DUPED BY A SHAM LORD.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1284, 27 February 1883, Page 2

DUPED BY A SHAM LORD.

A very grievous misadventure han befallen a worthy grocer at a watering place on the southern Coast. His wife and daughters recently went fork tour on the Continent, and while staying at a hotel in Switzerland had for tneir neighbor at the table d'hote an affable gentleman of distinguished appearance, who made himself very agreeable to one of the daughters. After he had left the table one morning one of the young ladies noticed an envelope under his chair, and on picking it up found that it was addressed to Lord Somerville. Her mamma, to whom she gave it, handed it back to Lord Somerville, who was taking his Coffee outside, and who confided to her that he travelled as Captain B—— (the name by which he was known to the ladies), because " if you are known to be a person of title they swindle you so desperately.” The good lady wM probably not displeased at the idea of one of her daughters becoming the wife of a lord, and when a few days afterwards Lord Somerville told her that he had some difficulty in getting a cheque cashed, she at dnee Volunteered to let him have fifty or silty pounds to go on With. This loan he was with difficulty induced to accept; and in the course of a few day* the father arrived from England at the summons of his good lady, who did not equal to the task of dealing unaided with a peer of the realm. Th« father was enchanted with Lord Somerville’s distinguished manners, but, being an honest man, thought it right to inform him that he was only a plain tradesman, though he could settle a good round sum ou his daughter. Lord Somerville met this very properly by saying that he did not care about that; all he could say was that he was very fond of the girl, and hoped that she would not refuse him. The whole party then returned to England; and Lord Somerville accepted his future father-in-law's invitation to visit him at St. Leonards. The worthy grocer, not content with making great preparations in his own house and hiring a local chef of some renown for the occasion, engaged a suite of room* at the best hotel for Lord Somerville; who accepted all these attentions with careless good nature, and arranged on the Saturday to go to London ott the following Monday with his future father in-law and to put him in communication with his solicitors. In the meantime he asked the old gentleman to save him the trouble of writing out a cheque, and altogether received some £BO or £9O in cash, besides having all his expenses paid, since the fortunate day when his identity was accidentally disclosed to the ladies He dined at the house on Sunday evening, but when his father-in law that was to be went to the station on Monday morning, Lord Somerville was not there. Thinking that his patrician habits had made him late for the train, he went to the hotel, only to find that his lordship had left; and all that he has since been able to ascertain is that his gueet was seen taking a train for Dover early in the morning.