The Washington herald., 1914-07-19
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was not a crowned head. l mention this
fact not only because Mrs. Larrabee-
Williams herself, but a great many OF
my estirable friends of the daily press
as well, seemed at times in danger Of
forgetting it. A real crowned head, in
deed, occasionally enjoyed privileges in
privacy not accorded Mrs. Larrabee-
Williams, for now and then king, or a
queen, or a super-royal duke is allowed
to travel incog, whereas no such privi-
Iege was ever granted to Mrs. Larrabee-
Williams.
Wherever she transpired the transpi-
ration was duly recorded. Today's pa
per could be counted upon to contain at
least three different items of large pub
lie interest," forecast of the weather,
= statement of the abominable condition
of the stock market, and, most impor-
tant of all socially, the announcement OF
the arrival of Mrs. Larrabee-Willisms
at Newport, Kamschatka, or some other
equally pleasing resort affected by our
uomadic American Smart Set.
In fact, her social position was rather
4 matter of election than of birth; and
she had been elected twice, as her dou-
ble-barreled, hyphenated cognomen
clearly indicated-hrst by Silas LARA
bee, whose accumulations, gathered in
the manufacture of corrugated alumni
mum hairpins, entitled him to receive the
adulations OF the penurious but blue
blooded few, and subsequently placed
his weeping widow in afluence, and,
second, by Henderson Williams, one Of
Americas retired near-billionaires, who
after two years of joyous matrimonial
discomfort fed to that bourne whence
no traveller e'er returns, leaving behind
him so MUCH ready money, and so many
safe-deposit boxes filed with gilt-edged
securities that Mrs. Larrabee-Williams
felt almost inclined to appeal to Con-
gress to put a prohibitive tariff on ltal-
ian, French, and Russian counts and dis
counts for her protection against dis
tressing proposals of marriage.
In her efforts TO rid herself of the
constantly rising tide OF cash which
sadly menaced her peace of mind and
actually caused her bankers to regard
her account as a nuisance, Mrs. LARA
bee-Williams started in to crafty her
penchant for jewels. l say penchant
but it was more than that. 1t was a
passion. Numerous pearls beyond price
became hers. Tommy Partington, whose
bonmots are fair to middling, once OBJ
served that her decorations at the opera
made her look like glorifed ropewalk.
Her diamonds were so many and so
large that only connoiseurs believed them
real; and as for such other minor bits
of glass as emeralds, sapphires, rubies,
and such truck-why, when Mrs. LARA
bee-Williams wore so little as one
eighth of I per cent of her posses
sions in these things at dinner or a
dance, one somehow gathered a vague
impression that the lady was distantly
related to some overilluminated drug
store window.
The results of this extraordinary dis
play was not entirely satisfactory. Two
sorts of people were completely demor-
allied by 1.-THE first sort, consisting of
Mrs. Larrabee-Williams herself and her
kin, became much too careless in its at
titude toward the costly baubles, and the
second sort, made up largely of certain
underworldlings of predatory habits, be-
came unduly interested in her collection.
THAT woman" said Billie Rawson,
late of the United States Secret Service,
to me one evening as we sat in the palm
room of the famous Hotel Riviera at
Blue -Port-by-the-Sea, and observed
Mrs. Larrabee-Williams steam into the
dining-room, 'is a menace to the public
health"
"She's rather hard on the eyes" ad-
mitted, blinking somewhat as the rays
of the electric light flashing upon her
diamond necklace sped an overburning
shaft of radiance into my optics. 81
can stand the simmer of the sun on the
sands at midday, but l fear / shall have
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