The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-09-27
A SOCIAL SHOCK.
Why Mre. Mostyn Fled from a
London Dress-Maker.

Dinner was announced immediately
after Mrs. Washington Mostyn entered
che drawing-room, and, indeed, IL ap.
peared that the party were only waiting
her arrival to put an end to the classic
bad quarter of an hour
My dear" whispered Lady Kendall,
II am going to send you down with a
most charming young man, Algie Up
ham, cousin Of the Duchess of Liver.
pool; think he's quite one of the
incest men in London, and so artistic,
don't you know"
Mrs. Mcstyn raised her tortoise-shell
lorgnette in the direction of the gentle
man Indicated and was pleased to make
an inspection and give an opinion in
not moro than two seconds:
charmed, am sure. What good
looking young man. All, see-race
and intelligence"
Eyes, both. But allow me to intro
duce you," said Lady Kendall. In an
other minute or so the women were
trailing their silken and velvet skirts
downstairs to the dining-room. Mrs.
Washington Mostyn belonged to the
'four hundred" of New York, If not by
birth, at any rate by wealth. Her hus-
band, who was content to pursue opera
tlons in Wall street most of the year
round, was wont to leave the cultiva-
tion of society to his handsome wife.
Their brown stone mansion on Fifth
avenue was as gorgeous as many of
their richer neighbors, and no one un-
derstood better the art of "booming" an
entertainment and getting herself
talked about than Mrs. Washington
Mostyn, of New York. And then, her
cottage" at Newport, was it not cele-
brated in every paper throughout the
length and breadth of the continent? 1t
was there that she entertained Iavishly
migratory members of the English aris-
tocracy in quest Of amusement, wives or
sport, thereby forming connections
which she meant to push vigorously
now that she had actually arrived in
London. Had not Lord Birkenhead,
the Duchess of Liverpool's eldest son,
been one of these feted and flattered
youngsters? And was not the dear
Duchess proportionately grateful, and
inclined to open the ducal arms in a
manner that she was not won't to do
with certain dear friends and rivals
from New York and Washing ton? And
as to the society of which this fastid-
eous lady was so distinguished an or
nament, was it not the most select and
"high-toned" as the transatlantic
scribe would put ito be found on the
same continent?
But Mrs. Washington Mostyn had
still one unsatisfed ambition, and that
was to become as much Londoner as
her fair friends and neighbors had con-
trived to make themselves. To London,
Of course, like every other self-respect-
ing American, she had been, but it was
with the London of hotels, parks and
theaters only that she was familiar.
Into its society she had never pene-
trated. And SO 1t came to pass that
Mrs. Mostyn, leaving her husband to
perform his avocation of "bear" in
Wall street, caused several enormous
trunks to be packed, and, arming her.
self with introductions to some of the
best people in London, betook herself
her maid and her courier by the next
steamer to Liverpool landing on these
shores by the beginning of May. Lady
Kendall, who loved above all things a
new face, had been one of the first host
esses to make much of her.
1t was rather an amusing table,
though it somewhat shocked Mrs. Mos
tyn's fastidious sense of the social pro-
prieties. Looking round, she was struck
with the familiar look of the faces, and
as matter of fact she could have seen
most of the persons present by taking a
walk down Bond street ard glancing in
the photographers windows as she went
along.
Lady Kendal's parties were celebrated
in their way, for she was what an
irreverept modern journalist had not
inaptly called mixer" She would
send down famous poet with an Am
bassadress, Cabinet Minister with a
pretty actress, or consign a great lady |
to fashionable singer. 1t was social |
salad, and people were pleased, once in |
a way, to meet elebrlties of whom they |
had heard great deal Now Mrs.
Mostyn. like others of the 'four hun
dred," knew little, and approved less,
of mixing" She would as soon have
asked Lii Sing, her Chinese laundry
man, to dinner as some of the actors,
journalists and painters whom Lady
Kendall liked to see occasionally at her
table. Tonight for instance, across
the banks Of mauve and white orchids,
Mrs Mostyn could catch the profile of
her Grace of Liverpool, smiling on a
handsome Polish tenor who had turned
the women's heads in half the opera
houses in Europe; while opposite her
sat the celebrated biologist, Prof. Lyn-
lall, who was apparently delighted
with his neighbor, a little Virginian
beauty who had written some rather
srotic novels.
"Why couldn't Lady Kendall have told
ne what his line is?" thought Mrs
Mostyn, glancing at her partner as she
settled herself in her place. 81 hate
,alking to man know nothing about!
Sport-art--the Gaiety? What shall it
%? l know-polo All Englishmen
play polo, or If they don't they like you
o think they do"
But it was not, after all, of polo that
Mr.. Algernon Upham conversed. He
lad a hundred amusing stories to tell
tories of the theatrical world in Lon
lon, OF great people in Vienna, of the
Iteliers in Paris
"You paint, then?" asked Mrs. Mos
yn, when the talk turned on the last
ubject. !
81 used TO-" said Upham, modestly. !
Il have almost given it up now; in fact,
think it gave me up. spent five de- :,