The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-12-16
How a F amily
Climbed the
Social Ladder
By EUNICE BL AXE


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 a western
gold mine, and they departed for the
Atlantic coast to begin to climb 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 a 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 a small ranch in the
west, a young Englishman. a neighbor
of theirs, had fallen In love with Mis-
souri, O'Brien. Missouri was q pretty
girl and knew how to captivate man.
Oldershaw was refined fellow, and
nothing saved him from a marriage
with Missouri but the fact that news
came that Mr.. O'Brien had struck 1t
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-
hing 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
a common cowboy In wooden shirt and
trousers In boots, suddenly become a
gentleman in fashionable attire? There
were two shocks, the one 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 1t was to them. Put a maj
in a strange country where he sees n,
women of his own station and there Il
no folly he may not commit with one
of another class. Thus Oldershaw hat
begun to recover from his infatuatioI
for Missouri as soon as separated from
her and when restored to his prope
social sphere had shuddered at his mar
row escape. AS soon as he caugh
sight of the mother and daughte
dressed in the latest fashion the situa
ton flashed upon him. They were II
l.. That meant that they were an
bilious to become members of the SC
cial swim. He would be called upol
TO help them. and since his disillusio
he knew very well that they had n
place there.
But Oldershaw was true blue The
had been so far his friends that he ha
offered his hand to Missouri. Now tina
the scene had changed he would nc
up to them and greeted them, thong
with embarrassment. Marguerite CAV
him one of those looks that in the viii
west had enslaved him, but saw thf
now it was without effect During til
interview she slid dexterously frol
Missouri to Marguerite and from Mi
O'Brien to Miss Obrien.
Oldershaw's name had also change
In the meanwhile His father, WI
was an English baronet. had died. an
the son was now Sir Thomas Olde
shaw. However. his family. wh16
was a very old one of extremely BIZ
blood, was poor, and the young man
income was barely enough TO enab
him to maintain his social position.
soon as Marguerite Obrien learned
the change she was smitten with 7
greet Had she accepted him when
was a ranchman she would now ha'
been Lady Oldershaw and her fortu
would have enabled the two to clin
to the very top OF the social pole.
She would have hoped that it was n
too late had she not been made to
derstand by the reception of the To-
by which she wished to test her pow
over Oldershaw that 1t had vanished
The summer was passed by t
Obriens with the saddest of words
tongue or pen, lit might have beef
constantly ringing in the ears Of moi
er and daughter. Then came rumors
Sir Thomas engagement TO one OF
most modest and retiring of the L.
cial circle, one whose fortune was
mere bagatelle compared with the u
lions of the Obriens. Meanwhile
young baronet had gradually wi
drawn from association with the latt
though he always greeted them pie
antly when he met them and grant
them any introductions for which tt
asked. When he was married he in'
ed them to his wedding, and, althor
It was a bitter pill for Marguerite