The daily Alaskan., 1917-02-06
.Ludin gton $
 .RoughDiamond
By DONALD CHAMBERLAIN

Edgar Ludington was born-not with a silver, not with gG,!aen, but with diamond spoon in his7Shouth. No one knew what his income was, but all knew that 1t was fabulous But Lu- dington was a good deal of man for all that. He had been graduated at college which brides itself on its de- mocracy and had resolutely refused to be considered faYorably on account of his wealth. He had also made friends of his classmates, irrespective of either his social or financial standing. His chum was the son of a backwoodsman.
 When Ludington left college he spent a year in New York associating with persons of his own social position, though he himself had descended from ancestors prominent in colonial times, while most of his set were of the newly rich. Indeed, he was about the only young man in New York who was both very rich and of blue blood. He found bis time principally occupied in escap- ing girls who wanted to marry him, and, tiring of this, he went west to become a rancher.
 At the end of couple of years he returned to New York to spend the cold season. He was not forgotten by his associates-rich men are never for gotten-and since be was fond of so- cial doings entered into the seasons pleasures. In January he opened one of his country places and invited party of young fellows and girls to spend a couple of weeks with him there. When they were assembled he said to them:
 I've taken up in the west with a rancher who is a rough diamond. He may not have the ways of the rest of US, and his clothes are certainly not of the latest cut, but assure you he Is a fine fellow whom I am proud to know. I've invited him to be with us, and I trust that you will all treat him as my friend"
 When Cuthbert Bradshaw appeared he gave evidence of having roughed 1t for the greater part of his life. It was not that he was made of coarse clay, for If properly dressed he would have at least looked like gentleman. It was that he had associated with rough persons so continuously that he had become rough himself. From his first appearance 1t was evident that none of the guests could stomach him He might be a rough diamond, but LudIng- tons friends had never been able to see the spiritual beauties of his rough dia- mond friends, and they did not pro pose to put up with MT. Bradshaw.
 The party had not been together twenty-four hours when they began to turn upon their host The men could not use him, for they had all the money they wanted; the women, any one of whom would have been glad to add his fortune to hers. would have borne with him, but not with his friend. and they felt aggrieyed that LudingtOn should have spoiled an otherwise pleasant house party by bringing Bradshaw into it. Besides, they felt that their skirts were soiled by contact with his unpol- ished boots.
 There would not have been open warfare between Ludington and bis guests had he not given as much or his time to Bradshaw as to any or them. And to make matters worse, in proportion to their giving Bradshaw the cold shoulder, Ludington gave him more of his time. At last Ludington became so incensed at the treatment of his favorite that he ignored them a good deal of the time to be himself with Bradshaw.
 If Ludington's guests had all the money they wanted there was one thing still to be desired-a foreign d- tie. This was beyond the hope of the men, but not the women, some Amer lean girls having paid millions for men from whom they were constrain- ed to secure speedy divorces. What was the house party's surprise to See one morning, under an announcement from London of the death of the Earl of Bablington, that, the earl dying childless, the title would fall to his nephew, "Cuthbert Bradshaw, now ranching in New Mexico"
 As soon as 1t was evident that Mir. Bradshaw was a noble lord of high degreeSall the women of the party about faced and sought an opportunity to do him honor. But he went about among them without taking any notice of them for the few hours he re- mained in the house and when he went out of it simply raised his hat politely to the group that stood on the porte-cochere. to see him of. When he was gone the women vented their spite on Ludington for having deceived them as to MT. Bradshaw's family connec- tions.
 Some declared that 1t was frameup on them; that Bradshaw knew better