Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1891-02-20
PASTE OR DIAMONDS.
a Necklace That Enabled Mrs.
Sykes to Meet the Kaiser.

a Necklace That Enabled Mrs.
Sykes to Meet the Kaiser.
The Duke and Duchess Of Beaumonde
were about to receive the German En-
peror at their villa ut Cowes, and Mrs.
Sykes had set her heart upon going.
Not only was this to be the most superb
event of the Coyyes season, but period
had now arrived in the career of Mrs.
Sykes at which she felt that in one form
or another it was imperative that she
should meet royalty. For two years
ever since, in fact, Mr.. Sykes had con-
verted himself, as he used to express It,
from tradesman into gentleman by
selling Sykes Soap Substitute to a
limited company-Mrs. Sykes had been
steadfastly maneuvering herself into
society. By reason of her husbands
enormous wealth and her own not over
scrupulous astuteness she had succeeded
up to point. But though the circles
in which royalty moves are not inacces-
sible to certain portions of the common
herd, the line, which even in these days
has to be drawn somewhere, had hither-
to been drawn at Mrs. Sykes. She had
sustained q severe disappointment in
connection with the Marlborough house
garden party, but defeat only acts as a
stimulant on some natures, and as Mr.
Sykes, whose one hobby was yachting,
was going to Cowes for the Royal
Yacht Squadon meeting, Mrs. Sykes
was seized with the inspiration that her
failure in London might be retrieved
by forcing herself into the Duchess of
Beaumonde's entertainment to the En-
glish and German royalties in the Isle
of Wight.
When she came to consider how this
was to be accomplished there was one
lady to whom Mrs. Sykes thoughts at
once t,Tned. This was a certain Lady
Pail Mall, whose husband was afflicted
with a chronic impecuniosity which
made it extremely difficult for both to
keep up the state and dignity betting
their station. Her ladyship, being
young, pretty and clever woman, was
often compelled to practice various
stratagems and devices in order 70 keep
her own and her husbands head above
the waters of debt, which constantly
threatened to overwhelm them Not
the least remunerative of the many
avocations pursued by her ladyship
whereby she contrived to make her
rank and position profitable in pc
cuniary sense was that of social sponsor
and general guide, philosopher and
friend to people who, like the Sykes,
were at once wealthy, ambitious, vul-
gar and generally unpresentable. While
Lord Pail Mall borrowed money freely
from the husbands of those ladies for
whom Lady Pail Mall procured invita-
tions, presented at court, patronized
md introduced into her set, her lady
ship accepted from the ladies them
selves numerous handsome and costly
gifts.
All this Mrs. Sykes knew and appre-
ciated, and upon it she formed her
scheme. 1t was scheme, however, in
which her husbands cooperation was
indispensable, for, in spite of the fact
that Mrs. Sykes enjoyed n liberal al
Iowance, her anxiety to shine in the
world kept her in a perpetual state Of
financial embarrassment At the pres
ent moment, so far from having any
spare cash in her pocket, she was very
seriously in debt She was obliged,
therefore, to confde in her husband be-
fore she could carry her scheme into eff
feet. John Sykes had heard a good
deal about the Duchess of Beaumonde's
party and had every opportunity of ap-
preciating the depth Of his wife's
anxiety to get there, but he opened his
eyes considerably when he was given
to understand that with the view of
procuring n card Mrs. Sykes contem-
plated making a costly present of
iewelry to Lady Pail Mall
'You don't mean to say that you want
to offer a bribc to n real Countess" ex-
claimed Sykes, vulgar man, possessed
of a simple mind and limited vocabu-
larry.
'9Bribel What a dreadful express
sionr' answered his wife. 81 propose
to make her ladyship a present, John,
that is all. To one in her position it
would be an insult to offer any thing
but diamonds. The only question is
what form the present should take. |
think necklace"
at win cost lot Of money, Polly"
"Not more than we can afford, re-
piled his wife. at might be fifteen
hundred-it might be two thousand; but
you never were a mean man, John"
To do him justice, John was not.
During the last two years he had, in his
own phrase, "stuck at nothing" in the
way of expenditure for the purpose of
enabling his wife to attain that position
in the world ON which she had act her
heart, though, as Mrs Sykes very well
knew, his wrath would have been great
If he had known that she had spent
several hundred pounds more than he
was aware of. He only needed to be
convinced that Lady Pail Mall was
amenable TO the influence which his
wife proposed to bring to bear on her,
and that there was a reasonable pros
pect of her ladyship being able to pro-
cure the desired Quid pro quo. When
Mrs. Sykes, by dint of long argument
and cxpostuIation, had convinced him
on these points he was ready TO go and
buy the diamonds at once. But he in
sisted on buying them himself. Mrs.
Sykes had not intended this, but She
found her husband firm on this point
and was too good diplomatist TO con-
test il.
~ on had DcLUeE cIll on icf latJ 5lll =
this afternoon and sound her about the
business" he said, in conclusion. Two
thousand pounds is bit of money, and
l don't want to jump before / come to
the fence You can sec how she takes
it before l get the stones, and mind you
do it carefully"
Mrs. Sykes did it whether carefully
or not is matter of opinion. She sue
ceeded, at any rate, in making Lady
Pail Mall understand what she wanted
and what she was prepared to pay for
it. If Lady Pail Mall had been dis
posed TO resent the fashion in which
the transaction was approached the
price was too substantial for her to be-
tray her sentiments. BY the time the
two ladies parted q Tery definite under
standing was arrived at. Mrs. Sykes