The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-04-24
A FATAL SHOCK.
Why Mrs. Mostyn Fled from a
London DresS-Maker.

Dinner was announced Immediately
after Mrs. Washington Mostyn entered
the drawing-room, and, indeed, it APP
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,
Il am going to send you down with a
most charming young man, Algie Up
ham, a 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 more than two seconds:
Charmed, ! am sure. What good
looking young man. An, l see-race
and intelligence"
Yes, both. But allow me to intro
duce you," said Lady Kendall. In an
other minute or so the women were
trailing their sillen and velvet skirts
downstairs to the dining-room. Mrs
Washington Mcstyn belonged 10 the
-four hundred of New York, if not by
birth, at any rate by wealth. Her hus-
band. who was content TO pursue opera
tionS 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-
ierstood better the art of blooming" an
entertainment and getting herself
talked about than Mrs. Washington
Mostyn, OF New York. And then, her
cottage" at Newport, was il not cole
brated in every paper throughout the
length and breadth of the continent? 1t
was there that she entertained laviShly
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,
tho Duchess of Liverpool's eldest son,
been one of these fcted and flattercd
youngsters? And was not the dear
Duchess proportionately grateful, and
Inclined TO open the ducal arms in a
manner that she was not wont 20 do
with certain dear friends and rivass
from New y orll and Washington?
But Mrs. Washington Mos tyn had
still one unsatisiicd ambition, and that
was to become as much a Londoner as
her fair friends and neighbors had con
trivcd to make themselves. To London,
of course, like every other self-respcct t
ing American, she had been, but it was
with tho London of hotels, parks and
thCaters only that she was familiar.
Into its society she had never pene-
tratcd And 50 it came to pass that
Mrs Mostyn, leaving her husband TO
perform his ayocation Of bear" in
Wall street, caused several enormous
trunks to be packed, and, arming her
self with introluctions to some OF the
/ bcst people in London, bctooll herself
! her maid and her courier by the next
steamer To Liver pool landing on these
| shores by the beginning Of May. Lady
| Kendall, who loved above all things 4
new face, had been one of the first host
esses to make much of her.
1t was rather an amusing table
/ though il 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 a matter of fact she could have seen
I most of the persons present by taking 4
/ walk down Bond street and glancing in
/ the photographers windows as she went
! along.
| Lady kcndals parties were celebrated
! in their way, for she was what an
! irreverent modern journalist had not
! inapuy called a mixer" She would
! send down a famous poet with an Am
/ bassadress, a Cabinet Minister with a
! pretty actress, or conSign great lady
/ toa fashionable singer. 1t was social
salad, and people were pleased, once in
a way, 10 meet celebrates OF whom they
| had heard a great deal Now Mrs.
! Mostyn. like others of the -four hun.
/ dred,T knew little, and approved less,
| Of mixing She would as soon have
/ asked Ii Sing, her Chinese laundry
man, &c dinner a some of the actors,
/ journalists and painters whom Lady
Z 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
B her Grace of Liverpool. smiling on a
. handsome Polish tenor who had turned
/ tho woTeu's heads in half the opera.
7 houses in Europe; while opposite her
sat the celebrated biologist Prof. Lyn-
dali, who was apparently delighted
with his neighbOr, 4 little Virginiau
beauty who had written some rather
J erotic novels.
Why couldn't Lady Kendall have told
{ Att WHAT MS Alut lSF IuOuEhL MIS-
Mostyn, glancing at her partner as she
/ setucd herself in her place. Il hate
talking to a man l know nothing about
Sport-art-the Gaiety? What shall il
bo? know-polo, All Englishmen
play polo, or if they don't they like you
10 think they do"
But it was not, after all. of polo tha,
Mr.. Algernon Upham conversed. He
had hundred amusing stories to tell
stories of the theatrical world in Lon
Ion, Of great people in Vienna, Of the
ateliers in Paris
You paint thenP'' asked Mrs. Mos
tyn, when the talk turned on the las
subject
Il used to-" said Upham, modestly
Il have almost given IL up now; in fact
! | think IL gave me up. l spent five de
| lightful years working in the Pari,
/ studios, and at the end of that time
came to the conclusion that know al.
most nothing about it,"
''Ah, that is your modesty. am sure
you do know all about it." replied the
lady, sweetly; and then there was lit
tie pause, during which the young mar
smiled and hesitated, as if he were
about to say more Mrs. Mostyn, feel
ing that she had unwittingly touched
on personal matters, adroitly turned the
talk into another channel. The Amer
lean was charmed with her neigh Dor.
Ho was not only young, handsome and
amusing, but he seemed mo slight vir-
tue in the eyes of Mrs. Mostyn) to be
connected with various smart and i'm
posing English families With the en-
terprise of her sex and nation, she de-
termlncd to annex Algie. What a
charming young man, she thought, ITO
take to the play. TO squire one in tho
park, and TO hand cups of tea on ones
at-home' day. He had such perfect
taste, and such an eye for color. for
when tho talk, as it sometimes will.
turned on chi1ons. Mrs. Mostvn was