Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28


famous reply, "But you do put everything you
get, even the kitchen stove
Perhaps this has been bit misquoted; but it has
been published often of the revered jokes
of the late William R. Travers, the story of how
Miss Alva Smith now Mrs. O. H. p. Belmont) at the
White Sulphur trimmed black tarlatan gown with
natural sunowers and went into the ballroom to cap
tivate the young w. K. Vanderbilt with this simple,
homemade but effective toilet And she did! But then
this is only half the story and it has been varied and
added to in all these years that the lady could
absolutely deny the episode.
There doubt that Miss Durham was making
sensation Even the Countess surveyed her from her
lofty perch with disappearing eye, and whispered
something about her to the Duchess. The moment
that l with the Eastmans it followed that
approached by more than New York man who
wanted to join our party
| not generous, and did not to share my
find with anyone. Besides there was man, trife
middle aged and might add middle classed who was
in the wake, and knew the Eastmans and Miss Lille
who evidently was kept in reserve by the Kentucky
belle in case nothing better along.
The New York men not of prime quality:
chiefly little brothers of the rch attached to million
aires parties, in yachts houseboats and private cars
The Reserve learned afterward serious and really
rich but there were drawbacks.
TT has always been my fate my fortune be every
body's friend and universal confdant and adviser;
so | was not at all surprised afternoon, when
obtain as much seclusion Palm Beach can grant,
Miss Lille poured into my sympathetic ear the story
of her life and also sought counsel present per-
plexities.
AS had suspected, the girl not descendant of
an F. F. ", a first family of anywhere. She was
rather too self conscious too eager for approval She
painfully new.
Miss Durham hailed from Covington which is
town just the river from the metropolis of Ohio
Being the Kentucky side, it has its little as-
two adjuncts of Washington But the Dunhams had
up during the They unknown before,
and they had not reached any great heights it
Lille of several sisters. She was extremely
ambitious and had decided that with her beauty and
charm she could land anywhere. The other sisters at
home would then have their turn
The girl knew all the stock Southern stories by heart
She had read how Southern beauty, snubbed by
New Workers at fashionable hotel had attracted the
attention of the great catch of that day. and had
ried him off right under the eyes of the who had
thought that she of him; and how her fance
had compelled the very people who had been rude to
her receive her, and how also she had by this match
established her entire family and that in the third
generation there not only highest position and
wealth. but also the coveted English strawberry leaves
Another pretty Southern girl married to young artist
had not only established herself Immediately in society,"
but had also done plenddy for her charming sisters;
and-but what use is there to continue? These in
stances as familiar almost Bible stories.
| asked her the same Old question familiar in the
hymnal 4Watchman, what of the night?' She
didy replied that there signs of promise but that
these just concentrated in the Reserve. And
what of him? Well, she liked him very much even if
he little quiet, little middle aged, and trile
middle classed. He great friend of the Eastmans
and they had planned all out and she was asked to
Palm Beach by them to meet him.
Lille had no romance in her composition. She was
simply looking for the best chance. There nobody
at homeland there was the rub Her confession was
naive.
She had been asked to visit Chicago. Her friends