Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-09-14


their forty love" and the love game was
won by Mrs. Cushing and her partner j.
Gordon Douglas.
With this love game. the championship
for doubles OF the Newport courts went TO
the two partners who have been the most
observed OF all observers all Summer at
the Casino.
Loud cheers and knowing smiles fol-
lowed the winning Of the sets in which
Mrs. Gushing the beautiful widow OF How
ard Gushing. the artist. and Gordon Doug
las, divorced husband Of Mrs.. Annie
kountze Douglas. played against Mrs.
Arthur Scott Burden and nrexel Biddle,
the young son of Craig Biddle, OF Phila-
delphia.
Back OF these exciting games lay an
other and very different contest, for all
Newport was keeny "on" TO the fact that
Mrs. Gushing, the vbrantly beautiful
woman in yellow" whose rare ard amaz-
Ing coloring inspired her artist husband in
his best work, was being courted by way
OF tennis by two prominent men OF the
colony, Williams P. Burden and ]. Gordon
Douglas.
been afforded SO delightful spectacle as
the perfectly open contest between these
two men for the love of woman whose
beauty has been many times immorta!.zed
on canvas by an adoring husband. Fol.
lowing Howard Cush!ns's work from the
time OF his marriage II Is easily seen how
his wife colored all his art. Even in
doing the mural decorations for Mrs Harry
Payne Whi,ncy's studio Mrs. Cushing was
her husbands theme. In the striking nude
on the dolphin, panel that raised storm
OF gossip. the artist was still faithful 10 his
favor,e model for hor colorinE and facial
characteristics as unmistakable. One OF
the last paintings no did OF her was the
glorious Woman in Yellow" and the por-
trait is considerably talked OF this Sum.
mer by Newport.
The contest now engaging Viewpoints at
tention actually began last Summer. only
no one realized it. because Mr.. Douglas
was then married and had no intention of
competing for the lady.
Mr.. Burden, however. was free 10 win
bride, and began his drive soon after Mrs.
Gushing arrived at her Newport cottage.
winnie" Burden. as he is called by his in
Inmates. Is a widower OF wealth and much
social prominence, for he is q son of the
late James lAhercromb!e Burden and
cousin OF Evelyn Byrd Burden, Arthur
Scott Burden and Mrs David Dows. who
was the lovely Gwcndolyn Burden.
His wife was Natica Riyes, perhaps the
most beautiful girl that Newport ha, ever
married off. She was daughter of the
late Oliver II. p. Belmont by his first wife
Not long after her marriage she was found
dead in her bed and her husband has never
been seriousl! interested in another
woman until Mrs. Gushing appeared on the
scene as widow.
When Ethel Cochrane Cushing and
Burden joined up as tennis partners early
last Summer no one in the colony dreamed
that the beginning of genuine romance
was being staged. They played ewfully
good tennis, and won over all corners, even
against such veterans as Craig Biddle and
Mrs. Barger Walach. But it was tennis,
and not love, that apparently occupied The
two principals. This season. however, love
and tennis are all mixed up with Burden
and Douglas attacking each other from
every vantage point. In way Mrs. Cush-
ing, while always the. prize for which they
are fighting might also be likened 20 the
ball which Is constantly being tossed
across the nets
When the season closed last Autumn,
with Burden and the lady winners, all the
women Of the colony decided that Mrs.
Gushing had made up her mind to become
Mrs. Burden Otherwise, why did she s. g
UP all other social pleasures in ordsr to
join Winnie on the courts? And, I'M
doubtedly, her partner would have lad a
clear field if Mrs. Douglas had not secured
divorce and so left her former husband
free to fall in love once more.
When the tennis teams were made up
for this years tournament, Newport got a
shock. for instead Of Winnie, they found
Douglas paired Off with tho Woman in
Yellow"
"FIow can this be? Is Ethel done with
Winnie?" asked moro than ono woman
in the colony
"No. indecd!" still others would reply,
1--WE hear she just wants change, she Is
afraid OF one-man partner"
=. developed speedily that Mrs. Cush-
ing and Douglas had been playing together
quito lot over at Forest Hills and on ono
e- the private courts in New York New:
port was puzzled and when puzzled the
colony is never satisfied until it learns the
reason why. Everything is fairly plain,