The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-08-06
MADAME IA MODE
 IS STILL SUPREME Despite War Times in Flu
 rope Styles Change KILTED LASS NOTICED She Was Dressed in Discreet Imita- tion of Boys in Highland Regiment But Her Knees Were Not Bare.
 Social Talk of London
KILTED LASS NOTICED

war times and althOugh we are now supposed to pay any special attention to fashions decrees, as a matter of fact, the vagaries and varieties of Ma dame la Mode are to be observed ev- anywhere. Today as I was coming along Piccadilly I passed a girl who wore a very good though discreet imitation of the kilt of the Argyll and Suther- land Highland regiment. To be sure, the kilt instead of ending above bare knees, as in the genuine masculine article, came just to the tops of her neat white suede boots with patent leather toes, but as in the case of the real Scottish kilt, the pleats were pinned down the right side with huge steel safety pins, while punches of dark green ribbons fluttered from waist to hem. She did not wear sporran, but her dark green cloth jacket was cut like a Highlander's regimental coat and she wore Glen garry cap edged with tartan ribbon and bearing a silver badge, very 3auntily on one side of her head. The dress was so beautifully cut and so admirably carried out that, oddly enough, it did not look in the least oatre; also the girl was pretty. An imitation of soldiers clothes in wom- an is seldom successful and never de- sirable, but almost forgave this bon ny, bright blue-eyed damsel her High land costume.
 WAR AUCTION
 "Ten pounds" said the Duke of Man. chester one afternoon this week when he was bidding at an auction of seats for the Red Cross fund at the Am bassadors theatre. "Ten pounds" re- peated the beautiful auctioneer, Alice Delysia, as she stood on the stage in a chiffon gown of royal blue, and tried to put on" the prices of the seats for her matinee. Going, going. gone" and two stalls at five pounds each were "knocked down" to his grace, who produced a 10-pound note from his waistcoat pocket and tried to Took pleasant" as if the camera of so- ciety photographer was focused upon his countenance. Kim" Manchester, as all his intimates call him, has grown visibly older since the commencement of the war. He has increased in girrh. and his rubicund countenance Is now crowned by very grey hair. Nobody takes him seriously in London, for Kim has been lone of the boys" for so long that 1t really does not seem pos sible to think of him occupying spe- cia1ly exalted position in the social world. The duchess is seldom seen In town nowadays. She spends nearly all her time in Ireland, where the trouble comes from" have an idea that she is not any too fond of London, and its upper circles" She finds it difficult to be conventional and dignified in accordance with high ideals that are usually mapped out for the households of dukes and duchesses. So she pre- fers living in peace and being her own mistress of Tanderages castle, County Armagh. The duke is of a more vola- tile temperament, however, and is to be seen about at Cire's and at hotels with the older generation of sports" It is difficult to realize that this rath- CT red faced, stout and merry looking gentleman is not yet 40 years or age. He looks we'll over the borders of what is commonly called middle age," and yet he was born in 1877, and 1t seems only the other day since his mother, the beautiful Consuelo Manchester, was counted the flower of the flock or Anglo-American duchesses.
 I hear rumors of an extraordinary scan- dal that is simmering slowly under the crust of London social life It concerns a beautiful and somewhat volatile young married woman whose connection with the royal family is not very remote, and a certain well-known English actor, who is much sought after in fashionable cir cles. The organization of war concerts and entertainments of a charitable na- ture is responsible for the commence ment of this romance, from which 1t is feared serious developments may spring Influence is being brought from the high est quarters to prevent any publicity in the matter and the young lady in ques- ton having been warned, is also being closely watched as far as all her move ments are concerned. It is very true that although the seriousness of the story may I-w~ 1%.1 truths regarding its commencement are unimpeachable. The lady on more than one occasion has been seen in the dress ing room of the young actor by mem- bers of the company with which he IS playing. Of course she had always come Ito talk about next weeks matinee" or ito discuss details in regard to such and such a concert The interesting fact remains. however that the story of mad ame's "goings on" have reached high quarters and given good deal of anxiety to those who feel that there should be no whisper of anything approaching a scandal in connection with the lady at this special juncture. However, she is very young, exceedingly pretty, just a little "f1ghty'' and of a decidedly ad- venturous spirit. Before her marriage she went through a girlhood of complete seclusion and strictness. For the last year she has. of necessity, been left very much alone, her husband being with his regiment in France. The unaccustomed liberty she has thus enjoyed seems to have gone to her head and now people who are in the know are sitting by and watching for the next move in a game that looks rather serious one.
 COACHING POPULAR
 I am pleased to see that coaching has not altogether died out as an amusement and a sport in England, but the coaching this year is an entirely different matter from the coaching that has occurred dur ing any other season. I saw splendid team of horses tooling along the road toward Richmond the other day. a sport ing looking old gentleman was holding the reins and a gray haired. weather beaten guard was tootling the horn. The top of the coach was crowded with wounded soldiers and each one of them wore the coaching colors of their host pinned on their hospital jackets, or stuck into the brims of their caps. Also they wore roses, some of them seemed to have made wreaths of them, which they hung about their necks or pinned upon their shoulders, and they were all singing and laughing as if, for them. at any rate. the horrors of war had completely passed. As looked at them thought of a few sea- sons ago. when along that same road, poor vanderbilt's famous "fours' used to come stepping at splendid pace, drawing one of his coaches. On the box seat the millionaire owner would sit in his well-known bright blue driving coat with his white hat tilted over his eyes and his long whip playing scientifically upon the glossy Hanks of his leaders Vopxarbi1t iac at ba