The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-16

stand, but Colonel Gouraurd had a sense of the dramatic that was as picturesque as it was characteristic. He used to dress the part" with extraordinary care and he would make a sensational en- trance into ballroom by having his name and title loudly announced by a servant who would then fling open the doors in order that the colonel might be discovered" standing draped in a huge military cloak lined with red and carrying a tall ebony stick in one hand and a crushed hat in the other His ap- pearance was always magnificent, for he was man of splendid figure and most handsome features, but somehow I do not think the Lebaudy incident in his varied career solidified his financial po- sition
 One of Colonel Gouraurds s sons, Jack son Gouraurd, married, it will be re- membered, Mrs. Charles Alvin Gillig of New York. She had a daughter by her first marriage-a verY charming young woman-who married Bayard Gouraurd the younger brother of her mothers bus band, thus getting tho family skein into a rarely knotted condition. I saw the now widowed Mrs Gillig- -Gouraurd last win ter when I was in New York.
 Various happenings in the world at points far distant from this grim old city of London have recently brought my acquaintance with the chief figures in the scene of action into the line of public interest. For instance, the outbreak of bolshevism in Buenos Aires which originated at the famous Vesenas works reminds me that the cheif owner of this big organization is Madame Yes enas, who makes her home with her fam fly in London. Madame Venesas is an exceedingly pretty woman who is popu- lar in the large Spanish and South American circle that exists in London. She has a beautiful flat which over looks the famous and staely woods and glades of Holland House Ghe home of the Earl and Countess of Ilchester) and also the lovely grounds and red brick stateliness of Kensington palace where Queen Victoria was born.
 Madame Vasenas has three pretty daughters and a son and heir whose name. Santiago" always seems to me most romantic. I am told that Madame Vasenas, who is a very clever business woman is fully au courant with all the moves in the game of anarchy that are occurring in her far distant home, but as she told me when I met her at a dinner party the other night, it is most troubling" and here she waved huge black lace fan with all the emotionalism of true Spaniard Tt Is indeed terrible to be so far away ana to feel that all is not well in ones own country and estates"
 I had very interesting meeting the other day with a friend who has just returned from some of the horrors of prison life in Moscow. This young man who had a commission early in the war, was wounded, taken prisoner in France, sent to Germany, and then eX changed couple of years ago after having been discharged from the army. He was then given a post in the foreign office. After time he was sent to Russia on a special mission, and after some blood-curdling adven lures, was finally arrested in Moscow and thrown into a cell where he was one of 1S0 prisoners. The poor wretchcs were from all classes of society, crim- inal and otherwise while their nation- alities were equally mixed. They had no beds, blankets or even straw to lie upon The total equipment of their torture chamber was 50 wooden chairs Twice a day they were served with practically uneatable soup, one basin to a group of seven men, each of whom was provided with wooden spoon