The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-11-13
4 WOMAN OF SOCIETY.
'Ehe Secret Of Lady Blanche Dulcimer's
Success in the World.

Lady Blanche Dulcimer was one of
the best dressed women in the world.
Oddly enough her love of display and
tasteful extravaganza did not manifest
themselves until she became a widow.
The late Colonel Dulcimer had lost a
fortune at cards, and the only provision
he was able to make for her was by in
curing his life for few thousand
pounds. And yet Lady Blanche had no
sooner cast off her widows weeds than
she blossomed into leader of fashion,
and excited the envy and admiration of
her friends by her costly toilettes. How
she did it nobody could imagine, for her
father was a bankrupt peer and none of
her relatives were in a position to assist
her. Her gowns alone must have ab-
,5orbed the whole of her modest income,
at the most moderate estimate, and
these were not only inexpensive items
of personal adornment which she in
du1ged in. It is true that she lived
quietly, and did not attempt to enter
tain; but even little pill-box of a
house in Park street cannot be kept up
ON nothing, and she certainly went a
good deal into society. Lady Blanche
was not given to speaking of her private
affairs, but she had been known to say
TO an inquisitive friend:
'Mt dear, it is Leboeuf who does it
all. 1t is astonishing how little wom-
an, residing alone, can live upon with
the exercise of judicious economy. I
am an excellent manager, though, per-
haps, I ought not to say so. But I
could not make both ends meet if it
were not for Lebeuf. She was my
maid years ago, you know, and she lets
me have my dresses at half price. Of
course, it is a very good advertisement
for her, for, as go about good deal, I
have got her no end of customers. But
she is good, grateful soul, and, strict
fy entire nous, I owe her more money at
this moment than I can ever hope to
pay. It is her way, my. dear, of return
ing my former kindness"
But this explanation was not consid-
cred satisfactory. Madame Lebeuf
was fashionable dressmaker, who, dur
ing the last few years, had attained
some celebrity. Those who had deal
ings with her unanimously agreed that
she was the last person in the world to
show consideration to anybody. She
was shrewd and grasping, her prices
enormous, and she had too keen an eye
for business to be capable of magnani-
nifty in the direction indicated by Lady
Blanche. Her professional skill, how
ever, ensured her a numerous and en-
-creasing clientele, and as money lend
ing at usurious interest formed an i'm
portant branch of her business, she was
generally supposed to be making for
tune.
But even assuming Lady Blanche had
got her gowns for nothing, together
with commissions on the purchases
made by customers she introduced, she
must have been very good manager
indeed to keep up the appearance she
did Of course, people will talk, and
the income of ones neighbors is fruit
fnl topic for idle gossip. 1t was pretty
well known that she was not in debt
at least to trades people; and it was
easy to calculate that she must be spend
ing two thousand year, if a penny.
FtWhere the deuce does she get it
from? inquired the old women of the
male sex, talking confidentially among
themselves at their clubs. "Perhap
Leytonstone could tell something if he
liked"
1t was certainly the fact that Lord
Leytonstone was paying the widow a
good deal of attention in a cautious way.
but no one believed the implied scandal,
TO begin with, Lady Blanche had an
unblemished reputation, and was by no
means addicted to Irritation. She con-
fessed to forty-a very damaging admis- |
sion-and, though decidedly handsome,
she could hardly be called fascinating, !
Her manner was much too brusque to |
be agreeable, and she was generally |
was wise to keep on good terms with. |
Lord Leytonstone, too, was not the sort
sof man to compromise himself with the |
sex. He was an elderly peer /
who had been fast in his youth, but had |
sobered down into a model of proprie- |
BY 1t was generally supposed that he |
was on the lookout for rich wife, his
Nwn fortune being in very impover-
Iahed state.
The real truth was that his 1ordship
was quite as much mystiied as the rest
of the world. His matrimonial aspira-
tions had induced him to make careful
inquiries regarding the circumstances of
Lady Blanche. He soon ascertained
Che extent of the income she derived
from her late husband, and satisfied
himself that she had no other visible
means of subsistence. His experience
caused him to disbelieve utterly in the
alleged benevolence of Madame Lee
boeuf. He was, therefore, even more
puzzled than other people to account
for Lady Blanche's aff1uence. When
he called at her house he noted with a
watchful eye the signs of comfort and
luxury by which she was surrounded.
A man who is nursing heavily mort
gagged estate by practicing the most rig
i'd economy can quickly perceive and
appreciate lavish expenditure. As he
sat slipping tea in the widows cosy
he came to the conclusion
chat her prosperity was real and sub