Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-24
BUSINESS R|'9|]MANCES
J2qC
HowImpoverishedl Blue Bloods
Earn Their 6 Way,
BUT WORK I'm SECRET
INSTANCES THAT SHOW HOW
WELL TT TURNED OUT.
Society Women Making Incomes, but
Presumably Enjoying
Themselves.
BUT WORK In SECRET
for The Evening Star.


society folk of Philadelphia not long ago
when they discovered that one of their
number-a woman-had been earning her
living and providing for her mother for the
last half dozen years by selling coal on
commission to office buildings and manu-
featuring establishments.
There's many q woman in society who
has a commercial romance, but 1t Is seldom
that the world hears of it. The business
woman Of social standing usually takes
care to keep the romance to herself, and
usually for business reasons solely.
A typical case is that Of g. woman whose
name Is known on the social rosters of
every large city from Washington to Bos-
ton. but whose home Is presumably In the
latter city. While she was In London.
drowning her sorrow over the death Of her
husband. and incidentally laying In a sup
ply of enhancing half mourning, word came
from her lawyers that the trusted friend of
he- late husband, In whose hands the man
agement Of the estate had been left. had
proven unworthy, and her entire fortune
was endangered. If the truth were known,
everything might be swept away on the
full tide. With time and skillful manage
ment, her fortune might be retrieved. In
the meantime, could she curtail her ex-
penses? And would she kindly advise?
The widow, who had always gone her
own way, did not see how she could curtafl
her expenses. She reasoned that keeping
up appearances was essential but she also
recognized the fact that her attorneys
deemed it advisable to cut off her allowance
for the present. A change in her mode Of
living would arouse suspicion. Eventually,
but not until after hours of hard thinking
she cabled her attorneys to cut off her
allowance, use their Judgment In adjusting
ana re-eStablishing her tottertng fortunes,
and then went off to a reception in her
smartest gown.
A week later London society paper an
nOunced that Miss W of a certain west
ern city In America was sailing for New
York with Mrs. E. of Boston and would
visit few weeks with that lady before re-
turning to her own home.
The Widows Might.
Mrs. E was the widow. No one
thought much of the paragraph except the
two women most closely identified with it.
Nevertheless, it was copied, in New York
papers, and somehow Miss W did not re-
turn to her native town at the expiration of
a few weeks. Instead, she went to Boston
with the widow, and during the winter
they were seen everywhere together-at the
smartest winter resorts and in Philadelphia,
New York and Washington,
At first society wonderedDat the intimacy
between the two, but it accepted Miss W
as it had always accepted and liked her
chaperon. Later, whens after a brief stay
in her old home. the young woman returns
ed to New York with her father and estab-
lished themselves in a palatkal home, which
had been furnished under the secret direc-
ton of the widow, the doors of society re-
manned open to them. And only the three
interested parties knew ttlat the price paid
for the social introduction had beenn aufh-
GENTLY heavy to tide tHe tWldoW' over thef
financial crisis. . 80
A Chicago man walked into his wife's
room one night as she was dressing for
dinner and informed her, in phrases sufh-
GENTLY meiodramatic to fit into Blood
and-thunder play, that they were practi-
cally beggars. When the wife had reduced
her spouse to reason, she found out That MS
investments had been ill-advsed, and that
certain bulIing operations on the street mad
endangered but not actually wrecked their
fortunes. Tomorrow, or the next day, or
the next. there might be crash Gossip
of the street was already asking, How
long can he stand it?' In his nervous con-
dition he felt that the time would be short,
indeed.
Brainy and Original.
The wife was more than a beautiful. ac-
complished woman She had clear brain
and a vein of originality. Moreover, she
could rise to an emergency and act with
quick decision. In the first place, she an
nounced that they should not change thelr
style Of living, but in week or so she
would sail for Europe just as she had
planned In the meantime they would Keep
their dinner engagement.
The latter was something she had viewed
with more or less disapproval NOW she
re1oiced that she was to dine out. w nile
the men fingered over their wine. the wire
studied the art treasures of the home In
company with the hostess, who was newly
rich She delicately suggested a change
here and an addition to that corner,
painting in this. The hostess was delighted.
Her guest was a recognized authority IN
such matters; If only she would make her
suggestions in more practical form inc
1,Ar 1T bar a
through which she had been studying
picture unworthy of it's gorgeous setting.
Yes, she was going over in week or ten
days Perhaps she might be able to pick
up something on the other side; and the
hostess was delighted.
That was the beginning. There were
Mrs. Parvenu No. and Madame Parvenu
No g. and others to follow, though each
knew nothing of the great favor the imam
cier's wife was comforting on the others
The usual trip to Europe was made The
wife left the husband with encouraging
words that put new faith into him. She
years. and perhaps her letters home were
more frequent. The important fact is that
her commissions on purchases amounted
to over 100000. But her husband still in
and her faculty for keeping up appear |
ances had more to do with tiding over |
the crisis than the actual money she made. |
The Old Story.
A single woman of perhaps twenty eight |
or thirty years, who had always lived in |
luxury. suddenly found, herself bereft Of |
an indulgent father. and face to face with |
an alarmingly small estate, The principal, |
invested would yield just |
enough to provide her decent apartments /
in fashionable boarding house, 1i- |
minutive fiat, with as small dress allow
ance. She feared stoeIe1 Investments. be-
cause through them had her father practi- |
cally wrecked his large estate.
While turning the, problem over in her |
mind. she incidentally :endeavored to cut
down expenses and stumbled upon small !
that exuded French taste,e She met the |
proprietor. nervous.o, ViEy man., whose |
knowledge of Englishdwas, as imperfect as |
his grasp on the secret Of success in New
York - =.
Before the young woman had left the |
shop she had reached her decision. She |
would go into trade. not openly. but as the |
LIANT ~ Of De- ,t,