The Washington times., 1903-01-25


L of pride had been reached
When the last of the nskips passed
forth from the family mansion to
descend by way of a suite of rooms
in a private family 10 TWO in q sec
ond rate boarding house, and then
TO a single room over a BARRIERS shop.
one would have expected the signifi-
canoe of the saying to wane with the
Inski5 fortunes But proud as an
Inskip" was still whispered beneath
ones breath as Miss Lavinia swept
up the aisle of old Christ Church to
the family pew
Though passed into that indefinite
period, middle age her step had not
lost the sprightly stateliness, the
graceful yet InsoIent abandon, so sig
nifcant Of her character as a girl;
a character entirely given to impulse,
yet using its Inskip pride as an i'm
penetrable armor from which to wit
ness the results of its own indiffer-
ence to consequences. Miss LAWN
las career was a thing Of public rem
iniscence: a thing to be brought up
and aired and told of for the aston
ishment and edifcation of the present
generation: talked of with that keen
relish with which things helping to
make history are always related.
Of her insolence? They viii tell
you how, when Richly, that Midas Of
the North. pressing her for an an
swer as they stood together at the
bow of great Mississippi steamboat
made mention OF his enormous wealth
they viii tell you how Miss Inskip,
gazing abstractedIy into the blue dis
lance, drew from the purse at her
belt a banknote, numbering at least
three figures. Then, letting the wind
catch il from her white fingers and
carry it futtering over the rivers vel
low expanse, she turned and left old
Richly, red with anger. 10 digest his
answer as best he might.
Daring? Another story is Of
wretched youth whose alteration was
so mixed with fear that. at her com
nland, he neekly descended from his
horse, that a fugitive slave might
mount in his place; and while
she rode on some twenty miles
20 aid the poor wreteh's escape,
the young man walked the
wooded roadside half the night
In mental anguish. dreading TO dis
obey her command 10 await her re-
turn. And be it said, it was not he
who finally told Of the story. On, yes,
certainly she owned slaves herself
Her excuse? The fugitive driven
from his hiding place by hunger, had
appealed to her from the roadside,
throwing himself on her mercy.
And for wit, that mask Of ugliness.
old Colonel Cognac is still known as
'Apollinaris Belvidere''-an instance
Of Miss Lavinia's satire
Was she beautiful? ASK this gen
eration's fathers. Indeed, it is whis-
pered that not one Of our mothers but
accepted her lords heart and hand
after those articles had been laid in
vain at the feet Of Miss Lavinia IN
skip In her time she slew her thou
sands and her tens Of thousands. Ira
dition says the present owner Of the
old InsI1ip mansion, Judge Richard
Alexander. whom every Sunday sees
in his place at old Christ Church, has
never looked AZ woman since.
This last is one Of the stories often
est told, perhaps because Of the op-
portunity it affords to describe the
famous ball at the Inszip mansion
Three thousand dollars in roses on the
ball room walls alone, they say; while
in the dining room. the center piece
of fruits. flowers, and spun sugar
mounted to the dangling prisms Of
the. chandelier, and the elaborate sup
per surrounding il cost as many more
thousands.
On that night Richard Alexander,
younger then by some thirty years.
handsome, poor. fresh from the coun-
try. full Of faith in everything, La
vinia included. seemed to have been
chosen to be her especial victim and
diversion. With her eyes she would
summon him, that her red lips might
mock him Did he leave her in anger.
her handkerchief was cropped at his
feet, as if by accident, as she waltzed
by or, catching his moody eye. her
sweetest smile would float back, to