The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-10-27
SOCIETY REPORTERS REVENGE.


The hard working, painstaking. consci-
entious and often gifted young women
who write the society news for the daily
/ papers have lots that in some ways are
| harder than those Of all other people. II
IS theirs 70 feel keenly the fact that many
society women have mora millions than
| manners Time doesn't always bring
It's revenges. at least 70 reporters.
but il did bring revenge the other
DAY 10 patient Mary Powers. society re-
porter Tor the Morning Breeze. That is
not Mays name. nor is it the papers
! but that's neither here nor there. If you
who read this wish 10 supply the names
90 to Justice Martins court and look UP
the record of a suit OF replevin fled one
week ago for the recovery OF a family
! portrait. The only names appearing in
the files are the names OF the women, enc
humble newspaper worker and the other
that OF one whose name appears in the
society columns daily and three times on
Sunday
Fifteen years ago. for one must go back
a bit, there hung in an Albany, y. Y,
residence that dated back almost 70 Fort
| Orange days. the portrait of z woman.
beautiful beyond thought The painting
itself was not old. 1t was the work of
Huntington. the master. and the subject
was the mother Of Mary Powers. now So
ciety reporter on the Morning Breeze.
residence and the next morning, when the
| family descended the stairs. It's members
found that there were missing A quantity
Of silverware and the life-sizs painting Of
Mrs. Powers. No trace of the silver
the portrait was ever found. II was to
the police as to the family a mystery why
| burglars should carry away such peculiar
and burdensosne booty as the likeness of
living person. even though il was done
in oil and by the master OF American
portrait painting. Well, thieves motives
don't cut much figure as long as they do
the thing. Certain il is that neither the
Powers nor the police found either the
motive or the picture. That was fifteen
years ago. and Mary Powers. now Chicago
society reporter, was a child only years
old.
Two weeks ago last Friday the tele-
phone bell rang in the Office OF the city
editor of the Chicago Daily Breeze, When
the editorial ear was glued TO the receiver
this is what it heard:
Il am Mrs Kenwood. I am going to
give a reception early next week. 1t will
be an evening affair at large. VIII you
have the kindness to send your society
reporter to my residence this afternoon"
1 will give her all the particulars for the
Sunday edition of the Breeze"
That is the way Mrs. kenwood talks
when she is after a favor. The city edi-
tor called Miss Powers and told of this
message from Mrs. Kenwood.
Mary Powers two hours later pushed the
electric button at one side of the front
door of Mrs. Kenwood's magnificent man
sion, and in moment was shown into
a little side reception room, from which
she sent her card to Mrs. Kenwood. Mary
Powers heard voices across the hall. Mrs.
Kenwood was entertaining callers in the
great room beyond. BY this time the
lackey had presented the reporters card.
Mrs. Kenwood's voice was more strident
than that matron knew. This is what
Mary Powers society reporter heard:
20 Mrs Hyde Park isn't this an annoy
ance? How news does travel. Here's one
of those hOrrid, annoying reporters come
way down here to ask me impertinent
questions about my reception, How
dreadful it is that we cannot enjoy
little privacy These people dog your very
footsteps There ought 10 be some law
against it, but we people of position I
suppose will have to put up with it. 1
can't think for the life of me how this
woman discovered the fact that l am to
give this affair
Mary Powers listened to this with a
tingling ear and a Redeemed cheek. She
was about to leave the house. but then
she had heard that such things must
be, and there was some thought of 10y
or no insult. and so she stayed. Mrs Hyde
Park and all the other callers left, and
minute later Mrs. Kenwood was greeting
Mary Powers society reporter with out
stretched hand, an oily manner and
hOneyed tongue. Mary Powers was feel
ing for a pencil and didn't see the hand
She took some notes for the forthcoming
affair, and later turned them into copy
and then felt that her duty was done,
though at the expense Of hurt heart
and bruised pride.
The city editor of the Breeze received
a beautifully engraved invitation to Mrs.
KenwOods reception. 1t was a general
invitation and intended for any member
of the staff that the head of things
shose to select. Mary Powers was given
a consignment. 1t might be said
in passing that Mary Powers looked fully
as well as the thoroughly to the manner
born as did any of Mrs. Millionaire Ken
woods guests She had done the dread
full duty of costume description in the
privacy of an upper room and had dis
patched the stuff by a messenger boy to
the office. Mrs Kenwood had asked Mary
unctiously 10 see her before leaving, be-
cause there were few things that she
would like to tell her, because 1t might
be of use to the paper.
The society reporter found one friend
in the surging crowd. young fellow from
the east, whom she No. known all her life
In a corner partly shielded by some palms
she was enjoying a little talk OF old times
while waiting an opportunity to keep her
promise TO speak 10 her hostess before
leaving. The two stood there in the cor
ner. when suddenly from beyond the palms
came Mrs Kenwwood 5 high-pitched voice
Yes. isn't il a BEAUTIFUL portrait2 II
was painted early in the nineteenth cen
fury in Boston. 1t is my grandmother at
the age of 20. She was considered the
most brilliant beauty OF her time. / was
A little girl when she died. and she be
oueathed the portrait to me. She was
one Of the De Quinceys Of Dorchester.
wouldn't part with II for untold wealth.
You must excuse me now for I must speak
To that girl reporter. She begged me TO
see her before she went They are so for
ward. but l suppose ] must be decent
As Mrs. Kenwood said that Mary Powers
stepped from behind the palms and faced
the woman. The girl was about 10 speak
when something beyond her hostess
caught her eye and held her dumb There
smiling down at her from the wall. was
the gloriously beautiful portrait Of Mrs
Kenwood's grandmother. De Quincy OF
Dorchester. was the portrait OF Mar
Powers mother. stolen fifteen years be-
fore from the Albany homestead.
The guests 20 whom Mrs kenwo0d had
been talking. struck By the girls manner,
were held 70 the spot.
Mrs Kenwood.~ the words came broE-
erlv. let the insults go Tell RE. and
Mary pointed 70 the painting. where did
yo, Gel the portrait OF my dead MOTHER
The guests zssped
Your mother. woman. what 90 you
meanP You are insulting
Il mean thistle portrait you are palm
ing "a your arisf0cTatic friends ss that
OF your great grandmother. painted cen
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