The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1912-10-11
LADY AMELIA
POINDEXTER
An Experience on an
Ocean Liner
By RUFUS B. HENDERSON


The food of the tidal wave of tour
lists to Europe had ended and the ebb
had set in. Reginald Fairchild, an
American gentleman of means, had
been spending the summer and a part
of the autumn abroad and was rntdrn-
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
aristocracy 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 mt least lived In far better style,
spending thousands where he spent
hendricks
One day when the wind was fresh
Mr. Fairchlld WIS walking the deck.
A lady sat in "A steamer chair wrapped
in rugs with a little writing ease be.
fore her, evidently getting up her cor
respondcucc. 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 we'll bred
persons AS Mr.. FairchiId passed her
she very naturally raised her eyes
from the paper before her, but, seeing
his gaze fixed upon her, Immediately
lowered them.
Mr.. Farchild walked back and forth
past the lady number of times. 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
a sheet of writing paper blown past
him and become pinned by the wind
to the stern rail When he reached
1t he took II up 1t was n partly fin
ished letter-a family crest stamped on
the paper-and he could not help see.
ing the first words. which We're 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
q view to discovering the social status
of the writer but the habit Of gentil-
fly was too strong in him, and without
again looking ut it he walked back to
the lady and with courteous bow
asked her il it was not her property
She took 1t from him, glanced at it.
seemed surprised, thanked him and
asked him where he had found it.
The incident broke the ice for an ac-
quaintance Later when they We're
talking about the lost letter, Fairchild
admitted that he had felt strongly
moved to read it, whereupon the lady.
romarking that there was nothing in
1t TO he concealed, took 1t from her
writing case and handed it to him.
Fairchild declined to read IT, but the
lady insisted. so he ran it over, 1t
proved conclusively that she was of
noble family. her elder brother being
an earl and her nephew and nleces be.
lug lords and honorables. Further
more the lady left lying on her lap
several letters, on one of which Fair
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 a titled
lady would write, the chirography was
defective, there were one or two or
rors In grammar, and here and there
word was spelled wrong. But the
world is full of bad writer's. bad
spoilers. and. as for grammar, a geniu,
of literature has admitted that he was
unable to learn the correct use OF
shall" and will.
Fairchild remarked upon the crest,
and the lady admitted that, strictly
considered. her brother. the Earl OF
Entwater, alone had the right TO use
1t. When told that in America, wher
most any family adopted crest who
could afford TO pay for the stamping
of It on his or her writing paper Lad.
Amelia was astonished and said she
didn't think she would like Ameri'a
at all
Fairchild had a few acquaintance
among the nobility In England ana
spoke OF them to his new acquaintance.
She seemed to know all about most of
them and told him things concerning
them he did not know himself Nat
urally refined, not caring to boast OF
his acquaintance, he refralned from
telling her how intimate he had been
with them. But she had no such
qualms herself. This was not surpris
ing to Fairchild. for he had noticed
that persons of rank considered them
selves as good as other persons of rank
and were unconscious of anything
boastful In speaking Of them famil
iarly.
Before the voyage was half com
pleted Fairchild saw that he had met
the opportunity of his life. A pleasing
vision came up before him. If be
could win Lady Amelia Poindexter he
would place his property in America
in the hands Of an agent, go to Eng
land to live and resume a position that
had been held by his ancestors several