The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-22
SOME WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
SOCIETY FAC" IS NOW THE FASH
IoNABLE COMPLAINT.

1t Is whispered That the Secretary
of the Navy Has Met His Fate-The
Lady in Question Is Said TO Reside
in Cuba-Mrs. Roosevelt Will
Spend the Next Two Months At
White House and viii Then go 10
Oyster Bay-The Post Lenten Sea-
SON Promises to be BriIIinnt-Thc
Dress of Miss Tha.v Being Built in
Paris-Other Matters of General
Interest.
Washington. D. c., March 20.-Mrs.
Payne, wife of the Postmaster General,
accompanied by her niece, Miss Louise
Jones, left yesterday for a long stay at
Atlantic City. She is not i'll, as has
been widely reported, but-always del
icate-js suffering greatly from that
now fashionable complaint. society
fag," for which rest is the only cure.
The demands of a social season upon
the popular wife of a cabinet official
especially if she be as conscientious as
Mrs Payne in the performance OF
every fancied duty, makes her hard
er-worked individual than any hod-
carrier in the District of Columbia, and
has broken down many a robust con-
stitution. Mrs Payne win remain three
or four weeks at Atlantic City. MISS
Jones will return to Washington In
few days, and spend the time of her
aunt's absence at the Arlington, In
order to meet the Postmaster General
on his return from a Southern trip
with Secretary Moody.
BY the way, it is more than whisper
ed in Washington, that that redoubta-
BILE bachelor, the Secretary of the
Navy, whom Dame Rumor has Vari-
ously bestowed upon Miss Roosevelt,
Miss Root, Miss Wilson, Miss Jones and
other marriageable young ladies into
whose company he is necessarily often
thrown, has at last met his fate. And
has met her under foreign skies, de-
spite the fact that half the pretty girls
in his own country have been meta
phorically thrown at his head by
matchmaking mammas. The lady in
question resides in Cuba, but is of
New England parentage, though long
exiled from the land of her birth, hav
ing been educated abroad and lived
most of her thirty odd years in Eu-
rope. So you see she is not too youth
full for the middle-aged bachelor. How
ever, all this is mere rumor-the thing
which is said to have a million feet
and no head-and there may not be a
word of truth in 1t. Time will tell.
The Presidents yacht, 'Mayf1ower,'
arrived at the navy yard yesterday, for
the purpose of taking Mrs. Roosevelt
and her children for q cruise. But their
trip was necessarily of short duration,
as the President and Mrs. Roosevelt
had invitations out for a small dinner
on Friday night of this week, and of
course the hostess must not be alb
sent. Mrs. Roosevelt will spend the
next two months at the White House,
and then go to oyster Bay for her GUS
tomary quiet summer with all her chill
dren about her. After Easter, she win
resume her afternoon receptions in the
White House, Ito specially invited
guests only, and probably give two or
three garden parties, like the large fete
of last spring, which was so success
full, although twice deferred on account
of the weather, and then held partially
indoors to escape a shower. Miss
Roosevelt, who is now having her first
experience of ocean travel reached
Ponce Thursday and at once
entered upon a series of gaietieS ar
ranged for her by Governor and Mrs.
Hunt. The Porto Ricans, so lately
emancipated from monarchial rule,
naturally regard the eldest daughter
of the President of so powerful a coun-
try as Uncle SamueIs, as little less
than a sprig of royalty and are prepar-
ed to honor her in every possible way
The simple American girl, whose entire
suite consists of one colored maid, has
five great rooms set apart for her use
| in the palace. But, young and COM
paratively unsophisticated as she is, it
is not easy to embarrass Miss Roose-
welt. She takes all the distinguished
attentions ShQWered upOn her VerV nat
urally and unaffectedly as due to pa
pa" and manages to get out of it all
a downright girlish good time. She