The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-01-30
The Repairing Of
Harricot Castle
By ELlNOR MARSH

! Ned Mal0ney In conventional evening
dress was strollins through the apart
ments Of Mrs. Winterton. who was
giving reception to the noble Earl
or Harricot. his lorlship having re-
Gently come over from England. Ned
was making his way toward the host
ess. who stood receiving her guests,
Lord Harricot standing beside her.
Suddenly Ned stopped and stared at
the Britisher.
Had Ned twin brother and was
that brother the honored guest of the
evening" Perhaps the likAess was
heightened by the similarity of dress,
Tor there Is no variation in mems even
Ing apparel Perhaps the fact that
neither wore any hair on his face also
had some bearing on the resemblance.
Ned rctreated a short distance ana
gave himself up to thought. 1t was
no secret that Lord IIarrieot had come
over IN search Of a wife who would
have the means 10 build up Harrieot
castle. which. having been built in the
year y. u. 300, was sadly in need OF
repairs. Indeed. the object of his lord
ships visit To America had been pri-
vately given by Mrs Winterton to a
few Of the wealtheSt girls with a view
to facilitating the success of his I'M
dertahing, for it was to be under
/ stood that any marriage that might
take place would he one of conven-
/ fence
Ned had seen and admired a certain
lady and had worshiped her in secret.
What pat it into his head to pass
himself eff rs Lord IIarricot to this
| Miss GerH dine Mortimer he could new
er quite explain Nevertheless the
idea somehow got lodged there and
took root. Miss Mortimer was in very
moderate circumstances. which did not
Gil the lin at all On the other hand,
Ned was rich.
Ned reiraincd from greeting the
hostess. a. lie was bound 10 do. and
ere t. @iC, 50 Tat The resem.
m"rcc 'etweea him sclr and the noble
lord WIS 70. noticed The next day he
called on his friend. Mrs. Amy Lee.
and impaired his scheme. Mrs. Lee
f..t y stt t9i seeker after inter-
oT''ng 'ts lens finally promised to
i"tradit.n I'm To Miss Mortimer rs
Lord llarricot
Miss Morllmcr had caught a glimpse
uf lis ipftiship at the opera, and he had
met her gaze admirincly. She was
therefore not surprised when she was
Informed that he had asked for an in
PRODUCTION to her Nevertheless. hav-
ing heard report of the object of his
visit to America and supposing that
she would he expected to repair Ilar
ricot castle. which she was unable to
do, she hestatcd as to granting per-
mission for the introduction. But
there Is always an expectation with
woman that she may be loved for her
self. At any rate. Miss Mortimer final
~ consented.
During the short period of Ned Ma
Loney's devotion to Geraldine Mortimer
as Lord Harricot the imposture was
constantly on the eve of being discov-
cred. Several times he supposed that
It was all up with him. But his good
fortune stood by him, and when he
was ready to confess the trick he was
not even suspected.
y,,a1a short xyarly nf his wOQiDO
Indeed. he dare not make long work or
1t. One day. being encouraged. he pro-
posed. pretending that he had under
stood Miss Mortimer to be wealthy,
and giving her to understand that his
proposal carried with 1t an agreement
on her part not only to settle half
million on her husband. but settle an
other half million on the home of his
ancestors.
Miss Mortimer had been wondering
whether Harricots attentions came
from love or whether he had been mis-.
Informed as to her pecuniary status.
When her mind was relieved she was
greatly disappointed. The trouble was
that she had lost her heart to him.
Tears stood in her eyes as she con-
fessed that she was without the means
TO purchase his lordship.
Then Ned. being convinced that she
loved him, confessed that he was not
a lord at all, that he was an ordinary
American citizen, and that If she would
accept him with love in a cottage
which is another name for poverty, ms
proposition held good.
Miss Mortimer must have been very
much i'm love TO forgive the deception
especially since Ned had no plausible
reason for having made it. But she
did forgive him and was very much
delighted that after all she need not
give up the man she loved because she
had not the means to put stone anu
mortar into an old pile, the glory OF
which had departed when 1t was cap
tured by the house of Lancaster our
ing the War Of the Roses. Ned pleased
her first with his expressions of love,