill time and give us lots of fun be-
sides during this long voyage. For a
joke told one of the ladies that that
sawed off Britisher is lord going to
America to marry big fortune and
that the other one was his secretary.
She took 1t all in earnest. told the
story TO the rest of the party. and II
came back to me-"
"wellT
"Well. don't you see that all these
women aboard-there are some high
steppers among them-will be sticking
to him like bear to honey?"
"But the Englishmen will hear of II
and deny It,"
Suppose they do: we can say the
earl is travelling incog. and won't ad
! NIT his identity. Besides. doubt II
he win object to sailing under false
colors: he'll be treated royalty"
But the other, the secretary; it's my
opinion he's gentleman and won't
consent to any such imposition"
Its no imposition for him to pla,
m unimportant part Besides. II h,
denies the story he won't be believed
HE lordship was Thomas Sully, q
bagman. or what In America we call Q
| commercial traveller. Peterson told hin
| Of the plot, and he entered into the
| spirit Of 1t at once. Nothing was sait
to the other Englishman, whose name
appeared on the list Of passengers al
Arthur Craven. He was Of a serious
cast and not likely to have any sym
patty with the Joke or consent to b
one Of the principal participants.
Great was the amusement derived
by Peterson and his friend Tomkins
whom he had admitted to the secret
at the marked attentions paid to thu
bagman. whose title. Earl Of Gambler
wall. was let out by the apparently in
cautious display Of an envelope tina
he had addressed to himself for tn
purpose. There were many Englisl
people on board. all Of whom wer
very obseQuious to nobleman o
their own country. Several American
girls. who, though not multimfllion
airesses were well supplied witt
funds. entered the lists for the prize.
Ladies'" the basman protested, =
assure you you ara mistaken ! an
humble British subject with no pre-
tense whatever"
"0h, my lord" was the response
''how can you tell such story7 You
ar1stocratic bearing gives you away
You are incorrigible." the bagmal
would reply. delighted.
| Peterson and Tomkins. who wers
present when this amusing episode
! camc out. hurried away to conceal their