Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-21
AIDS LOVERS TO ELOPE
Powerful Organization in Paris
to Promote Fittings"
APAcHEs, CYCLISTS, AUTOS
Swallowed by Band Until the Moment
of Surprise.
IN LEAGUE WITH L0CHINvARs
Speciality Of Mile. Bob-Whtie, Who
Managed Nine Kidnapings
in One Year.
Special Correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star
PARIS July 16, 1909.
For fancy kidnapping I fear no cempe-
titionr'
The lady stated It like an ordinary bust
ness proposition. She was Mile. Bob-Wal-
ter, Parisienne with an extraordinary his
tory of her own-from careless theatreuse
to methodical business woman; but it Is all
lost In the astounding speciality of which
she boosted.
plain elopements, elopements with COM
plications abductions by stealth, abduc-
ttons with violence-they are only questions
of putting my machinery to work she said
with a simplicity. Once satisfy me that
the girl is willing in her secret heart, I ask
no more. In one year I have brought off
nine successful enlevements Literally lift
ings)!'
And, between times, you rent automo-
biles?''I said.
Rent, buy, sell, general garage bust
ness, quoil.'
of the biggest places OF the Avenue de la
Grande Armee, full of splendid modern ma
chimes And il was all hers Clerks and
mechanicians moved about smartly. To one
such she called abruptly: Say, you now
you'll make my tea. You've done 1t before?
You know how?
The clerk hesitated. It's that I've never
tried yet, mademoiselle, but"
''Bringe me the ingredients; I'll make 1t
myself" she sighed sat down with bump
and famed herself. The misery of great
establishment is that 1 must do everything
nevertheless" she complained. That's why
I'm putting it into a stock company"
The walls of her private office tell her
story They are covered with big theatre
cal photographs-with dedications ITO Bob
and ITO my Bobbie,' Calve wrote across
h1Irr of lDpa hIl pnlat
And one of Duse had Souvenir of a CRATE
full passenger" An open door disclosed a
species of theatrical dressing. room. My
boudoir!" indicated the lady. great
handicapped table held a hundred per-
fumes, lotions, crimping irons, puffs and
brushes.
She Is lady who has had two big bends
to her life. Daughter OF a well-to-io mill
tary transport contractor and niece of a
general of brigade long commanding in AL
giers, she grew up in the best society or
that generous French colony. But Paris
called her, and as there were no specialists
of her present style in those days she took
the boat and train.
Shortly she was in full Paris-brlliant.
The friendship of one who knew everybody
brought celebrities of art, music and the
theater to her salon 1t was Caran d'Ache,
the famous designer, and among her
yenirs of those days Mademoiselle Bob-Wal-
ter keeps a fuf-length pastel portrait Of
herself as a Louis XIV elegante by his friend
Forain.
She began by doing eighteenth century
chansons in costume, to harpsichord accom-
paninent-in her happy salon. She took
diction from Coquelin Cadet.
Then time came when she enlarged her
repertoire-and public. In hundred Paris
salons, as q paid artistic. she sang Gretry,
dAlryrac, Rousseau, songs OF Normandy,
of Brittany, Of Touraine, in costume. There
Is an immense amount Of this in Paris
quantities Of artistes who never appear be-
fore general public.
But. In time. Bob-Walter did. She made
tour of Europe. had a famous engage
ment at the Imperial Conservative of
Vienna and another at the Royal Alcazar
Of Brussels. Returning to Paris she APP
peared in a pantomime of her own compo-
sition, THE Dream of the Old Marquise,"
the stage of the Bodiniere.
After that 1t becomes easier to ask what
she did not do. She created" the dance
was ''commere" In reviews. and sang,
danced and acted everywhere-even in a
cage Of lions.
What will your" she said plaintively IT
might earn 500 francs caehet in a salon
and the lions brought me five times that.
have always spent money so easily!'
Art Does Not Nourish.
Years passed. and suddenly the lady
awoke This was the second bend in her
life.
art does not nourish herman or wo-
mani The fact was borne in on her one
summer afternoon six years ago. as she was
driving her own little automobile back to
Paris from a concert enga cement at Trou-
vile. Expensive living at that charming
watering place had eaten up Its earnings.
and she would be returning with empty
pockets were 1t not that a wealthy Ameri-
can widow had at the last moment begged
to accompany her as passenger. The
honorariurn agreed on struck her as a
mighty good thdng-could 1t be sufficiently
repeated
automobile garage" said MademoiselIe IT
had been Id autos from the start. The
Dowager Duchesse Dues may be the first
woman to hold chauffeurs certificate, but
was driving automobiles without certifi-