Evening star., 1897-01-16

the square-cornered jacket of the skirt
material which turned back In front in
sfoare revers faced with brown silk and
ornamented with lace rosettes set on like
big buttons. Handkerchiefs of lace came
from under the fiat collar and fell over
the bosom. The belt and standing collar
had huge lace rosettes for decorations. Be
hind the two young women, not playing,
but observing their play, a handsome man
of thirty or thereabouts loitered till they
should have done.
A beautiful Russian. beautiful at least
in the evening, passed from table to table,
cavalier at either hand. She was not
young. but her figure was at its best, and
she used her rouge with the skill OF an
artist. She was in evening dress and very
richly robed. Her skirt was of pale green
velvet with panel in front of white span
gled tulle. This panel was bordered with
sable fur. low tulle bodice showed un-
der bolero of dark green satin brocaded
with white and gold. Very large brocade
epaulettes fell over short puffed velvet
sleeves. Epaulettes and bolero were edged
with sable. ruche of black lace and fur
headed the bodice to complete the square
cut of the decolletage. There was point
ed belt of black velvet embroidered with
pearls. The lady wore pearls at her throat
and pearls in her hair. She had strolled
into the SALES de jeu from the opera, given
in the same building as one of the Casinos
attractions
So 1 fancy had most of the other women
who were in full dress array.
Some of the Costumes.
A pretty pink frock was one of the most
noticeable. 1t was of soft silk that hung
tie better for the four ruffles with which
the skirt was trimmed. They were very
full ruffles edged with black velvet. The
low bodice was finished with a scarf of
white tulle draped about the shoulders like
a bertha. Three ruff1es of the silk fell
from below the bertha, making wide shoul-
hryt inO ir,
under bow of pink ribbon on the bosom.
Long white gloves and a white fan were
dainty accessories.
A woman who won quite steadily though
not largely for the time / stood behind her
was more tastefully dressed than almost
any one else i saw. She had a skirt of
silver gray silk brocaded with black, and
with long sash end of black ribbon. She
wore a draped bodice of black velvet with
brocade sleeves. The sleeve epaulettes
came down to form narrow bolero fronts
edged with lace A wide and exquisite lace
made a f1aring collar.
Most of the women were good losers.
And they needed to be. for they practiced
saying goodbye to their five franc pieces
every time the ball went round. / heard
enc woman say that she had played three
evenings. The first night she lost so francs.
the second go francs, the third 80. This
seemed to have satisfied her, for she took
no seat while l was in her neighborhood.
She had not SO much as left her muff in
the cloak room. but stood holding 1t in a
pretty red brown dress with square figaro
jacket from which two fiaring collars Of
ruby velvet came up above her ears. A
fichu of lace showed under the figaro, and
the skirt was trimmed with black silk
braid.
/ meant to say something about the men.
But after all it was the scene that was of
interest, and not the Individuals; the
crowd made up of all sorts and conditions
of people, under the brilliant lights and in
those magnificent halls, bent upon the
wretchedest business human wit has de-
vised. For me l liked 1t better out in the
moonlight within sound of the sea.
ELLEN OSBORN.