Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-13

which asked as Mr.. McAllister would say,
distinguished company. What change
otherwise there was in our Lady from Kan
sasl She had bloomed out IT the verltable
type of grdnde dame. Nau ally this bret
visit vas a most successful one socially.
For me the dinner added to my prestige, and
1t gave me an extra hold in London, which
proved Of value to me aftcrward
The Lady from Kansas, however, has
never made her New York campaign. She
prefers London; although | do not think
that her husband was ever very comfortable
there, as he was so thoroughly American.
But she married her daughters off in their
first London season. And she would find
the way perfectly clear for her now, if she
wanted to try New York. And perhaps she
will
RUT the other woman? About dozen
years ago | met, through Western
friends in New York, a couple who hailed
from somewhere in the region of the Great
Lakes She was still in the full tide Of her
youth, bubbling over with the very JOY of
living, a superb creature, a bit untamed per-
haps, but veritable prairie rose. You know
the type. He was = good Sort,-not over
burdened with brains, fond OF outdoor sport,
kindly, generous rich, the third generation
in great packing business, and devoted to
her.
She walked al over him. She was always
planning the fantastic and impossible, and
he followed meekly, believing in her simple
ity. She had the thirst for adventure SO
eager in her sex-not for intrigue, mind: for
a better or purer woman never lived-burn-
ing hercely in the light of her glorious eyes.
She was indeed a born gambler. And such
risks She would spoil everything at the last
moment by one of her sudden cratic i'm
pulses. Let me call these people Mollie and
Jack.
Thev suddenly developed rather she
did, because he never took an initiative-the
social bee. Mollie wanted position, and she
wanted it at once. They had gone to ST.
Louis, and did not get on. They had tired
Milwaukee and St. Paul, and then its twin,
Minneapolis, and had not succeeded. Back
they went to Omaha, and then out to San
Francisco, and then to Chicago. In the lat
ter city they could have made place: but
Mollie-well, the results were bad and they
came on to New York. | do not think Jack
cared a rap; but he loved to see Mollie in
what he thought was her proper environ
ment, admired and ruling others, as she
ruled him.
1t was in the off season when they finally
arrived and put up at big hotel. | met
them at a small dinner, and was much
other Western women both OF whom had
made brilliant social successes. One had
been the reigning belle of a Newport season,
had married excellently well, and was an
established New York hostess, while the
other had gained title, and was doing
splendidly in London.
TOWN was exceedingly dull, and for
some business reason | could not get
away that month. So we struck up quite
a friendship. We went through the usual
routine,-a dinner at Sherry's, visit to a
roof garden, and an out-of-town excursion.
Noble was very frank. | knew it would be
my fate to receive some confidence. Well,
she had trunks filed with Paris gowns, and
she was getting more; but she had no stage
where the lmelight could play upon her.
She wanted to have try at Society. She
began to coax me into advising her, in that
childlike. endearing way that she had. And
| must confess fell victim-I, an astute
man of the world, with an eye on the main
chance!
We three were sitting on the sands, in
front of hideous, noisy wooden hotel, all
piazzas, where we had fled to escape the
heat and stagnation of a town Sunday, and
to listen to the song of the sea. A blatant
military band proved too formidable rival
to the soothing gentle rhythm Of the At