Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-07-27
The Part Played by
Miss Dudley
Il Did Not Result Exactly
as Was Expected
BY ETHEL HOLMES

beautiful hills and the valleys between
them. A girl alighted, and another
girl came out of the house and took
the new arrival In her arms; then, each
encircling the others waist, they passed
into the house.
Later they sat on the porch together.
The newcomer said:
well, Clara, I'm here What a l
do for your"
II want you to act a part"
Are you to give up your place for a
movie play2 Surely the pictures will
be beautiful"
mo movie play; the real thing"
.Go on. You interest me-"
"You know that l am very rich"
Il certainly do, having experienced
many a taste of your fortune"
1--WE rich girls when 1t ONE to mar
rage are at a great disadvantage"
II thought 1t was we dowerless girls
who suffer In that respect
you know very well that l mean we
wish to be loved for ourselves and we
are usually loved for our possessions"
That's better than not being loved
at all"
"Stop your nonsense till l have fin
ished. What | have to say Is serious.
OF cours marriage in the east of a girl
who has a fortune necessarily becomes
something of a commercial matter.
She is expected to get an equivalent
from the man she marr1es.'
Inclined, you mean."
II suppose so. A match has been ar
ranged by mutual friends whom l met
In England between me and Lord Ed
monston. He Is heir to the title, but
there is no estate: at least 1t Is largely
encountered"
1.-The commercial part of It all is that
you are to go into a matrimonial part
nership, he to furnish the title. you the
wherewithal to keep it up"
"Bluntly but truthfully stated. New
ertheless we women prefer to be loved
by the man we marry. Edmonston
and ! have e met He is coming
tomorrow to make my acquaintance
and win remain here so long as he
likes. Now, / wish you to be / while
I am you. l shall try to win his heart,
he supposing his interest is tn you. Do
you seer
Ruth Dudley looked serious.
Eyes; l see plainly. but suppose you
failAto induce him to give I'D -the-rich
girl for the poor girl? Where will I
be? Your mother from the time l was
a baby saved me from poverty and all
that means to a child In it's future sta
ton In life. This she did by using that
fortune you now possess You ask me
to do that which In case your plan fails
will lay me open to a charge of base
ingratitude."
They were sitting side by side ON a
wicker bench. Clara Kimball put an
arm around her friends waist, drew
her to her, kissed her and said:
Ruth, dear, If my plan fails 1 shall
rejoice to greet you as Lady Edmon-
ston.'
"Thank you. Clara. | have no ambi-
ton to marry a man with something
to live up to and nothing to do it on"
But Miss Dudley was persuaded to
do that against which her in%clinations
as well as her Judgment rebelled. II
was the obligation that compelled her.
She accepted the situation resolving
that If she could antagonize Lord Ed
monston she would certainly do SO.
Mrs. Kimball, Clara's mother, was
the only person in the house besides
these two, excepting the servants, and
she was in her daughters secret She
was to keep out of the way except so
far as she would be needed as chap
eron. Lord Edmonston arrived, and
Ruth received him as his prospective
iancee. There are good men in the
British aristocracy and there are men
who do not deserve to be classed as
men. Edmonston belonged to the for.
mer class.
Edmonston did what would naturally
have been expected of him under the
circumstances-he showed a preference
for the girl he supposed to be the heir
ess. Ruth treated him, to say the least,
without cordiality. Clara did her best
to please him Edmonston appeared to
accept the situation and showed him
self disposed toward the company of
Clara. 1t must have been evident to
him that he had not made a good i'm
preston on the supposed heiress, but
that her friend was quite pleased with
him. What he really thought OF felt
neither of the girls knew. When the
first day of his visit ended the girls
before going to bed held a conference
and the real Ruth congratulated the
real Clara on the way the plan was
working.
1T bids fair" said Ruth, ITO be a
very pretty romance with a delightful
denouement."
you shall come and live with me at
Edmonston CASTLE" said Clara.
Ruth" said Clara one morning, "this
Is downright selhshness on my part. If
] am to have a coronet and q fortune
you should have at least a fortune. |
have written Duncan Swift to come up
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