The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1913-04-12
erythinz that was like

erything that I was like a
sponge-squeeze me and I'd spout so
cial information. began to be able
to say casually, "Oh. sixty millions!
and ceased to think l was playing a
part in a society play where there was
a French duke in the cast | Whired
in the scheme of things, marveiing ev-
cry instant that | didn't fly off into
the air from tangential impetus.
A continual house-party of thirty
or more, made up of few human be
ings, great many snobs, and bril-
liantly topped off with duke. was a
stupendous thing We rivaled Mrs.
Henry Dykeman in the brilliancy Of
our entertainments, and the Hemming-
ways in the novelty of theirs. Our mu-
sicales were characteristic, our teas
innovations. We instituted a cotillion
Saturday nights from which it was a
social crime to be absent. We gilt
tered so we were besieged by more
newspaper men and women, much to
Mrs. Hazards secret disgust, but We
had to pay the penalty Of the glitter.
The public may not have been inter-
ested, but the newspapers thought our
French duke was too important to be
hidden.
The only thing left to us of our old
order was that early tennis of mine
with Hap, and Mrs. Hazard behind the
coffee-pot every morning at eight
O'Clock, in our own little breakfast
room where only the actual family and
myself We're present. It was the best
of the day, the only time when We
could feel that our souls were our
OWL know that's the way l felt
about 1t. Afterward Hap would go In
to town in the gray car to sell real
estate and John Crowninshield to de-
fend, If that's what lawyer does.
Then Mrs. Hazard would call the
cabinet to order-she was secretary
of state-and we'd begin. She would
grease the wheels of the establish
ment, sort out who was coming and
who was going until the butterflies be-
gan to tiutter out at noontime, and |
began on the peg job, getting the golf
ers on the golf course. and the tennis
easy, but left to themselves the tennis
players were just as apt to be on the
golf course, and grouchy in conse-
Quence-arranging motor parties. with
just the right people in car. and get
ting bridge games going where the
breeze was lively enough to keep cool
and not lively enough to blow the
cards away; filling III when anybody
needed an extra in anything. Then l
had to manipulate the crowd for a
swim or sail before we started In on
the evening round.
Those were the ordinary days
when there was no grand affair on
hand. l couldn't have stood it If /
hadn't had nerves of steel and the
constitution Of an OK. But always
there was Mrs. Hazard holding in on
that chuckle Of hers, smiling APPROX
al. Sometimes she would take me in
her fat arms and pat my hair and
worry if l looked tired. She insisted
on my having a maid. although l was
used to doing things for myself, but
didn't always have time to turn
around and pick up the gown had
taken off,
There was only one thing about my
job l heartily disliked, and that was
filling in at bridge with Natalie. We
always lost, although ! didn't do SO
badly when l played with any one
else, John Crowninshield or Mrs. Cut
Ter, while His Grace and | won so
much together We were scandal in
the house. l was afraid of Natalie,
that was it; afraid Of her calm, droopy
stare and her awful civility. If she
had been rude to me once | don't
think l should have cared half SO
much.
l began to live for the cotillions
Saturday night. They brought down