The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-05-17
A WIFE and A FAvORITE; A STORY OF A TRAGEDY, OF
A RICH MANS RICHES ENDURING AND UNENDURlNC


ly seals it.
1t concerns two women--a wife
and a favorite. The mamie i.
dead.
I Mrs. Chas. T. Yerkes, nearly sc
now, widow of the famous Chicago
London traction multi-millionaire
also ex-wife of one Wilson Miner
eccentric young society swell-is
one of these women. Emile Grigs.
by, whom Yerkes introduced tc
the world as his wards the
other.
This story of theirs is easily
told. 1t is the best told by tearing
a page from each of their life's
books. Let 1t be, in both cases,
from one days page in last week
books.
A physician comes up in his
automobile and enters Mrs.
Yerges' beautiful Fifth avenue
mansion. The butler sends him
straight up to his mistress apart
ments. The medical man Is ad.
mitted by a maid and finds, as
he has been finding for weeks,
that his patient has passed a rest
less night.
Her temperature is high, her
pulse fast. The wanness of her
face is heightened by the dark
rings under her eyes. Tiny beads
of perspiration show along her
forehead, close to her mass Of
hair, now fast growing gray. His
patient is sick woman, and sick
ness is fast robbing her of the
beauty with which she SO long
defied age.
The doctor prescribes for Mrs.
Yerkes. speaks a few words of en-
couragement and bows his way
out. AS he leaves the butler sends
lup another man.
He is Mrs. Yerkes' lawyer. He
is also daily caller. He has been
making a daily report that runs
something like this:
1.-THE situation looks darker A
petition has now been filed in the
+, United States circuit court In be-
half of the Bank of America to in
tervene in the suit against your
husbands estate brought by the
Underground Electric Railway OF
London. The London people, you
know, Mrs. Yerkes, are admitted
creditors to the amount of $780,
1000. This Bank of America holds
a claim for $12S,00O, which the
courts at Chicago has admitted.
ut is all unfortunate, my dear
Mrs. Yerkes. We are hoping
against hope. Your husbands es
tate is hopelessly involved. We
|are putting up a hard fight, bu,
lyou may be penniless STILL"
The lawyer departs.
The next man who climbs the
stone steps isn't admitted. He il
told that Mrs. Yerkes is too i'll to
see him, even if it were not out
of the question. The sauve butler
refers him to Mrs. Yerkes' lawyer
| Another of them collectors u
the butler explains to the second
maid. Lord, how they do come (!
There's somebody after every stick
of furniture in the place. The
taxes has pot been paid in five
years. If the missus ever gets
well enough to go out, she won't
Fdare. These fellows will lock her
out il she does. I hear tell that
she's only livoing here by suffer
ance of them that she owes"
| Now, gentle reader, let's &c
over to the beautiful marble palace
at Park avenue and 9th street.
Emile Grigsby lives here; shell
continue to live here, come what
may. It's her mansion, unas.
sailably her mansion. The tenn
pest which RACES around the Fifth
avenue pile does not blow here.
Emile Grigsby is better off now
than she was during Yerkes' life
At this end, when his wife was be-
coming palmer with each day, and
the other woman was daily coming
nearer and nearer to the zenith oil
her young beauty, Yerkes provided
that the happiness of Miss Grigsby
should be of the kind that endures
She alone of those who enjoyed his
riches is protected in them after
his death.
| Miss sGriggsby Is giving a dinner
tonight. Her house is ablaze will
light. She receives her guests IL
1.-THE magnificent fourth room sa
Ion. Costly draperies depend from
the immense oak beams of the din
ing hall and oriental rugs wortl
ia kings ransom. cover the polished
floors. The guests sit in Loui,
XIV chairs.
The doors are thrown open
Miss Grigsby and her guests ar,
going to another entertainment
Two limousines are drawn. up a
the curb. A negro footman, re
splendent in livery, appears, ant
then comes Miss Grigsby. An eve
ming cloak covers her Partisan
Costume. Her golden red hair Il
fashioned into an elaborate Golf
ifure.
You steal closer. Through tn,
Iopen portals you can see that tn,
high central hall furnishes a won
Iderful background for her tall fig
lure. The walls of the great room
are half concealed by Aubussol
3 lhangings and medieval eccIesiasti
eIeal tapestries. In the subdued ligh
tlyou see reflected the glitter o
Z lsemi-precious stones woven int,
their fabric.