INCOGNITO

New Zealand Tablet, 5 August 1915, Page 7

INCOGNITO

Gardner Mac Knight, a wealthy New Yorker and a member of the smart set, issued invitations to a select few of his friends in the swim to 'what he called a ranch party. They were all to go west by train to a station, and from the station to the ranch by stage coach. He did not own the ranch, but said he had hired it for the occasion. The ranchman, Patrick Coleman, would remain in charge. Mac Knight’s guests being in the nature of boarders during their stay at Mac Knight’s expense. They were all, except one lady, representatives of American present-day society—that is, they had all come into a good deal of money during a recent date, had climbed into the swim and kicked the ladder away from under them in order that no one should be assisted upward by taking hold of their skirts. The exception was a Miss DeWitt, a scion of an old Dutch family which had managed through many generations to retain some wealth. On the second day after the party’s arrival the , owner returned. The guests were somewhat taken aback by the , greeting Mac Knight and Coleman gave each other, which was,quite chummy. Coleman was in ranch costume, rather brusque in his manner, and spoke with a brogue, though in his case it was not as broad as that of the ordinary son of Erin. On .the whole, the New Yorkers did not consider that there was anything about him that required different treatment from other men who were not in their set. It soon developed that Mr. Coleman was not of this opinion. He seemed to expect that he was to be taken in as one of the party. Mac Knight treated him as such and seemed to expect his guests to do -the same. Miss DeWitt, who was a cousin to the host, seemed disposed to accept Mr. Coleman as an equal—at least, while under his roof—but it was supposed by the others that she had taken her cue from the host. It was not long before Mr. Coleman saw that he was 'persona non (/rata and drew himself away from all except Miss DeWitt. Mac Knight seemed to bo provoked that his guests should carry their New York petty assumptions into the wild west. The men of the party saw at once that their host was displeased and mended their treatment of Coleman, but the women were not so minded. After all, it was quite natural that, having worked their way with so much trouble to a position where they could look down on the multitude, they appreciated what they had gained and did not propose to relinquish any infinitesimal part of it. There was .one young lady, Miss Eileen De Vine—— she had only just reached the surface in the swim—who maintained that, whatever be the treatment of Patrick Coleman, she would keep him where he belonged. ‘Pat,’ she said to him one morning, ‘ get mo a glass of water.’ • Coleman colored a bit, but went for the water. When he returned he said: ‘ Arc you related to the De Vines of Tipperary County, Ireland?’ - ’ It was now Miss De Vine’s turn to be red in the face. Michael Do Vine, her grandfather, had been steward for the estate of the Earl of Eringough. She pretended not to have heard the question, turning to speak to a girl sitting near her. It did not talje Mr. Coleman long to become used to the - treatment of Mr. Mac Knight’s guests, and, having been assured that they had no use for him, he seemed quite as well pleased as if they had. But such was not the case with Mac Knight. You were wrong about this matter, old man,’ he said to Coleman one day. ‘ Your plan of bringing these people out here without letting them know anything about you and expecting them to take you in as one of them has been a failure. , I told you it would be.’ ‘No failure at all,’ replied the other. ‘I supposed you would bring Americans such as are admired on the other side of the water for their broad views. Your guests I doubt not are of the commercial aristocracy. - They arc all right, but they have not been brought up to recognise a gentleman or a lady without an adviser. They must have some one to coach them, just as the

great bulk of people must have a critic for a painting, a statue, or. a poem. g - But you wouldn’t permit me to vouch for you.’ w ‘.Certainly not, and I don’t regret it. -If these persons knew who I am they would nauseate me with their flattery. g Don’t worry yourself about it, Mac. We are getting such people at home. After all they are better than our own aristocracy was when they drove you Americans out of the British empire. Your American aristocrats are at least harmless.’ ‘ Before I leave I shall tell my guests who you are.’ ‘ 1 prefer that you should not, but if you do don’t do so till the last moment of their stay here. By the bye, how comes it that your cousin. Miss DeWitt, treats me with so much more consideration than the rest ?’ She comes of a family that was prominent in America when there were few such in the land. Any one of these persons whom I have brought out here could have bought any one of her ancestors many times over. They were rich for those days, but not for now. Their claim to their position was their refinement. Such claims nowadays are based on the possession of wealth. My cousin had doubtless detected in you, beneath your sombrero and woollen shirt something akin to herself. But even if she has not done so she would scorn to remain under your roof without treating you with ordinary politeness.’ ‘Have you given her my incog?’ ‘ I have not.’. A canter over Mr. Coleman’s domain was arranged, and it was necessary that he should conduct them. The young men and women paired off, riding in couples. Miss DeWitt, seeing Mr. Coleman riding alone, spurred her horse beside him with the apparent pretence of asking him questions about the country. The act was noticed by the others. ‘ I wonder,’ said a lady in a low tone to her companion, ‘ how Miss DeWitt, who is so refined, can demean herself by associating with that Irishman.’ ‘ Pat isn’t bad,’ replied the other. ‘ lie’s a bit rough, but you wouldn’t expect a ranchman to be a silk stocking.’ ‘ I’m told that a number of younger sons of British gentlemen are engaged in ranching.’ Miss De Vine, who was riding near and heard this dialogue, informed the speakers that she was of Irish extraction and there was a great difference between the classes in Ireland. The gentry there did not usually come to America. Her grandfather had emigrated, but that was because he had lost his estates and could not maintain the position his family had occupied for many centuries. Some of the party who were observing Miss DeWitt and Patrick Coleman were puzzled, noticing that when in her company he seemed to lose much of his brusqueness. Indeed, occasionally his bearing toward her would be that of a gentleman, though somewhat antiquated. One of the men declared that if he did not know better he might suppose him to be an Irish gentleman of the old school. Before the party finished the rounds of the ranch and drew up at the ranch house, Miss DeWitt had received a great deal of information as to the methods pertaining to sheep-raising, especially the precautions necessary to preserve the sheep from the blizzards. On reaching the porch before which the party dismounted Mr. Coleman threw himself from his horse and handed Miss DeWitt down from hers in a manner that was noticed by the rest of the party. He seemed to have been born for such purpose. From that time during the. visit of the New Yorkers at the Coleman ranch, Miss DeWitt received and accepted marked attention from the ranchman, and with the women of the party lost caste considerably by doing so. The party remained together for two weeks, during which those who wished to hunt hunted, those who wished to fish fished, and those who preferred to do nothing lounged. During all this time Patrick Coleman and Miss DeWitt saw more and more of each other, and the ladies, despairing of the latter’s disposition to de-

grade herself by x accepting the attention of so ordinary a person as the rancher, left her to her own. sweet will. As the fortnight drew to an end it began: to look as though the two were going to make a match. ? ***** r On the day of the departure all the guests had entered the coach except Miss De Vine, who was about to do so. Coleman stood with his sombrero in his hand, while Mac Knight stood beside him. V ‘I think,’ said the latter to the party, ‘that I owe it to you to tell you that you have been the guests of two instead of one. My friend here is Patrick Coleman, the, son, of an Irish peer, the Earl of Eringough; He desired to see something of our best American society and proposed that I should bring out a party of my friends. He desires me to thank you for the honor you have done him.’ At the mention of the name Eringough, Miss De Vine, red as a peony, turned and sprang into the coach. Maclvnight climbed to a scat beside the driver, and as the coach disappeared from view a white handkerchief waved from an outside seat by Miss DeWitt'repaid the ranchman for the refusal of the others to admit, him to the charmed circle. * All this hapuened many years ago. In due time the Earl of Eringough died, and his son, the ranchman, inherited the title. Lady Eringough, vec. DeWitt, is now an Irish peeress. The members of the party who visited the Coleman ranch have never forgiven themselves for their blunder. Miss De Vine has made several trips abroad with a view to catching a titled husband, and has at last succeeded in marrying a marquis.