The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1912-06-29
A DOUBLE
ARISTOCRAT

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During a winter that my husban,
and spent in London we were pre-
scented at court and saw considerable
Of society. That season there were al
unusual number of debutantes at til,
capital, among them Lady Gwendolel
! Fortesque. We met her at variou
functions and made her acquaintance
but l cannot say that between u!
there was anything more than an &C
Quaintance. In the first place. she was
4 dozen years our Junior, and. In the
second, her position was far above the
reach of untitled Americans Never
theless l should have liked to know
her, for she impressed nue. as being q
superior woman.
Several years after this winter In
London while at my home in st. Louis
I had occasion to visit public school
In which my daughter was studying
Entering a room where class of girls
were reciting, there on raised dais
standing beside desk and speaking
to her class with all the ease and Gig
nifty Of an Oxford professor was the
counterpart of the young lady had
met In London.
"What Is the teachers name?" I
asked Of one who was with me.
"Miss Brandon"
What an astonishing likeness! Was
she or was she not Lady Gwendolen
Fortesque? l have met many a per
son well known to me of whose identi.
ty l was not at some time sure, and 1t
was natural that l did not feel certain
Of the identity of one whom had
seen but a few times Besides. how
could it be possible that member OF
a select circle of the British aristocra
cy could be teacher in st. Louis
public school? | was at the door
when the class was dismissed and
went to the desk to speak - Miss
Grandon about my daughter.
Curiosity prompted me to inquire
about Miss Grandon. but no one ap
peared to know anything about her
and the next autumn, when the school
opened, she was not there. | wrote to
friends in London asking Of the where
abouts of Lady Gwendoen Fortesque
and was told that she was travelling,
supposedly In Egypt This was puz-
Hing, but l was obliged TO be content,
for could learn nothing further from
England At home asked where
Miss Grandon had gone and was told
that she had accepted a position III
England. The Lady Gwendolen For
tesque, or Miss Grandon, whichever
she might be. occupied a considerab Bile
portion Of my thoughts for some time
hen gradually dropped out
When my daughter had finished hei
education l decided that she should
make her debut In London The intro,
luctioR was successfully accomplished
md we were kindly treated by Lon.
Ion society. One Of the first questions
asked was what had become Of Lady
3wendolen Fortesque. | was told that |
The was now Marchioness of Brockle- |
bourne. All my confidence as to Miss |
Brandon and Lady Gwendolen Fortes
Iue being one and the same person
deserted me. Certainly | must have
'een mistaken In thinking | saw q
recognition In Miss Gran
on's face.
The time came when at reception
re met the marchioness face to face
~ daughter had been extremely fond
Miss Grandon and when she saw
er double standing among group Of
ldies was impelled to run toward her
he checked the impulse. however or,
ither ! did, and few moments lateg
le warehouses saw us. She looked
way at once, but showed no especial
We saw her no more
lat evening, but the next day whose
lrd should be handed us but that Of
lie Warehouses Of Brocklebourne.
You may imagine that both my ;
aughter and l lost no time In going j
OVID to greet her. and the moment
lice entered the room she rushed into
n former teachers arms.
Then, Of course, we had the story
be marchioness' brother, oldest son
i'd heir Of the Earl of Herendeen,
ID become involved In speculation
ID had been proceeded against crimi-
lily and finally incarcerated During
is trouble her father spent every .
Mt of unentailed property to assist
; son. Lady Gwendolen Fortesque
solved to turn her education to adj
ntage, secretly sailed for America, i
sumed the name of her mothers
mily and secured position In the
bile schools of St Louis While
ere her father died and under a
itish law that no peer of the realm
q be arrested or imprisoned her
other. who became peer at his ia
RS death, was liberated Almost at
. same time the shares Of certain
'pOration In which the new earl was
lviy interested advanced In value
the London Stock Exchange. and
was cleared Of debt Lady Gwendo
returned to England, resumed her
dtion without her friends knowing
ere she had been and married.
Don't tell" she said. AS for me
I'M not ashamed of my work. but
family have made every effort to
ceal the knowledge that have
p teacher in America"
The Bedouin's Bed.
n Interesting Datient at the med |