The Press., 1884-01-24
Is SHE IN SOCIETY :?
'sBut is she in society ?,

1OoIH aG NdTTaganS0bb ElcI ttuh1uS OA young lady who had appeared at that pop ular resort about week before.
 Society? What is that ?" was the re- ply. ssAt least, what is it in America :? Abroad, admittance to the court circle, or being presented to the sovereign, gives the social hall mark, so to speak. But here, we have no court, no queen, no hereditary earistocracy and nobody, therefore, is en- titled to call themselves society, per ec- cette9ace The attempt to do 1t is inso- lent; the giving in to it is snobbish.''
 eff it were anybody else talking in this way, I should say sour grapes But ev- erybody knows, Jack, that you belong to one of our best families
 ''Best families, pshaw We all come, l hope, of honest people; but we are all none the less descended from simple yeo- men, or younger sons, at best ; too poer to live at home, but luckily with the pluck to emigrate in search of better fortunes. In that sense-in the sense that our all- cestors, who first came over, were bold and enterprising men, I grant you that we are descended from somebody worth boast ing of. l, for one, am prouder of 1t than If l had had some absolute earl for 8 grandfather"
 "You surely don't mean to deny that wealth, enjoyed for several generations, gives advantages of culture which are wanting i'll those born in poverty ?"
 Theoretically, you are right Prac- tically, wealth perpetuated, in the family generally leads to selfishness if not worse vices. All aristocracies die out; and while existing, deteriorate, as a rule, intellect ually. Why, Harry, iu Paris, they have to make hat especially for the nobles of the Gaacien regime, because their heads l,,,@ 11Y +1,o%
 stBut this Miss Brierly Is from some ob- scure western town ; mere nobody"
 ''That is to say, some of the people who come here, and who think they alone con- stitute society, refuse to make her ac- quaintance.'.
 "You have put it exactly. And fellow don't ike-at least l don't-to be seen talking to girl who is cut by all the oth- CT ladies'"
 '"Well, find her pretty, with charming manners, singularly well-informed she has face too, that is more than beauti- full it is full of spiritualized expression. ,
 "You're pretty hard hit, ;" thought the other. But he did not say so. He only remarked, sI am going to the studio ; will you come?''
 'No, thanks I have an engagement with Miss Coupon, after the bathing hour and, meantime, must write some letters. "
 "Ah my boy, that's the girl for you to marry worth nearly million, and all in government bonds. Go in and win. If I self. But I'm only poor lawyer. She wouldn't look at me-" And with these words he sauntered off.
 Miss Coupon, until the advent of ssthat western girl," as she called Mary Brierly, had been the acknowledged belle of the pier for she was not only great heiress, but had stylish figure, wore nothing but Worth dresses, and was quite the ''socie- ty' woman in department. She had, too, a good deal of what people called ''chic. , It was she who led the crusade against Miss Briefly for she had, from the first, recognized dangerous rival in the latter. She had marked her hero for her prey, and when she found him so attentive to Miss Brierly, she redoubled her efforts to captlvate him, and was continually in- venting excuses to make him join her, sending him pretty, scented notes, and projecting excursions, which he was asked to join. Jack. Curious, rather, for a girl to ask you to walk with her. But these heiress- es think they can do anything It will be IL l little more charity towards Miss Brierly Its hard on the girl to be left out in the cold in this way.''
 Jack had just emerged from the hotel, when he saw crowd running up from the beach, and heard cries of mingled horror and alarm. He accosted one of the fore most of the fugitiyes.
 "What is it?" he cried. 'Ah see. Somebody drowned. Who is it?' For he had already caught sight of recum- bent figure. borne on an improvised bier, borne by four stalwart bearers
 "lt Is Miss Coupon, the great belle," was the answer, made by young man from one of the smaller hotels, glad to find such a "swelI' as Mowbray to tell the news to. "But she isn't drowned fortu- nately, though she came near being so. She had ventured out too far, or got suck ed down by some unforeseen current, you see, sir, and found herself sinking. She cried for help; but, though there were a score of others in bathing, nobody went to her aid; nor did any of the lookers-on for everybody was afraid, I suppose of being dragged down by .her. She had gone under for the third time when a young lady, the western girl, as they call her-l don't know her name-who had DoOH UaGAluS, DuG naQ nn1SneC, heard the cries, and came running back. She plunged in at once, swan out, and rescued Miss Coupon. It was near shave too. for Miss Coupon dragged the other down, and only great courage and skill, they say, could have saved either. She sank on the sands exhausted Miss Coupon, but she wouldn't let them carry her up; she said she'd be better, as soon as she got her breath. P1ucky girl, that by George Miss Coupon could just speak, asking to be taken home, and then tainted dead away. She's more frightened than hurt, I guess One of the boatmen, who's help ing to carry her, said so."
 Mowbray drew long breath. A sud- den revelation had flashed upon him. His horror and agony, when he heard that Miss Brierly had been dragged under, re- yealed him the true state of his heart But this agony gave way immediately to proud exultation, when he realized that she had saved the life of an open foe. sIt IS heaping coals of fire on that malicious girls head, " he said to himself 1T won- der Miss Coupon will have the grace to show even decent gratitude Yes more than plucky,' recalling the econiums he had just listened to. "Heroic. To risk life for friend one can understand but to to do It for an enemy, that is akin to the