Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-09-10


ever have the poor wrong settlers for
acquaintance, thought"
Because (she'd kill me if she heard
this she has only lately got into the
right set herself and after trouble
enough to give an ordinary woman
nervous prostration. That kind OF
thing does give it to a lot of women
especially If they fail. But Cousin
Katherine very seldom fails. She al
most always carries things through.
If you knew anything about America
IN general and New York In particular
you'd be able to realize what a hard
| time she's had, when tell you that till
her husband died she lived west of
Chicago To get into the Four Hun
| dred If you've lived west of Chicago
(unless you're Californian, which is
getting to be fashionable), is just like
| having TO climb over one of those
great, high walls of yours in England,
| bristling with nails or broken glass;"
MY goodness l exclaimed. How
| funny! Fancy if people who live in
| Surrey should glare at people who live
| in DevOnshire.''
THAT'S different You see, Chicago
| is new
"But so is all America, isn't it," 1
asked stupidity. What difference can
a hundred or so years makeE
| I'VE haven't begun to think in CEN
turtles yet on our side of the water. my
deah." (She has the most delicious
way of saying my deah," and all her
"r's'' are soft like that; only it's too
much trouble to write them for no.
body but myself to see) Anyhow, it
is so, between New York and Chicago
people-that is, the people who count
in Society with a big Sand it was n
great triumph for my cousin to become
the three hundred and ninety-ninth in
the Four Hundred. She did it by buy.
ing a Russian prince"
Buying a.
"Yes. love- he was going to the high
est bidder, and she bought him. Thai
is, she entertained him so gorgeously
and did so many nice things for him
that he posed as her property. and, as
every one was dying to meet him, it
made her. She'd been working killing
~ hard before that, for whole year
after taking her house on Fifth ave
nue. and building her cottage at New
port, but it was buying the prince
which did the trick. On the strength
of that episode and its consequences,
she went to Europe with very nice in
Productions. and, as you know, deah,
she has made some valuable as well
as pleasant friends. To live up to
them and her reputation. she will
have to be busy for a while dropping
a lot of old acquaintances."
"How horrid," l couldn't help ex.
; claiming, though Mrs Ess Kay was
going TO be my hostess.
YES, it seems rather miserable to
. me because I'm weak, lazy. southern
being, who would be right down sick
. if l had to hurt any human beings
feelings. Yet perhaps it looks fair tC
her. She's so ambitious, and she's
worked so hard she has deserved tC
succeed. AS for poor me, she just reg
ularly mesmeriZes me all through
She mesmerized me into coming VI
: from Kentucky and visiting her thi.
spring. Then she mesmerized me into
going with her to Europe. But I'm
p, not soriy l went, for I've had a RICH
!, good time"
I'm so glad you WENT said /, "be
;, cause if you hadn't l shouldn't have
met you. I'm sure should love Ken
u lucky if all the people there are lik,
. you. But these things you've been say
ing seem so odd. Do you. mean TO tel
{ me that the people who lead society il
New York want TO keep their set linn
ii tied to a certain number and refus,
{ to know others, even if they're eXtraor
dinarily clever and Interestingly
u "They don't like them to be too
l clever because they call such peopl,
'queer'-that rs, unless they happen t,
! be lions of some sort from England
/ or other places abroad. Then so Ions
: as they're not American, they welcom,
them with open arms
e I'm glad society isn't like that il
i England" l said. There the real PEG
9 ple-the people who have the right t
make social laws, you know-are de
y lighted with any one who can ANUS
them. OF course deep down in on
HedIlS we HAY De prOuu IL we nave Oh
names, which have been famous 70
. hundreds of years in one way or an
~ other, but we are so used, after al
those centuries, to being sure of oul
selves that we just take our positio
!, for granted and don't think much NOR
y about it. If people who haven't go
=. quite the same position are gentlefol
and amusing or clever or beautiful o
- anything like that which really mat
:, tiers, why, were only too pleased wit
- them"
II That's all the difference in til
:. world! You've been sure of yourselve
: for centuries You've said the las
>, word, my deah. Out of the mouths G
;, babes'--but Cousin Katherine's finisl
ed gushing to that silly old Mrs. Va
y der Windt. We mustn't dare discus
- these things from our point of vie'
:. any more. l reckon she would faint
- There are good many young me
- on board, and some of them seemed
= be quite devoted to Mrs. Ess Kay til
Gy..f Il ont lkrrf Oh To hn,