The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-08-12
MRS. LEASE TALKS
PARALYZGs A RFPoPTER FOR a
NEW YORK EEW PAPER.

8e Asks Bier Number of Interesting
Questions and She Does Not Hesitate to
Answer Them with Great Deal of De-
cision-Tells Him Her Gowns and Bon
NETS are Imported-Her Remarks About
styIe-Doesn't Say Anything in Regard
IN Politics-Hates Women Who Fondle
Dogs and Cats.
New York. Aug. 1.-THE Hon. Mrs.
Leased cfKansas, the well know Popu1st
leader, has been for three days the
guest of David Rousseau, electrical
manufacturer. at $40 Mott avenue, and
get no report has been made of excess OF
political talk in the neighoorhood.
After a minute of anxious waiting in
The great, wide, deep and tastefully FUR
nished drawing room the reporter
heard a soft, purring footstep APPROACH
ing. and then there appeared in the
broad doorway tall, slim woman--a
very tall woman, and so slim that the
first impression was that she was skin
ny. =,
She crossed the room towards the call
PR with a queer little movement, which
threw the lower half of the back widths
of her black skirt first TO the right and
then to the left
She carried one hand in the other in
front, her arms hanging perfectly limp
Thert was a half inquiring smile on
her face. Her almost black hair. fine
rs raw silk and raggedly short in front,
was parted nearly back to the crown.
and If the front hair had been crimoed
the humidity and had effectually re-
moved all evidence of IT,
HOW SHE DRESSED.
Mrs. Lease wore white shirt waist.
striped with black. and, II the truth
must be told, the sleeves were not less
than six weeks out Of style. There We're
no cages in EN- for anything, and they
were ample from shoulder to wrist.
There was a knot of helliotrope rib
bon at the throat. Of course the Hon
Mrs Lease will forgive if it be written
here that she appeared to be a very
plain woman as she advanced TO the re-
porter and extended her hand to him.
SHE NEVER PLANS.
''You came to New York to attend the
Bryan notification" began the reporter,
when Mrs. Lease interrupted:
I'm not so sure that I shall attend.
] don't know whether I will or not.
did not plan to go. I never Plan"
"AR1i Then that relieves me very
much, for don't want to talk politics.
want to talk with you as a woman;
about fashions, so if you dIdn5't come to
New York to participate in or witness
-. Of 7
mission is a shopping tour?'
Really, I haven't given shopping a
thought was returned in dulcet tones.
WEARS A SMALL HAT.
The papers all picture me in a big,
Mide-brimed hat---I don't know why,
unless it is because I am so tall. I al
ways wear small hat. I have now
little black toque, which came from a
New York importer"
NOW, besides the fact that birds
aren't fashionable any more. 1 believe
that because of the protest of humane
people against the slaughter of innocent
birds for this purpose women are asham-
ed to wear them. I hope they never will
thus encourage the slaugter of birds
again
GOWNS ARE IMPORTED.
Your gowns. then; surely. you must
DO some shopping for them?" persisted
the reporter
Ny dressmaker Is Nine. Boyd Of In
hiana polls. who imports largely for fash
lonable people Of the west. / leave the
selection of my millinery to her. She is
a woman of excellent taste and is in
Europe now When she returns she wiz
bring back one or two costumes for me,
i have no doubt
RUFFLING HER FEATHERS.
but YOU are vain---all women are
vain---so wise men who have newspa-
pers say" said the reporter, desperate
"As a woman, thoroughly believe il
is a woman'S duty to look as attractive
as possible"
Some paragrapher crelits you with
saying your waist measure is 80, your
bust measure Sc, and that this IS the
perfection of womanhood."
That would be very far from perfec-
zion. i would say" returned the same
calm, unexclted voice.
HAS A GOOD FIGURE.
My dressmaker tells me I am very
well proportioned. I am IS inches waist
measure and sc inches bust, but / am
very tail; 1 am 5 feet IL inches and
Traction tall"
Now. about the big sleeves that are
said to be going out and the bustles
that are announced as coming into fash
sion again by the very highest authori-
ties?" he propounded.
II think women are becoming too
sensible to surrender themselves as
slaves to such fashions as bustles or
hoopskirts or large earrings. These are
relies of barharism.
SMALL WAISTS.
'I don't think the slim, wasp-like
waists viii be so desirable as TO induce
women to compress their bodies so as to
make health and strength for the most
sacred function OF woman-mother-
hood---impossible, can ever become fash
sonable again.
II have the greatest adherence for a
childless woman or for a woman who
fondles and caresses dog or cat"