Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-11-10
How a Family
Climbed the
Social Ladder
Bv EUNlCE BL AXE

In the town of l., In the Berkshire
Hills, where the country residences Of
fashionable people shone In the sum-
mer sun, dwelt Mrs. Obrien and her
daughter, Marguerite. The family name
had been O'Brien, but when its founder
left his widow and daughter a couple
Of million dollars, made in q western
gold mine, and they departed for the
Atlantic coast to begin to climb a social
creased pole they Frenchified it into
Obrien, and the daughter, who had
been named for her native state, Mis-
souri,, became Marguerite.
The Obriens had built palatial resi-
dence in L. and begun their climbing,
but the pole had been so well creased
that they had made very little head
way. One morning at tennis tourna-
ment Marguerite suddenly caught her
breath, then said In low tone to her
mother:
"Oh, my goodness gracious, If there
amt Tom Oldershaw!'
Several years before. when the
O'Briens had not become Obriens and
were living on small ranch in the
west, q young Englishman. neighbor
Of theirs, had fallen in love with Mis-
souri, O'Brien. Missouri was q pretty
girl and knew how to captivate a man.
Oldershaw was a refined fellow, and
nothing saved him from q marriage
with Missouri but the fact that news
came that Mr.. O'Brien had "struck It
rich" Visions of being wealthy had in
duced the girl to turn down Mr.. Older
shaw, and she had never seen him
since the evening when she had given
him his quietus.
And now here he was at L., hobnob-
| bling with the elite Of the place, remem-
bering them as the O'Briens, they hav-
ing become the Obriens. and Mis-
| souri, had become Marguerite. And
how had this Britisher, who when they
had known him was riding about like
common cowboy in wooden shirt and
trousers in boots, suddenly become
gentleman in fashionable attire? There
were two shocks, the one a fear that
he would give away their change Of
name, the other that he had an entree
to the circle from which they were ex-
cluded. Besides, 1t at once occurred to
| Marguerite that she might have made
the mistake of her life in throwing him
over her shoulder.
The meeting with the O'Briens, as
he still supposed them to be, was as
much of a shock to Missouri's former
lover as it was to them. Put a man
in strange country where he sees no
women Of his own station and there is
no folly he may not commit with one
Of another class. Thus Oldershaw had
begun to recover from his infatuation
for Missouri as soon as separated from
her and when restored to his proper
social sphere had shuddered at his mar
row escape. As soon as he caught
sight Of the mother and daughter
dressed in the latest fashion the situa-
ton flashed upon him. They were In
L. That meant that they were am
bilious to become members Of the So
cial swim. He would be called upon
to help them, and since his disillusion
he knew very well that they had no
place there.
But Oldershaw was true blue They
had been so far his friends that he had
offered his hand to Missouri. Now that
the scene had changed he would not
go back on them. He marched straight
up to them and greeted them, though
with embarrassment Marguerite gave
him one Of those looks that in the wild
west had enslaved him, but saw that
now 1t was without effect During the
interview she slid dexterously from
Missouri to Marguerite and from Miss
O'Brien to Miss Obrien
Oldershaw's name had also changed
in the meanwhile. His father, who
was an English baronet, had died, and
the son was now Sir Thomas Older
shaw. However. his family, which
was very old one Of extremely blue
blood, was poor, and the young mans
income was barely enough to enable
him to maintain his social position. As
soon as Marguerite Obrien learned Of
the change she was smitten with re-
greet. Had she accepted him when he
was a .ranchman she would now have
been Lady Oldershaw and her fortune
would have enabled the two to climb
to the very top of the social pole.
She would have hoped that it was not
too late had she not been made to un-
derstand by the reception of the look
by which she wished to test her power
over Oldershaw that it had vanished.
The summer was passed by the
Obriens with the saddest of words Of
tongue or pen, 1T might have been"
constantly ringing in the ears Of moth
er and daughter. Then came rumors Of
Sir Thomas engagement to one Of the
most modest and retiring Of the L. So
cial circle, one whose fortune was a
mere bagatelle compared with the mill
lions of the Obriens. Meanwhile the
young baronet had gradually with
drawn from association with the latter,
though he always greeted them pleas
antly when he met them and granted
them any introductions for which they
asked. When he was married he invit-
ed them to his wedding, and, although,
1t was bitter pill for Marguerite to
swallow, q place among so many dis
tinguished persons was not to be re-
fused. and she bore herself like q gren-
adler marched out to be shot
That was years ago. Sir Thomas and
Lady Oldershaw live quiet life, part
| lV in ENGLAND and narf1v in Amor1ca