Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-10-09
great friend OF Masses, and her wonderful party

4
But what does she want With me?- l re
! peated.
They all smiled, and Winton. who had Jus
come back, said "Capltai,' He volnnrasref +
go and look for Charley. and suggest d to one Q
the gentlemen to see about my carriage
The Duchess Is delighted" he said ''an
marked noe SO much !oT the introducti07. y
WoLder. It makes the whole thing complete
Didn't GO well about Charley? II WOULDN'T n
at all for him to be in the background But
listen, have hint for your pirate ear.
sh0uionL he at sill surprised If a certain Person
is there this evening"
oh! az the Duchess. OF course. lust Civ
You the hfHt. Throw over any engagement. d.
with grave face he went
For minute or two felt inclined to cry.
had mao 10 luncheon, and this eXtraQrdinarI
auNenture puzzled me. | looked round at nj
home" said.
Lord snappington Immediately offered m.
th us arc; Malor Beaulieu brought nay parasol-
any, indeed, / went on; Il think you take nj
Tor some che else"
At this they all laughed, and Lord Swapping
ION said wonid honor him by making use oil
his? He didn't want IL for the rest OF The after.
noon. II 1 liked TO drive. He was so pressing
that really couldn't refuse to go tn Inverness.
Terrace In II. although hardly expected .hz
wonderful IoOtman to know where it was
declare when found myself in the carriage
quite alone | rubbed my eyes aid pinchei nv
fingers: i could hardly help thinking that
had fallen asleep and had Greamt an ibis but
Just as was pinchlng myself hard saw Char.
ley and Matilda standing on the pavement in
Piccadiiiy, locking very hot and uncomtorr a bic.
put my heat out OF the window ana caI!ej IN
The grand c0achman to STOP
Inc man looked at me very wickedv but
didn care. Jumped out, AMI never fclt more
leased tnan when got hold OF Oh ir,ey'5 arm
anu tHe me carriage had driven away empty
Any thing like the anazenenr OF Charjay and
MatICa, when they heard nv adventure
never saw. THEY couldn't make head nor tail
OF II any more than myself; only one thing WAS
something 10 eat. | was so faint with excite.
melt ard hunger. We ali made Up our mind,
thaI Al W1S mistake OF some kind. We went
carefully through the catalogue but there was
nothl1g mere. Charley proposed running into
BIS. Smlt hers at No. In (She sets I'D 10 he
artistic. but Matilda said zao-not on any ac.
S0unlItLe thing was to keep our own counsel.
Matilda was all Tor our going to the DuchesS's
She said ii didn't matter, mistake or M MS.
take. she had asked nee to her house In nv
OWL proper person and under my own proper
nalht, alu there was no imposition OF fOrcfng
myself III on my side. Charley said the sans
and added that at all events IL would be nm,
SO We went. Charley burst out laughing In Inc
carr1age-he said his godIather's wife would
Ied ~ Mnfn she heard that we had been to
cranberry House. But | think he got nervous
When we We're actually inside. ! know | felt
ready 10 SINK INTO the earth when we walked
9 up me grand staircase through lines OF pow
absurd. The first person saw was Iori SnaH.
pington near the door. He seemed like an oiC1
lriend; and presently Colonel Beaulieu iOIned
eH. ne seemed 10 Know Charley very Well,
aIhouSh Charley says they haven't done more
t tLi nod tnese ten years; but he was very
friendly and asked US 20 drive down on his
C0ach 10 the Orleans next day. | was Very
and-SO had !. ~ o.
After time little Wtnton came I'D in a great
russ, ana said the Duchess was asking for me.
anu mat was to go into the boudOlr. didn't.
OF course, KNOW where that was but Lori
Snappington gave me his arm and said he would
take Inc there. AS we walked along | heard a
great many people whispering together, There
she Is. ca Lord SnappingtOn's arm" l was
dying to know what 1t ali meant, and would
have asked Lord Snappington then and there
only that MaiildaS last words HAD been: "Mind
You ask no questions. just take everything as
u comes" sun l think | would have S I'D
something. but just then we got into the bou-
uOlr. ana there was the same lady had seen in
the morning, only looking much grdnder and
Win The NEST lovely diamonds on her head
men with her, and she was talking To a Person.
age whom | recognized at once. and nv knees
knocked together with fright.
on on here Is Mrs. Redcar!1 cried the Duchess;
now We have her we shall be all right
The certain Person put glass In his eve and
looked at me-:
Fond OF swinging, Mrs. Redear?" much In
the manner Charley would have said n Ana
then every one began to laugh. / laughed too
had no idea why.
DO you swing much?" the Parsonage went
on. still surveying lie through the glass earn
estly.
| hadn't swung since l was a child. and I
thought 1t very odd question, but, before had
time 10 answer, the Duchess struck H.
my sW1nglng-party comes Off On the 20th
and have given directions to have rose-col-
ored swing put up for Mrs. Radcar."
Ihefe was general chorus OF appreciation
ana really began to think had got among
v1c+
In the next room, and there was a move TO-
wards 1t. The certain Person fingered a mo-
ment:
Duchess. 1 shall certainly come r. vour
swinging party on the Goth for the pie 1sure of
seeing Mrs. Redcar in the rose coiored swIng.n
lie smiled Pleasantly at me as he Spoke did
this Great Man, and strolled fazlly out of the
poudOir.
When he was gone every one crowded round
me. I'm sure l made twenty acquaintances
and had twenty invitations In as many min
All the rest of the evening was one wbtrl of
pleasure. Charley enjoyed 1t quite as much as
| Gid, and We both agreed that after all good
company is nicer than and quite as cheap as
any other.
In the middle of the night Charley agoke me
0y another loud tit or laughter. Il can't helm
Il, Beauty he said, 'but | can't get over god
fathers wife when she hears or our being on
easy terms with the best in the land"
1t was most surprising. There was certainly
10 doubt On that point.
The next morning we had Just done break
last When, 10 our surprise, Charley'5 goifather's
vile drove up. Matilda had just time TO give
US word or caution when she came In all
laces and r1bDons, bangles and chains-so nm
ike the Duchess. She made straight at mo.
My dear" she said. and kissed me on both
cheeks; how sly OF you;' and then she kissed
he again.
just then there came another knock ar the
door, and one OF Charley's uncles, "a very great
with works at the Easf End
was announced. He was good man and I
liked HIM, but his face was extra long this
He took Charley and me aside:
us this true?" he SAID, and he thrust copy
Oh TIE Wh'tekdH Rertejr into my hand, pointing
10 this paragraph:
Il am glad 10 tell my readers that the
charming original OF Monsieur Henri Masses
FAMOUS picture OF Love In a Swing Is among
us. She Is not Frenchwoman. but English
porn ana Dred-Mrs- ltedcar, wife OF CAPTAIN
ara we may well be proud OF our lovely conn
uyWoman. This puts an end to the countless
stories Which have been floating about since
The picture appeared. 1t Is TO the Duchess nj
cranberry (AOlSleur Masses Old friend) that
We owe this addition to the ranks OF the
Beauties Mrs Redcar appears under the
Duchess wing. She made her debut at the
! rahDerIy House Soiree last night and was
hugely admired ~
50 much for the truth OF report. After all,
then. there was 10 harm IL IL, and although at
first didn't like sailing under false colOrs still
halnda persuaded me it would be foolish TO
make fuss; had only to hold my tongue and
let the fashionable world and the Fashionable
newspapers tell as many lies as they pleased |
Qid so. became the fashion. After the Duchess,
swinging party on the 20th OF June, 1879. my