Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-07-18


of furniture. much bric-n brac and chi
ma that is really very good. charming
associations that make the relative
value high. You and 1. dearest. will
20 through the house and put a price
on what we would he willing 10 sell
and gather Them together in the music
room. library and drawing room. mix
ing them with rhe things we would
not part with for untold gold. That
will apparently give them a greater
value
Madame dramatically clasped her
hands
'.You do not mean we would Sell our
belongings to a vulgar mob like com
mon tradespeople?" she cried in hor
ror.
mo. no: We would give little at
home or tea. very informal. You
could wear your black lace. and the
lace scarf thrown over your shoulders
would hide the hole in the back: W
vienne her cream colcred silk. the one
made out OF sgrundmothcr's tea gown.
and the violet chiffon with black vel
| vet.
Then she continued 1--WE would
invite a choice few. thirty perhaps.
nor more. Believe me. they will Stay
every engagement TO accept an invita-
ton to the first entertainment given
by the De la Ncrgnes. See. mother.
using our asset No. !. our family
name After they have been here
some time we will casually remark:
We are going back to New Orleans.
We are distressed about our collection
of antiques. We are going TO board.
and articles OF such value we really
cannot store. We would be willing to
dispose of a few. but cannot bear the
thought of just any One-unapprecia-
tive people. as it were-owning them"
Antoinette was so delighted with the
idea she danced all over the room.
Coming back to her mother. she kissed
her on her forehead.
After much debate and family CON
ferenceS the tea" was given. What
wonders. WEAKNESS and hope delayed
and anxiety for the welfare Of ones
best loved will accomplish in the way
of disintrgratinS self respect. Punch
was served in the library. ices and
cake in the dining room: on the We
randa were CONNECTIONS and fruit. The
guests were congenial- delighted, COM
plimented and bought freely; they
were also all wealthy. Antoinette saw
to that.
Every woman there took particular
| pains TO call Immediately on all her
best friends who were not among the
! chosen and casually TO refer TO the
other afternoon at the De la Vergnes
l picked up so and so. They would
hardly part with it even to me. | told
madame l could not buy it. just to give
it to me. and would leave few gold
pieces in the cabinet for one Of the
girls" Invariably it was followed by
the remark. My husband thought it
rather high. but did not. considering
the associations and so on
Those thirty women were the envy
of every person Of means in the city.
| They schemcd how they. too. could
manage an invitation. Not being a
public sale. an invitation was q neces-
sity. In about TWO weeks Antoiuette
in her mothers name telephoned the
chosen thirty telling each one to bring
q few friends-she could trust them,
she knew-and spend another after
noon at the Chateau de Fleur.
This time Il different costume was
| arranged for the three ladies of the
! household. The second tea was even
a greater success than the first. one
! dozen of Napoleon's breakfast plates
! sold for 5000 and Il Persian rug for
! $780, The bank account was growing
to most encouraging proportions. The
| trouble now was they had really few
| pieces left they cared 10 sell. The
Sevres vase and some family heirlooms
madame refused to part with.
1T is u miserable shame" wept An
| toinette, after we have created the de-
mand, established the fad. we cannot
/ create the supply"
/ Unheard of circumstance The next
/ morning Antoinette drove to the city
| alone and unattended at a very early
/ hour.
! Arriving at the telegraph office, An
/ toinette wired to certain dealers in an
| tiques. little holes in the wall, in New
/ Orleans to ship Immediately various
/ articles that she named. She knew of
/ these places because many Of their
/ beautiful pieces had found in those
! stores temporary home.
! So events developed The De Ia
/ Vergnes received antiques in the back
| door and sold them out the front door.
! Every other Thursday witnessed
crowds Of buyers. Every ones dear
| friends" were now invited. The few
| gold pieces given TO the dear girls
was n horde sufficient to place them
both in n convent in Paris for a year.
leaving n dot large enough for an
| enviable dowry. which would insure a
! successful marriage. Poverty had
! played quite n dramatic part in the
success, which was really quite
| COUP