The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-05-05
GOSSIP from GOTHAM.

GOSSIP FROM GOTHAM.
On the marble staircase in the Ca
sino the other night Mrs. John Jacob
Astor forgot her dignity to the extent
of dancing few steps to the haunting
rhythm of the "Ghost That Never
Walked" Her dance was done quite
unconsciously, but the other theater-
goers who were behind Mrs. Astor
paused in wonder. The performance
was at an end and the theater was
being emptied. Mrs. Astor was one of
a box party that joined the crush. On
the staircase there was breathing room,
and when Mrs. Aston stood on the
landing she hummed the air of the
Ghost song of Eddie Foy. Then she
danced gracefully for a full minute.
while the crowd stared. When she re-
allied that she-Mrs. Astor-Was doing
a .'pas seul'' in the Casino, she paused,
astonished at her recklessness. Her
friends encouraged her to resume her
dance, but she Smilingly declined II
wasn't thinking about what | was do
ing" she explained.
Every month seems to add a few sill
yer hairs to Mrs. Astors head, but this
is the least of her worries. Within a
few years she will be almost white, and
with her beautiful, youthful face. she
will probably be handsomer than she
is today. Mrs. Astor, however, looks
tired and exhausted. She seldom is
without a bored expression, and even
when she smiles there seems to be an
effort. No one would look at her and
say, She is happy woman" Strange
1t Is, too, for here is a woman who pos
sesses everything for which most of her
sex yearn-an unsurpassed position in
society, enormous wealth and great
beauty. They say that Mrs. Astor's
most enjoyable moments are when she
sW1mS or when she drives a lively
horse. She is devoted to sports and adj
mits frankly that the ways of modern
society weary her.
It is a strange fact that out-of-town
women appeal to New York men as
wives more than do the chic and we'll
groomed natives of this city. Most of
the great catches fromTa financial point
of view have been accredited to outsid-
ers, and this is enough to make the
New York mothers wild with envy. In
New York today there are scores of
rich spinsters of excellent families.
Usually the fault lies with the young
woman herself, who dazzled by the
first five years of the whirl, believes
herself to good for even the best of
men. When the out-of- town girl comes
upon the scene the catch, is weary
with the Tugs" and pretensions of the
girls with whom he has been reared.
The Southern or Western girl is fresh
and unspoiled, and these qualities ap-
peal to the average man more than all
the affectations the cleverest girl can
assume.
All honors to the Philadelphia girls
who have bagged the three greatest
catches" of the last thirty years. Miss
Paul, of the Quaker City. was married
to william Waldorf Aster and, John ia
cob Astor took MISS Ava Willing. of
the same city, to wife thirteen years
ago The approaching GoeIet- Whelen
marriage is another instance Of Phil
adelphfa girl capturing a millionaire
New Yorker. Baltimore is a close Sec
ond in this record. Mrs. 4 Townsend
Burden was a Baltimore girl; SO was
Mrs. Henry C1ews Jr. Both Mrs. Drex-
els We're Maryland bellies. Mrs. w.
Rhinelander Stewart is from Baltimore.
The South is represented by such brill
liant marriages as that of Miss Alva
Smith, who is now the wife of Oliver
H. p. Belmont. The wilson's are from
Georgia. Mrs. William George Tiffany
was also Southerner, and Miss Mar
tina Johnson's recent marriage to De-
lancey Kountze is another triumph for
a Georgia belle.
Clothed like the queen Of Sheba and
bearing all the earmarkS of good breed
ing, young woman monopolizes at
tention in a French restaurant in Sixth
avenue. The restaurant Is Noted for the
free and easy manner of things and for
the fact that few meet women fire.
quent the place. The beauteous young
woman appears nightly and is sur
rounded by little group of we'll
dressed women. Possibly, she hopes to
avoid Identification by choosing a place
where none of her friends are apt to
be. The mystery of the French cafe
drives up in an electric rbrougham, and
when She bursts into the smoky cafe
all eyes are turned toward her. Her
face is beautiful, but rather wicked.
Her hair is a golden brown and her
eyes are blue as the sky. Her gowns
are perfect, and although she attracts
all this attention, her manner is quiet.
This woman wears countless Jewels,
and on one occasion a necklace of dia-
monds and rubies was wound careless
Iy about her throat. Her fingers glist-
en- with rings of great value It is said
she is the wife Of an Invalid young
banker and that she escapes the monot-
ony of the. sick room in this way.
One of the friends of the mysterious
y
and the other night, to the immense
amusement of the other diners, he
modelled" his beautiful companions
face in candle grease. The man called
for candle, and on the back of the
plate he soon nodded bas-relief of the
woman. Her hat, crowned with a
sweeping plume, was wonderfully exc
cuted, and her languorous smile was
well defined on the candle grease por-
trait.
The Ladies' Coaching club contrib
uted brilliant note to the movement
and life of Broadway yesterday morn
ing. Four of the members, I'm the clubs
uniform coat Of dark blue trimmed
with gold braid. sat on top of the coach
as the team picked it's way down the
crowded thoroughfare under the skill
full guidance of Morris Hewlett, who
manages the coach for the members.
One of the young women sat on the
box beside the whip, the other three
on the seat behind. The rest of the
seats were unoccupied save for the two
grooms in tan livery and silk hats on
the rear seat. Lower New York was
evidently unfamiliar ground to the four
young women, for they stared and
pointed at the tall buildings. and gave