The evening times., 1897-05-21
THE RETURN OF A PROOIGAL
Former Vice Consul Shropshire
Is in New Yerk City.
HE LED FASHIONS AT PARIS
The Young Man borrowed From
Everybody and Finally Was Re-
moved From Office by Consul Gen.
eraI Morss-His Brother Paid the
Bills and Now He Is a Clerk.

New York, May 2i.-Clyde Shropshire.
recently vice consul OF the United States
at Paris. sat at small desk in the ante
room of his brothers office in Wall street
yesterday adding columns of figures. A
friend entered
Il have to do an errand," Shropshire
said After that have the permission
to go to a bah game. DO you wish To
! Gomez
"A Tan game! What a piai onic diver
siou for you,'' the friend exclaimed, eX-
pccting an explanation, but Clyde Shrop-
shire only smiled.
Vice-consul of the United states, a law
yer, writer, 1.-the, extremely witty and
sufficiently brave, Clyde Shropshire Suc-
cecjed at Pans, by an uninterrupted series
of prodigieS la provoking more envy than
pity, and in leading life CT luxury, ap
parently, at least
Not with the aid of the little money
that he earned. because lie was relatively
to his limited fortune one of the most
stylish men of Paris Clothes, furniture,
social relations, all tie things that were
his We're inconteStably stylish. But to at
tain this result a man needs ineXhauStlble
genius and patience every minute.
There was not ridiculous ccat imposed
by fashion which Clyde Shropshire knew
not how 10 wear with irreproachable grace
and tie eXaggerations of which he did not
adopt with JOY. In accordance with the
custom already ancient, which surprssses
professional ahsurdities AMI replaces them
afg a Ia, 10
Shropshire kept in conjunction with his
friend. Donald Harper, was encumbered
with carpets, ferocious gods, art OBJ jec;s
OF japan and enough barharous weapons
TO organize war in the far East.
Clyde Shropshire rede in the morning in
the Bois de Boulogne on a superb horse.
Where could he have got it? The rest of
the time lie was wherever a fashionable
man IN Paris must be to obey preju !ices
that are adored there as were the gods
with heads Of birds in ancient Egypt
He was especially in the places where
one cannot be. He was admitted to salons
OF the Faubourg st GERMAN, where dukes
only are received, aud if a celebrated
woman gave at her house a party conse-
Grated exclusively to mysterious beings
living outside of all the circles of society,
Clyde Shropshire was there as if he had an
exceptional title to be there
Attic receptions Of the French cader,y
he had better place than any OF the
state ministers. the diplomats and the
wives OF aCademiCians D If a dramatist
eager to retain his secret, organized a re-
hearsal with doors shut so tightly that
even the manager of the playhouse could
not open them, Clyde Shropshire was there,
comfortably installed in an orchestra chair
NV virtue Of right the more imprescTipti-
HE because it rested on nothing
shropshire had carefully eliminated from
his Hlind 4 al that wa not stylish init Poll
ticians poets, financiers, men OF millions,
saId we" 70 him. All admitted him into
their special free masonry. If a sovereign
passed through Paris in the strictest incog-
nito and received nobody he received Clyde
Shropshire. Why? That is as difficult 10
learn as the deepest mystery OF history.
Surely. tC visit the salons our vice consul
would not have waited for vanishing day.
In the dust in the sweepngs. he walked
receiving full in the face the refuse of the
galleries, under the stupefied gaze Of the
bewildered authorities.
1t was especially with regard n women
that Clyde Shropshire had demonstrated his
heart and imposed silence upon il, as upon
a familiar dog. without ever allowing
himself q fantastic ideal or personal
taste, lie admired the women whom fashion
ordered him to admire with the dOCiiity Of
a soldier obeying his chief.
III gave TO them Jewels, ancient art OBJ
jccts and other ruinous things Having
neither a taste nor an idea for q sentiment
which was his, frightfuily resigned. Clyde
Shropshire dragged a chain, gilt, but heavy.
Suddenly lie waSdelivered- Consul General
:. L. MoTSS removed him from office
The fabulous tales of sums borrowed by
him from a great number of persons gained
circulation. His brother, r. F Shrop-
shire. paid the debts
My brother" said Clyde Shropshire yes
terCiay, lis the only person who has suf-
fered loss of money for my dissipation
1t is al in the past now. The realization
Of the horror Of it came to me only when
was punished, hut there came with { he pun
ishneut n splendid consolation.
Il am no longer forced to be stylish /
shah never be stylish again. And I roll
i'm the happiness of living the life of a COM
rnOnplace office clerk, like a pig in d pen
ol an angel in the Stars -