Mohave County miner., 1891-02-21
A SOCIAL SHOCK.

Dinner was announced Immediately
after Mrs. Washington Mostyn entered
the drawing-room. and indeed it ap-
peared that the party were only await
Ing her arrival to put an end TO classic
bad quarter of an hour.
my dear" whispered Mrs. Kendall,
II 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
don't you know
Mrs. Mostyn raised her tortoise-shell
lorgnette in the direction of the gen.
tleman indicated, and was pleased 10
make an inspection and give an opinion
In not more than two seconds.
Charmed, am sure. What good
looking young man. All. 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 silken and velvet skirts
downstairs to the dining-room.
Mrs. Washington Mostyn belonged to
the Pour Hundred" Of New York, il
not by birth, at any rate by wealth.
Her husband. who was content TO pur-
sue operations in Wall street most of
the year round. was wont to leave the
cultivation 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
understood better the art cf booming"
an entertainment and getting herself
talked about than Mrs. Washington
mostyn of New York. And then her
cottage" at Newport. was II not cele-
brated in every paper throughout the
length and breadth OF the continents
1t was there that she entertained lavish
migratory members Of the English
wives, or sport-thereby forming con-
nections which she meant TO push
vigorously now that she had actually
arrived Ia London.
Had not Lord Birkenhead the dueh-
ess Of Liyerpoors oldest boy. been one
of these feted and hattered young
sters? Aud was not the dear duchess
proportionately grateful and inclined
TO open the ducal arms in a manner
that she was not wont TO do with GER
tain dear friends and rivals from New
York and Washington? And as to the
society of which this fastidious lady
was so distinguished an ornament, was
It not the most select and ''high-toned"
-as the transatlantic scribe would put
ito be found on the same continent2
But Mrs. Washington Mostlyn had still
one unsatisfied ambition. and that was
to become as much Of a Londouer as
her fair friends aud neighbors had con-
trived to make themselves. To London,
of course. like every other self-respec:-
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 per-
form his vocation OF bear In Wall
street, caused several enormous trunks
TO be packed. and, armiug herself with
introductions to some OF the best peo-
pie 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
hostssses TO make much OF her.
Ii was rather an amusing table,
though it somewhat shocked Mrs.
Mostyn's fastidious sense Of the social
proprieties. Looking round. she was
struck with the familiar look Of the
faces. and, as a matter of fact, she
could have seen most OF the persons
present by taking walk down Bond
street and glancing In the hotograph-
er's windows as she went along.
Lady Rsndars parties were cele-
brated in their way. for she was what
an irreverent modern journalist has
not inaptly called q ''mixer." She
would send down a famous poet with
an ambassadress. a cabinet minister
with pretty actress. or cODsigu a
great lady to fashionable singer. Ii
was social salad, and people were
pleased. once in a way, to meet cele-
brities of whom they had heard great
deal. Now Mrs. Mostyn. like others
of the -Four Hundred" knew little,
and approved less Of mixing" She
would as soon have asked Ii Sing, her
iaundryman. to dinner as some OF the
actors, journalists, aud painters whom
Lady Kendal liked to see occasionally y
al her table. Tonight. for instance,
across she banks Of Inauve aud white
orchids. Mrs. MostyD could catch the
profile Of her grace Of Liverpool smiling