Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1915-06-24
What Lord
Said
By LOUISE B. CUMMINGS

One evening at a tbeater Lord Blar-
neyston, chatting with an American
friend who was spending a great deal
Of time and money on his lordship, see
ing Mrs Harkaway in one Of the
boxes, asked who she was and when
told said:
"She's the most beautiful woman I've
seen in New York, and there's no wom-
an in England who can compare with
her."
Such a remark made by member
of the London smart set was bound to
be repeated from mouth to mouth. In
a twinkling it permeated the social
circle, the members Of which were at
once agog to see woman whom Lord
Blarneyston pronounced more beauti-
full than any woman in England. The
first Sunday after the encOmium had
spread in society the church where
Mrs. Harkaway Worshiped was over.
flowing with strangers who went there
to see her.
OF course his lordship's remark reach.
ed Mrs. Harkaway 1t was her husband
who told her, and he was proud to be
the husband Of the most beautiful wo-
man in New York or London.
Mrs Harkaway belonged to that
class Of New Workers who years agone
were social leaders, but who now oc-
cupy back seats, the front seats being
taken up by the commercial multimil-
lionaire aristocracy of America. Why
not use Lord Blarneyston's encOmium
to regain the position occupied by her
ancestors? True, the ancestors Of pres
ent day leaders had some Of them sold
meat and vegetables to Mrs. Harka-
ways fOrefathers, to say nothing of
one who had cooked the said meat and
vegetables in her grandfather's kitch-
en-. But times were changed. Present
day aristocrats had assumed tie lead
ership by virtue Of their enormous
wealth, and it was impossible to dis
lodge them. Possibly they would take
in woman whom an English peer had
pronounced the most beautiful in New
York or London.
After consultation between Mr.. and
Mrs. Harkaway it was decided by the
husband that the wife's chance for so
cial prominence should be made avail
able. Certain relatives Of Mrs. Hank
away who had married into multi
millionaire families were found to in
troduce her, and she was launched into
society simply on the fact that Lord
Blarneyston in order to compliment the
city Of the man who was dining and
winning him had said that she was the
most beautiful woman in New York or
London.
The HarkawayS had misgivings
about entering the golden circle on a
beggarly income Of $4,000 They fig
ured, however, that Mrs. Harkaways
beauty, certified to by British peer,
would be considered a quid pro quo
for what they would receive and that
they would not be required to give en-
tertainmentS. In this they were cor
rect The difficulty in the multimillion-
aire set is to get persons to attend en-
tertainments. But there was one thing,
however, on which their calculations
were in error. They thought that Mrs
Harkaway would be able to provide
herself with costumes out of her hus-
bands income, leaving enough for their
other expenditures.
Possibly had Mrs. Harkaway been
admitted to the golden circle on any
other plea than Lord Blarneyston's ex-
pressed opinion of her beauty a few
oil Fl,
would have sufficed. But society ex-
pected the most beautiful woman to
wear the most beautiful costumes. Be
sides, Mrs. Harkaway received the
concentrated gaze of society not be-
cause she owned the highest bred dog
in the universe, but because of Lord
Blarneyston's remark. For this rea-
son her costumes were of supreme i'm
portance. They would attract far more
attention than her beauty. Therefore
they must not only be superb, but in
great variety.
Not only did Mrs. Harkaway's ward
robes cost a great deal of money, but
at least one trip abroad a year was
necessary to procure them. Then much
more jewelry than she possessed was
indispensable. Indeed, the Harkaways
had not even prepared for the wife's
entry into society before they saw that
within a short time that which pro-
duced their income would melt away
like ice under the rays of the sun.
Nevertheless the preparations were
made
At the first function attended by
Mrs. Harkaway she found herself the
cynosure of all eyes. That's the wo-
man that Lord Blarneyston said was
the most beautiful in New York or Lon
don," said everybody to everybody else.
She stood in one position while a
throng of persons passed her, ogling
her as they would a freak in a dime
museum.
1t happened that Lord Blarneyston
was still in New York and was at this
assembly. A lady to whom he was
talking called his attention to Mrs