The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1917-01-22
The Repairing Of
Harricot Castle
By ELINOR MARSI!

Neu MalOney i'll conventional evening
dress was stroliing through the APART
ments of Mrs. Winterton. who was
giving a reception to the noble Eayi
# Harricot, his loriship having re-
emily cCme over from England. Nc:l
was making his way toward the host
ess, who stood receiving her guests,
Lord Harricot standing beside her
suddenly Ned stopped and stared a
he Britisher
Had Ned q twin brother and wa;
Chat brother the honored guest of the
evening? Perhaps the likeness was
heightened by the similarity Of dress.
.or there Is no variation in mems even
ng apparel. Perhaps the fact tina.
neither wore any hair On BIS ace aiiG
iiaI SOME bearing on the resemblance
Ned retrcated a short distance AMI
. gave himself up to thought 1t was
40 secret that Lord Harricot had come
over i'll search Of a wife WHO would
have the means to build up H<rr.eot
castie, which, having been built in the
year a. II. 1900, was sadly in need OF
repairs. Indeed, the object OF his lord
SHIPS visit to America had been pri-
yately given by Mrs. Winterton to a
few of the wealthiest girls with view
TO facilitating the success of his I'M
dertaking, for it Was to be under
stood that any marriage that might
take place would be one of conven
cnce.
Ned had seen and admired a certain
lady ana had worshiped her in secret.
what put it into his head to pas:
himself off as Lord Harricot to this
Miss Geraldine Mortimer he could nov
er quite explain. Nevertheless the
idea somehow got lodged there and
took root. Miss Mortimer was in very
moderate circumstances, which did nor
tlll the bill at all. On the other hand.
Ned was rich.
Ned refrained from greeting the
hostess, as he was bound to do, and
left the house, so that the resem
Dlance between himself and the noble
lord was not noticed. The next day he
called on his friend Mrs. Amy Lee.
and impaired his scheme. Mrs. Lee,
who was natural seeker after inter
eSting situations, finally promised to
introduce him to Miss Mortimer as
Lord Harricot
Miss Mortimer had caught glimpse
of his lordship at the opera. and he had
met her gaze admiringly She was
therefore not surprised when she was
Informed that he had asked for an in
PRODUCTION to her Nevertheless, hay
ing heard a report of the object of his
visit to America and supposing that
she would be expected to repair Har-
ricot castle. which she was unable to
do. she hcsitated as to granting per-
mission for the introduction. But
there is always an expectation with a
woman that she may he 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
1t 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
Ned made short work of his wooing.
Indeed, he dare not make long work Of
It, 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 it an agreement
on her part not only to settle half a
million on her husband. but settle an
other half million on the home of his
ancestors.
Miss Mortimer had been wondering
whether Harricot's 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
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, his
proposition held good.
Miss ATnrf;,nor D,,,ct boxO bo0,, voru
much in 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 and
mortar into an old pile, the glory of
which had departed when it was cap
tured by the house of Lancaster dur
ing the War of the Roses. Ned pleased
her first with his expressions of love,
which were sincere, and, second, told
her that he could not lavish wealth
upon her, which was insincere.
However, he did not try to keep up
this deception as to his finances, and
one morning drove her to a palatial
house in the center of spacious grounds
and informed her that it was Harricot