The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-02-22
PORTRAIT PARTY
IS LATEST within
Expensive New Fad Is Very
Popular in New York's
Studios. =
EXPERIENCES OF A WIFE
Woman Thought She Could Get Away
with Life at the Rialto. but
Was Mistaken.
BY OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.

New York, Feb 2I-The latest whim OF
society is the portrait party" You
have to possess more than a moderate
degree of wealth to indulge in this sx-
quisite little fad and do IL well.
1 attended a portrait party1 recently.
The scene was the studio Of a fashion
able artist The party was given by the
mother of the young woman who was
the subject for the portrait On a large
easel stood the portrait becomingly
shrouded in dark red cloth and an air
Of mystery.
Daintily gowned women moved to and
fro. There were other men present besides
myself. but the atmosphere was SO
distinctly feminine that felt lonesome.
We took our seats before the easel In
some sort OF order. The mother and the
daughter stood on the right side of the
hooded mystery and the great artist on
the left. Then the artist suddenly swept
aside the hangings. A little cheer broke
forth as the girl was seen in the Dor
trayed form wearing a lavender gown
and big string of pearls felt some
what as ! have done at a pretty little
Country church wedding. II was a most
eerie feeling to compare the girl in flesh
and the girl on the canvas. however.
Comparisons are invidious, said some one
or other.
Cocktails and Songs Follow,
The real girl TODD her place beside the
pictured one and sang several dittIes In
melodious. IL not powerful, voice This
took on some Of the mystery of the oc-
casion and l felt more at ease Then
there were cocktails and tea and more
songs and quite lively finale The ''por-
trait party bids fair to have great popu-
larity
Vincent Aston is going to put up ar
other apartment house. 1t will cover a
broadway block and cost between one
and two million dollars There are two
apartment houses in the city bigger
than this one, but Vincent owns one Of
/ these two. and, for all / know the other
! Moreover, Vincent has been running
up skyscrapers all over the city at a
/ remarkable rate ever since he came into
control Of the Astor estate 'Tis a quaint
form OF dissipation. In court this week
II was testified that the Paterno family,
rivals Of the Astors as builders, net Il
per cent on their properties Go ahead,
vincent, you're going to get married
soon, and Gotham Observation-Disclosures will
pear witness this costs a lot OF money.
\ But. remember. you have some distance
TO so before you're twenty-five years old
Beware. or you'll soon be spoken of as
the Boy Builder" the "Apartment
|
| or some equal indignity.
By the way. the only thing I hay.
| against you, Mr.. Astor. is you tore down
fine old clearinghouse IN the West
Seventies, where 1 dwelt IN bachelor
days and covered the site with a twelve
story monstrosity, which immodestiy
shows its hooped reservoir to a couple
OF miles OF Broadway. Hide the reser-
voir.
Experiences of . Wife.
The experiences OF the wife of a real
estate dealer from upstate this Seek
shows New York is still the sams old
New York This good woman thought
she would get away with a cocktail fes-
tival in Broadway lobster palace with
| several female friends. That was a mis-
take which has been fatal to many good
looking matrons who want to take a
whirl-but no more-at the Rialto
Under the mellowing influence Of ths
vermouth and the gin, the olive, and the
Maraschino, she was in the proper mood
| TO meet the young man from her home
| town" He must escort her home in a
taxicab.
When she woke up she was lying in
the rooms of an athletic club" way
downtown. far below where the white
lights end. Her rings, her gold chate-
lame bag, and her watch were gone
Around her were half a dozen grinning.
jeering young Italians. II was a good
joke that such an elegantly attircd wom-
an. lady from an upper circle Of So
ciety, had paid them a visit.
Almost frenzied she staggered from the
place, reached a policeman and told her
story. The grinning young Italians are
now working for the city over on the
island: but there are plenty of other
athletic clubs"