The Washington times., 1919-02-23

Graydon Wheeler, the heroine Of Z
/ most picturesque fashionable elope
ment, to Mr.. James G. Blaine, son of the
late distinguished American statesman, has
aroused intense interest, apprehension and
hope among those who know the two and
are familiar with their former tempestuous
marriage careers.
Twice have both Mr.. Blaine and the pres.
ent Mrs. Blaine sought for happiness on
the road pointed out by Cupid and, pre-.
sumably, kept well lighted by Hymen. But,
alas, on each occasion the torch flickered
sometimes suddenly, sometimes not so
suddenly, but in every case leaving a sor-
rowful darkness through which the two
had to stumble into the light again
through the portals of the divorce courts.
Cynics have described the marriage of
what is called a grass widow or widower
as "a triumph of hope over experience" >"
If this is so, how strong indeed must be
the spirit of hope in Mr.. and Mrs Blaine.
But is it so? There are others who feel
that the old slogan Of "if at first you don't
succeed try, try again." is equally applic-
able to marriage as ii is to business or any
other form of endeaVOr Indeed, so far
have these enthusiasts gone that it has not
been so long ago that trial marriages were
seriously put forward as a good thing If
one fohnd-or two found-that the partner
they had taken, theoretically for life. did
not come up to specifications, or if certain
latent and before marriage undiscovered
traits of character made the partnership
obnoxious, was that any reason for jump
ing to the conclusion that nowhere in the
world was there a man or a woman who
might not make perfect partner, and lead
each of the mistaken parties to that haven
of peace and happiness which marriage was
intended to be?
In this last romance of Mrs Wheeler
and Mr.. Blaine, there is what science calls
a perfect laboratory test of the two points
of view Neither one has anything on the
other in the way of past experience. Cur
iously, they break entirely even.
Mr.. Blaine has been divorced twice-so
has Mrs. Wheeler.
Mr. Blaine comes from a splendid and
fairly wealthy family-so does Mrs.
Wheeler: therefore in "class," education
and social plane they are equal.
Mrs. Blaine has one elOpement TO her
credit-Mr. Blaine has none; but Mr..
Blaine has a fist fight, precipitating his
second divorce and taking place in a New
York restaurant, to his Credit-while Mrs.
Blaine has none. Both Mr.. Blaines former
wives divorced him-Mrs. Blaine divorced.
both her former husbands.
What was the interesting path whereby
in successive moves during the years Mr.
Blaine steadily approached the present
bride, and what were her moves? And will
peace come at last to these two tempestu-
Gus matrimonial careers now embarked for
a third voyage upon the surprising seas of
matrimony?
The present Mrs. Blaine launched her first
venture with a loud resOunding splash
The Misses EIy's fashionable boarding
school on New YOrk's Riverside Drive was
one of the most exclusive IN the country.
Among the Dear Misses EIy's" girls were
the daughters Of three milliOnaires, Beryl
Whitney-yes, the present Mrs Blaine
daughter Of Parker Whitney, of CalifOr-
mia; Florence Madeline WaIcOtt daughter
of the millionaire shoe manufacturer of
Natick, Mass, and Elizabeth Joyce, also OF
Z wealthy Massachusetts family.
One day these three, having a yearning
for chocolates, dared to slip away from the
school unchaperOned and go down Broad
way to get them. And when they came
back, as a punishment they were "rusti-
Gated as it is called in American college
sling, 10 quiet little cottage near Sharon,
Conn. There it was expected that secIu-