The Washington times., 1919-04-20
Her Young
Son $ Navy
Chum

Perkins, Willing Spencer and others would
trouble him.
The time came, however, when he could
keep silent no longer, and, frankly, when
Mrs. Vanderbilt would not let him keep
silence! Underneath her social veneer,
= underneath the glamor Of her wealth and
high Importance there lived q real human
woman, a woman who lOnged for love as
ardently as when, girl Of eighteen, she
was woOed and won by the Vanderbilt
heir. And SO ip February they became en-
gagged and Mrs. Vanderbilt added new
ring to her possessions.
March was q busy month for the future
Mrs. F1tzsimons. She planned to, be mar
ried In April, and she had to collect q
trousseau worthy Of herself without letting
anyone into her secret. Her blue tailored
wedding costume was ordered from New
post tailor, other gowns were ordered from
Boston, and still others from New York.
Mrs. Vanderbilt has always been a most
handsomely dressed woman. She Is one
Of the few Newport women who wears a
gown but once or twice. The last time
she returned from Europe in 1913, she
brought twenty-one trunks with her. Con-
sequently her lavish orders in March were
not viewed with suspicion.
The absence Of the Evans from port sew
ersl days each week made 1t easy for Mrs.
Vanderbilt TO continue her usual mode OF.
life. As head Of the Red Cross Chapter
she spent her days at the headquarters
and also continued her many Newport phil
anthropies. No one has ever appealed in
vain to Mrs. Vanderbilt's generosity, and
all classes Of Newport society love her
Then, too, she still received her many de-
voted suitors The last Of March It was
rumored that she would marry George M
Woolsey, a well-known bachelor, long the
despair Of ambitious mothers. This affair
was considered so seriously by New York
society that every hostess invited Woolsey
enever they expected Mrs. Vanderbilt
De among their guests. This, mark you,
the very last of March
ut on the third Of April society at home
abroad was thunderstruck to hear Of
J. VandeTbilt's almost secret marriage
Eitzsimons.
aturaIly with the blooming Of this re-
rkable romance fashionable society
rywhere is digging into the past and
alling tales Of Mrs. Vanderbilt's earlier
; story. the story that did not turn out
PLY When Elsie French was fifteen
r-old fapper, with yellow curls all over
head, Alfred Vanderbilt, eighteen
rs old. as dark as Elsie was fair, was
devoted slave.
hey went together constantly, even
that age. Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt
Mrs. French knew that a marriage
bound to occur and no effort was
le to interfer Socially and financially
Vas a perfect match.
he divorce at the end OF seven
tched years of scandal and Vanderbilt's
riage to Mrs Margaret McKim are a
! of New York's social history, and it is
1less to repeat any Of it Iere. When
Lusitania took Alfred Vanderbilt to his
tn IL was found that he had left several
ions in trust to his son. Bill. as well as
land Farms, and nothing to his first
}. She did not want a cent Of his
ley as she had large fortune in her
name.
rs. Vanderbilt was divorced eleven
rs ago. During this time she has had at
t twenty suitors, but she never consid-
any of them seriously, not even the
ent Count William Won Bentinck Of the 3
;dam Guards a real parsonage in Berlin
ety. Her tragic experience as the wife
Alfred Vanderbilt had apparently cured
of any desire to marry second time.
hen came the war, and from its out
TX in 1914 she devoted herself to Red
So relief for the Allied armies. When
German submarine U-53 popped up in
1port harbor Mrs Vanderbilt did her
to have it ordered away. When re- =
8 of the U-boat treachery on the coast
q in she was the first woman to arrive
the dock to aid the terror stricken
gees.
Or her war work since our entrance
the war the American Social Science
ociation awarded her fits patriotic SER
medal and the United States Govern
t has recommended her for special
se
Undoubtedly Mrs. Vanderbilts war activ-
helped to blind her friends and rela-
3 to her interest in Lieutenant Fitzsim-
and made the war-ship counting all
more possible. On the return Of the
oy bride and bridegroom society will
% itself to entertain them. Secrecy
most assuredly not veil the gorgeous
of several dinners that are already
lg planned for them.
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