Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1890-02-06

How An Amersea. eha cans OCT VIA
F1ying CsaeGs.

I1yh6 Coso96
The following is narrative Of IN incl
dent which occurred in st. Petersburg
some years ago. The American lady con-
cerned is the daughter Of prominent pub
lie benefactor, has for years been Q social
leader in Washington, is the wife Of .
leading Republican statesman, and would
be recognized instantly If her name might
be mentioned, AYERS the Washington Post.
A grand reception was In progress ct
the palace of high Russian dignitary.
Members of the Cabinet, Generals of the
army, Grand Dukes, the nobility Of the
empire and the Diplomatic Corps were
present. 1t was q notable affair. -Four
young ladies-thiee Russian and one
American-had gathered into little nook
screened in palms, and were discussing In
French the dowdy appearance Of high
court lady. Some eavesdr0pper caught
their remarks and bore them to the criti-
ciZed lady. She in turn Indignantly re-
ported the conversation to noble duchess,
who held the peculiar Office Of '.mistress
of etiquette" She retired to q private
room and had the four culprits summoned
before her. They appeared, the Russian
girls in fear and trembling, the American
calm and self-possessed.
"Young ladies'" said she, ''you have
been commenting discourteously upon the
personal appearance of Lady -. You
have committed Il grave breach of Ell.
quette and it is my duty as court mistress
of etiquette to punish you. Olga, your
slipper"'
The trembling Olga took off her slipper
and meekly received sound punishment
of the sort confined in America exclusive
ly to the nursery.
'sKatia, it is your turn. Give me your
slipperr' said the memorable duenna, as
the weeping Olga arose from her castiga-
ton. Katia took her cruel with audible
lamentations, and Tania followed the suf.
fering Katia.
All the while the American girl watched
and waited. The indignities thrust upon
her companions reused the Hail Columbia
in her. Her eyes flashed and her little
fists clenched with excitement.
sit is your turn nOw," said the mistress
of etiquette to the fair American, ''yOur
slipper, please
COlumbia's blood was up. There was
fighting stock back of her for generations.
She removed her slipper and drew near,
but she held the slipper by the toe. At
proper range she swung the missile and
struck the OLD lady in the mouth a fearful
clip. Then she sailed in. Lace, feathers
and furbelows flew. Finger-nails fetched
blood. Gray hair and the st. Petersburg
fashions of 1868 filled the air. The
screams of the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS mis-
tress of etiquette brought crowd. The
three Russian girls were screaming in their
respective corners. The old lady was hors
de combat, and fiery-eyed goddess Of
liberty stood in the center Of the room,
waving tuft of gray hair in one hand
and jeweled hair dagger, with which
she had been trying to stab the Russian,
in the other.
The mistress of etiquette fairly scream
ed with impOtent rage, showered maledic-
tons in broken French, German and Rus
sian upon her cOnquerOr, and demanded
that the most cOndign punishment be
melted out to her. The matter was carried
to the Car. Nicholas made pretense Of
furnishing the young lady by issuing some
order against her appearin gat any ball for
certain period, but the old liberator was
immensely tickled. lie shOwered the most
embarrassing presents upon the Amer.
lean, beautiful slippers of every kind and
description, silver slippers and gold slip
pers, and finally wound up by sending her
hair dagger set with diamonds.