Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-06

straw hat piled with red roses:
The peerless of the realm | saw owed
her present high rank to a fetching
color scheme. That combination of a
fair skin with dark tresses and heavy
brows has worked many miracles.
Did you want to be introduced?' she
asked. advancing. Her accent was rich
ly British.
Perhaps, I answered. How much
does it cost ."
ITO meet the king and for the season
leading up to it, n thousand pounds.
She sat down on the gold couch beside
me. Her hat was sunburned and jab-
bed full of hatpin holes An edge of
gold fringe was ripped from her sleeve.
Still, she gave the effect of an abiding
neatness and ] could feel her mana :
gerial faculty. AS the head of corset
department or a tearoom she would be
a success.
] observed that I thought the sum
she mentioned was quite high She an
swered, Yes, but take an American
woman whom ! introduced last year.
She goes everywhere now and has a
fine time, and it's worth that to her"
She got up and began bringing me
things bearing on the subject. as a
salesman shows his wares The Arch
bishop of Canterbury's card was her
choicest treasure. Another was a pho
tograph in gold frame of an elderly
man driving coach and four. She
picked II from us pace on tHc
and handed it to me. This is Sir Sam
uel Thomas. He's very rich-and a
widoWer. We could go coaching with
him. He has place on the Thames
that we could motor to tomorrow. Her
third prize was an invitation to meet
royalty at a garden party at Straw
berry Hill Saturday. The sister-in-law
of the queen, her royal highness Prin-
cess Alexander of Teck. and her hus-
band. the queens brother. his serene
h oh prip Law nf
were to be the guests of honor. AS the
open season for meeting the king was
over l thought I ought to embrace this
chance to Sc whether presentation to
royalty was to be purchased.
ut isn't worth while to try to per-
suade me to do anything that costs
thousand pounds" | elucidated.
What about a hundred" she return
ed. promptly.
mot unless l get money from Amer
fca." 1 answered.
She gathered in her cards from the
mantelpiece and resumed her seat beside
me. AS she talked she carelessly picked
them up and held them one by one so
that my eyes would dwell on the
names. I asked how | was to know
that these people would ever become
my friends. ] also mentioned that [
wished to remain in London only for
week at present and asked what could
be done in that time.
She answered that an American would
have no trouble If she were generous.
and that a great deal could be accom-
as she put it. could be made for next
season. Take that American" she con-
tinued. about whom ! was telling you.
| gave twenty parties and asked her
oil al nltlf
place near distinguished people. Then
she would entertain right afterward
She would invite all of my guests, and
write them notes reminding them that
they had met at my house" No CLEAN
of humor lightened this conversation.
nor was it Swallowed by embarrass-
ment. She was heavy with an English
racial absence of alertness, when her
type demanded delicacy and light
There was a long pause. 'Well?" I
questioned.
We'll, how much have you got?" de-
manded the peerless of the realm.
About dollar and a half" I an
swered.
She gravely inquired how much that
was in English money. l have no doubt
she would have taken it if convinced
she could get no more.
Il have ten pound note that I could
spare.
She frightened. "All right How can
l get it: VIII you send it round?"
Cant 7 bring it when ! come next?'
Yes, and come tomorrow. Well go
to Sir Samuers. And you'll write to
won't your"
] said Yes" and regretted the hours
passed in going to the bank for sta
tionery, those long reflections on how
to put UP a plausible front, on how to
of
volving friends, those qualms for the
indelicacy of my task. Little did she
care whom she was foisting on her
friends. She did not even ask what
city I was from. She was in a fright
full hurry to get to the wedding, and
she stopped only to provide for an
Although the little clock
still pointed to five minutes of 4, half
an hour had passed.
do you know the Roosevelts?" she
asked.
Yes" l answered
Well. so do l. Wen say you brought
letters from them to me!'
! started to protest. but she broke in
with; 1T doesn't matter. Nothing will
the hall and she called her husband to
show me down the stairs. ! stepped
on ahead. and from over my shoulder
saw him turn back from his descent to
HISpeI IN MS
sputtery way. like the Englishman
of the stage. He wished to find out
where they stood with me. but she
pushed him toward his errand of gra-
ciousness. which he without further
questioning performed. She was the
general-that was obvious-and he
merely the first lieutenant, while IL
was a lump of crude. unresistant ma
terial in their hands.
/. who with no particular effort, to be
sure, but with definite consistency,
had kept out of American society, was
now wading into the thick of social
frivolity in England! Ny sponsor plan
ned a thorough piece of work, with no
time limit to it and no clearly defined
idea in.my mind. although nobody knew
what was in hers. as to how much she
was to get out of 1t. Events took
place in the ascending scale of their
social Importance. We motored by taxi
Sunday to the residence of Sir Samuel.
The earl sat stiffiy with his long legs
crooked under the drop seat and his
head out of the window as he ex-
planned everything he considered to be
of interest along the route To all of
my remarks he demanded WHAT" The
countess asked for her clean white
gloves from his pocket. and remarked.
as she blew into the fingers of those