The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-02-17
SOCIALLY EMINENT.
ETY. MAN DISCUSSING A
IN IN DELMoNlCO'S.
The Gtsin and Discriminating Manuor
in Which He Received the Saluta-
lions of His Friends
an 0utstretched Hand

A society man of indubitable eminence sat
in DcimoEico's restaurant the other day dis
cussin2 luncheon composed of stuffed
crab and small bottle of Burgundy There
is no question: about his eminence socially.
He is perhaps the most distinctly fashionable
bachelor ia New York. Directly opposite
the window where he sat was big English
mail cart, perfectly groomed and nettle-
some team OF bays and small and correct
English tiger who stood at the pole as
though made of wax. The society man
wore a closely buttoned dark coat, which
was cut away in front, light waistcoat,
rather square toed boots an easy looking
collar, four or five rings and an air of entire
contentment. 1t is impossible to imagine
anything more thoroughly tragical than his
manner of slowly consuming a crab. His
single glass rested in his eye, naturally and
without effort, and when he became fatigued
with too much exertion with the fork, he
fell to examining his polished finger nails
through the single glass
VERY CALM AND DISCRIMINATING.
Nearly every equipage that rolled by the
window, and there was constant stream of
them, exhibited one or two attractive faces,
framed in Partisan bonnets The faces
looked o. ariv into the window and the
greater nla Ky of them smiled brilliant
OF cordial s.ceeting to the society man.
Nothin., could have exceeded the calm
and discriminating manner in which he re
ceived the salutations. To none of the ladies
did he Nouchsafe smile Most of them re
ceived a nod that was simply and plainly
careless and indifferent. 1t was such nod
as an ordinary man would give waiter who
would ask him if he would have some coffee
after dinner. Occasionally, however, he
would go so far as to look earnestly at a
particular lady and slowly bend his head
forward while he looked at her intently
The recipient of this particular form of
greeting always looked gratitied. The waiter
lowered around him, and spoke several times
about the temperature of the wine, and
asked whether the crab was devilled enough,
hut he attracted no more attention than il
he did not exist at all
The society man did not even look at him,
and apparently never thought of uttering a
word. When he had finished his luncheon
he scrubbed his name carelesslv across the
back of his check, tossed a fee to the other
end of the table and yaWned. The waiter
bowed and stood some distance away. Then
the society man fixed his glass little more
more firmly in his eye and stared carelerSv
about the room His face was rather pallid,
he was quite bald, and his age was perhaps
81 years. His name has been read by hun
| dreds of thousands of people continually for
the past ten years as guest at the most ex-
elusive of dinners, the host of titled visitors,
or the leader of the most proper and exclu-
sive cotillion during the season. He is in
| London during July and August, takes two
| or three weeks at Newport at the height of
| the season, goes to Lenox for October. hunts
through November, and then vacillates be-
tween New York and Washington until
coaching days in spring, when the time
comes for him To go abroad for the London
season
| IGNORING THE OUTSTRETCHED HAND.
| He rose from his seat, after staring some
| time about the restaurant, and receiving
| half a dozen cordial bows from ladies there,
with slight inclinations of his thinly matched
head, and, rising, moved slowly toward the
| door A millionaire race horse owner, who
was lunching with his son, rose politely and
shook hands with the society man, who
| bestowed two fingers upon him carelessly,
| ana moved on without a word. In the
| corner of the restaurant was an elderly
| gentleman and his three daughters. One
daughter was extremely pretty. The society
man wandered over toward them. All three
| of the girls smiled and bowed cordially, and
the banker rose from his seat with degree
| of politeness he had not shown to anyone
else who had spoken to him and stretched
| out his hand The society man ignored the
hand camly, imperturbably and completely
| He barely acknowledged the salutations OF
| two of the daughters, but leaned stitly over
the extremely pretty one, touched the tips Of
Der fingers with his own, half smiled upon
ire little group and carelessly withdrew
The bankers hand was still outstretched
| Tut he took it in as gracefully as he knew
sow and even managed to smile in rather Il
.arvile fashion. A moment later lie had
| hmbed to the seat OF his cart, pulled Oh hi,
| irving gloves, and with a touch of his whiI
went whirling up the avenue, while the little
tiger, with desperate effort swung himself
| into the rumble as the cart rolled away.
| dozen faces wsre turned toward him OF
every side as he drew his horses into tht
swim with a practiced hand but as long ht
remained in sight he did not raise his heaa
any more than was necessary in acknowledg
| ing salutations. This he did by raising hi.
whip hand YEARLY to the rim of his hat -
"B. H. in Brooklyn Eagle.