The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1913-05-15
A SOCIAL
EPISODE
Bv REGINALD D. HAVEN

dred and presented an INTRODUCTION
card from Legrand Pulsifer, one whose
position had been at the apex OF the so
cial Manhattan pyramid for several
| generations. The name on the caro-
was Ralph Maltravers, and he who
bore it was a good looking young man
with the Anglo-Saxon light hair, blue
eyes and rosy complexion. Having got
through with the formalties. he lit
pipe and sat down to newspaper.
| Half a dozen men, smelling the odor
of pipe tobacco, lifted up their heads.
made wry faces and scowled. A few
| minutes later one of the clubs lackeys
informed the gentleman that only cl-
CARS or cigarettes were permitted IN
the club. The stranger Immediately
put out his pipe and apologized on the
| ground that he was unaware OF the rule.
Had it not been for this Infringement
| the stranger might have been suffered
to remain unnoticed; but. having thus
attracted attention, the members pres
ent began to ask who had introduced
a man who didn't know any more than
| to smoke a pipe in the club. Pulslfer
| came in and, seeing the Englishman
sitting alone, sat down with him, ana
they had long chat. When Pulsifer
| left his friend several men gathered
round him and asked who had intro
duced that cad to the club. Pulsifer
admitted that he had done so himself
and explained that he had met Nal
trayers in England and found him rath-
| er q good fellow in his way. He had
| therefore chosen to show him some at
| tention. This being faint backing,
| the protesters thereafter took pains to
sit with their backs to the newcomer
whenever they happened to be in the
same room with him.
A New York club is no place to make
acquaintances. and Mr.. Maltravers
would not have been welcome even
| had he not followed the universal Lon
don custom of pipe smoking. But 1t
so happened that several of the gen.
tlemen present when the Englishman
| had appeared at the club afterward
met him at a social gathering given by
| a Mrs. Ten Eyck, a sister of Legrand
Pulsifer, and there found 1t easier to
show their disapproval Of him.
Not that they were by any means
impolite. Far from it. They were ex-
cessiveIy polite, while to each other
they were extremely unceremoniOus. In
other words, they Indicated as only
swell can indicate that the stranger
was not and could not be one Of them.
"Who is the fellow, Legrand, any
way?" asked one of them.
Pulsifer shrugged his shoulders and
said: MY dear boy, he did me favor
when l was in London. What would
you have me do when he comes to
America? However, l wish to say
frankly in justice to Mr.. Maltravers
that he has no desire to be socially re-
ceived. What l have done for him in
that way has not been at his request"
All agreed that because a man had
done another favor 1t was no reason
why the recipient should inflict the
donor on his friends. There were 9TH
er ways of paying obligations than So
cially, and some surprise was express
ed that Pulsifer, who was himself
barrier to applicants for admission into
the charmed circle should have intro
duced this man socially. His putting
the Englishman up at his club was
quite enough. But Pulsifer said that
all he had done In the matter was
to admit the stranger to his club and
be responsible for him at his sisters.
The women, though they showed an
icy front to Mr.. Maltrayers, admired
him. One of them to whom he was
introduced said that he was one of
the most interesting men, considering
that he seldom opened bis mouth, she
had ever met But she was very proud
Of her conversational powers, and moth
ing pleased her better than to find a
good listener. Even the men who con.
sidered Maltravers inadmissable de-
clared that he never said ANYTHING
stupid, for he never said anything at
ALL
One evening when Pulsifer went into
the Four Hundred club half n dozen
men ran toward him from as many
different directions and opened fire on
him.
What did you mean by introducing
Lord Pennington incog!"
II didn't"
Eyes, you did. You introduced him
as Ralph Maltravers."
That's his name"
That's pretty thin. You had m
business to introduce him as a nobody
when you knew very we'll that any of
us would have been glad to show him
the attention his position calls for.
It's putting New York society in a bad
light"
What I did was at his own espec,a,
request. He came here to look over
America. II it had been known that
ne was a marquis and heir to a duke
dom and one Of the biggest landed
estates In England be would have seen
New York society instead of what ha
did see, our institutions. Besides. he's
eot the Idea that we fellows over here
are an aristocracy of wealth, ANYWAY.
ana wasn't enthusiastic over us. Rnt
oe1ore ne left he expressed great ad.
miration for the American people Az
TO his being present at nv sister,s
Iunct,on' he couldn't very we'll decline
an Invitation there, though 7 conldn,t
'nunce him to drop the incog."
mat man Pulsifer." said one NJ tho
disappointed parties. thinks that hs,
cause his family has ALWAYS hoon IN