Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1926-02-17
Lady Fanny
Burton
By DOROTHY DOUGLAS

| son that had entered her tiny shop
The lady had been there before ant
had purchased great assortment OF
chiffon lampshades cushions and tat
feta bedspreads.
Mrs. Bradshaw beamed upon Fanny
with her most engaging smile.
"My dear" she said, II have come
down to ask you to do something for
me and hope you are going to be nice
| about it. You're the only person
can ask to do it as you're so thorough
ly English and-a-to the manner
| born-as it were"
A slow smile crept into Fanny's
eyes. To Mrs. Bradshaw it was en-
tirely enigmatical. But she went on
with her proposition.
Miss Burton" continued the So
ciety lady, eff you will Join a large
dinner party I am giving Friday eve
ming and pose as a lady Of title and
one of my closest friends-I will give
you one thousand dollars"
Fanny's eyes opened wide, then
closed slightly in keen mental .scru
tiny. She did not, however, permit
herself an answer to the curious sug-
gestion. Instead she cast a glance
Into a tiny adjoining room in which
soft flame curtains were swaying in
the breeze and from which a glorious
odor Of coffee was waited to her.
"How sweet Of you," said Mrs. Brad
shaw. accepting the unspoken invita-
ton and she followed the lithsome
Fanny. "Tm guilty Of having had
secret hope that you would give me
cup of coffee"
When they were seated on opposite
sides of a tiny, yellow clad table and
slipping coffee from flame colored cups
Mrs. Bradshaw told her story.
This dinner party l am giving will
number among the guests four ladies
from small town near Boston. In
that same town my husband built up
his huge business-in trade. Honest,
clean trade. Now, while these ladies
all accepted my hospitality and pre-
tended great friendship I knew they
knitted me 10 their snobby, underhand
way" Mrs. Bradshaw laughed good
humoredly. And now ] just want to
have some fun out Of them and intro,
duce them to real lady Of title.
They'll talk about 1t 70 the end Of their
days and have It all over the local
news. won't give the joke away
either-I only want to feel that have
put one over on them-it may wipe out
a few Of the old scars. felt it then.
horribly"
Fanny leaned swiftly near to Mrs.
Bradshaw and slipped a cool hand into
her friendly clasp. II know that kind
Of person only too WE'LL" she said,
"those who are friends during afflu
ence"
"Then you will-come"
Eyes. But only If you let me come
as friend and let me be numbered
among your friends-afterward All
] want will be lovely frock-I haven't
one to suit the part"
"AId you must call me Alice and
you are-@3" q
"Fanny-shall we say Lady Fanny
Burton?"
And on the Friday evening follow
ing, the four guests from the small
town arrived and their complete sui
1ugation and awe by the simple prefix,
Lady, was all that could be expected.
And when Mrs. Bradshaw, whose hus-
band had been ain trade was affec'
tionately addressed by Lady Fanny as
"Alice darling" they knew that to the
end Of their days they, too, would call
her by that intimate term.
But the real surprise Of the eve
ming was when strapping big man
with slight limp arrived and was
taken in charge straight away by his
aunt, Mrs. Bradshaw, and introduced
to the titled guest.
There was feeting moment when
the whole world seemed to stand still
and tremendous silence told OF
great happening.
Tied Bradshaw in a small, too
trembling voice.
LADY Fanny-oh-I can't believe 1t !!
Not really you?" in a mans voice that
fought for steadness.
He turned to the astOnished aunt.
Aunt Alice, you never knew why l
took that trip to England, but IT was
to try TO trace the only woman l ever
could care for. She nursed me in
her ancestral home when they sent
me back to England and because l
didn't have a bean and she was
lady of rank-I-left her without tell
ing her r" he stumbled, said the rest
under his breath, looking only into
Fanny's eyes, then added aloud,
"When went back to get her she had
vanished and I failed to get even q
trace Of her"
| Il lost observation-disclosures
war" Lady Fanny told him quietly
land slipped quietly over here to Tor
J get and work out my problem. wish
you had told me"
The butler arrived to announce din