Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-09-19
The Argus Daily Story
Lady melAia Poindexter-By Rufus B. Henderson.
Cepyrightea IsI.: b Associated LIserary

I
lists to Europe had ended and the ebb
had set in. Reginald F9irchild, an
American gentleman of means. had
been spending the summer and a part
Of the autumn abroad and was return
ing on an ocean liner. Mr.. Fairchild,
though he had reached middle age.
was still unmarried. He had been
much abroad. where society is made
up, or at least led, by aristocrats.
Mr. Fairchild was coming home
from his trip especially dissatisfied
at being obliged to resume his position
with what he called the commercial
artstocracy OF America. This was the
more CALLING because in his veins ran
the blood Of that older aristocracy
whose members had been leaders In
colonial times. His family had felt
themselves better than soap boilers.
Now, there were soap boilers who felt
themselves better than he. Some of
them at least lived in far better style,
spending thousands where he spent
hundreds.
One day when the wind was fresh
Mr. Fairchild was walking the deck.
| a
In rugs with a little writing case be-
fore her, evidently getting up her cor
respondence. She was perhaps TWEEN
ty-four years old and very pretty. with
light English hair and rosy complex
ion. There was about her the air of
one who had mingled with well bred
persons. AS Mr.. Fairchild passed her
she very naturally raised her eyes
from the paper before her, but, seeing
his gaze fixed upon her, Immediately
lowered them.
Mr.. Fairchild walked back and forth
past the lady q number of timess and
every time he thought her more charm
ing. She faced the bow Of the vessel,
the motion increasing the force Of the
wind. Walking aft, Mr. Fairchild saw
sheet of writing paper blown past
him and become pinned by the wind
to the stern rail. When he reached
it he took it up. 1t was a partly fin
ished letter-a family crest stamped on
the paper-and he could not help see
ing the first words, which were My
Dear Duchess"
Mr.. Fairchild, assuming that the lady
engaged at her correspondence had
written and lost the paper, turned to-
ward her. Her back was to him, and
she did not look around. He hesitated,
being tempted to read the letter with
view to discovering the social status
of the writer, but the habit Of gentil-
ity was too strong in him, and without
again looking at it he walked back to
the lady and with courteous bow
asked her If it was not her property.
She took it from him, glanced at 1t,
seemed surprised, thanked him and
asked him where he had found 1t.
The incident broke the ice for an ac-
Quaintance. Later, when they were
talking about the lost letter, Fairchild
admitted that he had felt strongly
moved to read it, whereupon the lady,
remarking that there was nothing In
it to be concealed, took it from her
writing case and handed 1t to him.
Fairchild declined to read it, but the
lady insisted, so he ran 1t over. Ii
proved conclusively that she was of a
noble family, her elder brother being
an earl and her nephew and nieces be-
Ing lords and hOnora bles. Further
more, the lady left lying on her lap
several letters, on one of which Fair
1 child read the address Lady Amelia
| POindeXter"
| One feature grated a bit on Fair
| child. While the composition of the
! letter he read was such as titled
lady would write, the chirography was
Il defective, there were one or two err
rors in grammar, and here and there a
, word was spelled wrong. But the
world is full of bad writer's, bad
spoilers, and as for grammar, II genius
II OF literature has admitted that he was
unable to learn the correct use of
"shalr and will"
Fairchild remarked upon the crest,
g and the lady admitted that, strictly
- considered, her brother, the Earl OF
Entwater, alone had the right to use
it. When told that In America, where
p there were no patents Of nobility, al
most any family adopted crest who
could afford to pay for the stamping
OF it on his or her writing paper, Lady
Amelia was astonished and said she
didn't think she would Ike America
at all.
Fairchild had few acquaintance
,f among the nobility in England and
spoke OF them to his new acquaintance
She seemed to know all about most OF
Of them and told him things concerpinl
them he did not know himself Nat
urally refined, not caring to boast d
his acquaintances. he refrained from
telling her how intimate he had beer
NJ with them. But she had no sucf
qualms herself. This was not surpris
ing TO Fairchild, for he had noticed
pr that persons Of rank considered them
* selves as good as other persons Of ranl
and were unconscious Of anything
boastful in speaking of them faEnil
iarly.
e. Before the voyage was half com
pleted Fairchild saw that he had me
the opportunity of his life pleasing
vision came up before him. II h
ar could win Lady Amelia Poindexter h
would place his property In Americ;
In the hands Of an agent. go TO Eng
land 10 live and resume a position tina
had been held by his ancestors severa
be centuries ago. Then he would not b