New-York tribune., 1897-01-31

seemed drowned. lost. and gone TOT eVer-wnei
suddenly she emerged from the seething Wnirl-
pool of Fashion with three white feathers on
her dear old head and long silver-gray tram,
trimmed with wonderful old lace. pendant from
her shoulders, which, by-the-bye, were still
shapely and would bear showing in daylight
for Jane was a well-made woman with white
skin. In this guise and with some qualrs OF un-
easy shame concerning these same shoulders,
Jane made her courtesy to one OF the convenient
representatives Of absent Majesty on Drawing
room Day, and her appearance was duly enron
iced In the fashionable news among the pres
entations thus: Miss Jane Belmont by the
Hon. Mrs. Maddenham."
Then 1t was that people began to taiK ana say
What EN- odd thing" The natives OF Ashleigh-
n-the- Dell improved this statement by adoing
that it the oldest thing they ever near9
Of" Jane had gone into Society'-she naa
"come out!'-and not only had she come out:
but Pilotelle had sketched her In The Lady
Pictorial in her Court gown-with waist Oh
sixteen inches. the contour OF broomsticK ana
the head of noodle. But that was the 1auit
Of the Court modste who made her gown. The
Court modiste had put the gown on one OF her
"collapsible" wire frames. and had turned the
for the delectation Of Pilotee-and Piotelle had
sketched It, he sketches every sort OF cos
tune with nothing OF figure. but all OF millinery.
And seeing poor Jane thus stuck up for show IN
"The Lady's Pictorial" Ashleigh- -the-Dell
was as II were, convused-and worthy persons.
who had known Jane for years, shook their
heads and said Can 1t be possibleT
Law" murmured the gardeners wife. as she
busted the deserted little rooms In Restful Har-
por-"who'd a thought ii at her time OF life!
(Which we never knows what shall be-
returned the gardener himself. gloomily. as he
trained the Gloire-de- Dijon roses to grow more
symmetrically around the windows Of the house
she was such real lady Ia never a, believed
she'd a gone advertising Of herself In one or
they public prints!
But the reckless Jane. In happy ignorance of
the comments passed upon her actions by her
country acquaintances. did not stop in her mad
career with her presentation at Court and her
broomstick portrait by the renowned Piioteie.
AS matter Of fact, she had only just begun 10
move her arms in what is called the swim.
Supported by Mrs Maddenham who never LETT
her except to take the sleep which is necessary
even to Society vampires, Jane spent good deai
of money She bought magnificent house In
Grosvenor Park fully furnished. from an I'M
pecunious nobleman. who told her languidly
that he was "stoney- broke on the turf. an eX-
preston which she did not quite understand
but vaguely grasping the fact that he had once
been gentleman and was now compelled to be
a slang talking beggar. she delicately referred
him to her lawyers in order that the purchase
Of his property might be arranged to his entire
satisfaction. without inflicting upon him any un-
necessary degradation or pain. The matter was
finally settled, and Jane found herself mistress
of what the auctioneers call "a palatial resi-
dence." which palatial residence necessitated
her hiring an equally 'palatial' staff Of
would have thought that the trouble and
inconvenience generally attendant on
luxurious establishment would have been too
much for Jane. and would have put her out or
humor. she having been so long accustomed to
the simplest habits of life-but or the contrary
she seemed more placid and passive than ever.
One old friend who journeyed up from Ashleigh-
n-the- Dell to her in her new surroundings.
went back again sorely troubled. and opined
solemny that Jane was going mad Poor old
Miss Belmont" she said, sadly. there's n queer
look in her eyes which don't like All this fuss
of going to Court and being in Society is turning
her head. She seems quite weak and sllly-and
for that Mrs. Maddenham why. Mrs. Madden
ham simply lives on her."
In this respect the country friend was right.
Mrs Maddenham did live on Jane and very
good living she found it, She often congratulated
herself on the way in which she had got Jane
under her thumb" and she would often boast
Of her cleverness among her "swagger' friends,
saying:
"Oh. yes, Poor old Jane, She's dear-shel
do anything for me! Do you want a ball got
up? James the very person. You car have her
rooms for nothing-theyre splendid and she
will he only too delighted to hire the band and
pay for the supper. l have only TO ask her
You see. she came into her fortune rather late
poor dear. and she doesn't know much about
good society, but she's very anxious to learn
oh. she's not common vulgar by any means
she's very well born and very well connected. I
chose her house for her. you know, and | got
her all her servantS She can't do thing with
out me, and Of course she's very much indebted
to me for Introducing her to my set"
Thus would the Hon. Mrs. Maddenham talk
by the hour, and the "swagger set gradually
came to realize the convenience Of having a Jane
among them-a Jane who kept open house and
gave everybody as much food and drink as they
could gorge and swill without bursting-a Jane
who did not mind paying for theatre parties
and late suppers at the Savoy-and moreover. a
Jane who never interfered or looked ohtrusive.
but who wore quite colors. good old lace. and
very few jewels, and who was content to sit
among them in more or less silence, with folded
hands and KIND Of silly smile on her cOunten-
ance which meant, or appeared to mean abso-
lutely nothing 1t was this silly smile which
made some Of her former acquaintances think
she had screw loose" or was "dotty."
II don't think you know at what a rate YOU
are living" said a would-be adviser to her one
day. The silly smile" appeared in it's full
breadth on James amiable visage but she said
nothing THAT Mrs. MaddenhaYn. for instance"
went on her visitor, doesn't she cost you good
deal?"
her to cost me good deal. She is very useful
person to me-"
"Dotty-oh, dotty" groaned the would-be ad-
wiser to himself in bitterness of spirit ",rhe
money has turned her poor old BRAIN
But this was a mistake. James brain was not
oy any means 'turned'-it was on the con-
trary. particularly well balanced. Had some Of
her fashionable acquaintances been able to ex-
actly guess the logical precision Of that brain
balance they would have been considerably
startled; and probably the Hon. Mrs Madden
ham would have been more startled than any,
body. But surface observers were content TO
draw their conclusions from James SILLY smile"
and also from a certain vague look Of timidity
and bewilderment which was occasionally ro-
ilected In her mild blue eyes; and they found it
refreshing. as well as courteous and honorable
70 go 10 James parties eat Of her food drink Of
her wine. criticise her domestic arrangements
and stare at the rich stiff sober-tinted silks
she wore. and then remark to one another in
somewhat audible undertones Poor old thing,
very passe amt she. I wonder IL any one will
propose to her for her money? She wouldn't be
half bad as wife-too old for larks and plenty
Of manner about her"
Yes: this was point which was never ou,s-
tioned-Janes manner" 1t was a particuIor
manner which is fast becoming obsoletc-a man
ner which expressed dignity. grace and refine
ment as delicate as ii was rare When '.syaroer,'
people condescendingly dned with her throneh
the invitations OF Mrs Maddenham lane received
them with that special manner OF hers when
none or them could initiate compete with
that exquisite bearing which silently implies
everything courteous without being in the least
affected or hypocritical II ar old-fashioned
manner, but 1t was not without charm And
when at table the "up-to-date' man or woman
talked slang. and said certain things were rip
ping and other things were "tommvrot :" Iapa