The Washington times., 1920-02-29

III romance OF fashionable society has
4 come to the surface for years as
that of Miss Flora Whitney and young
Captain Roderick Tower. whose engage
ment has Just been announced by the
oride-tobe's brilliant mother. Mrs. Harry
Payne Whitney.
For Miss whitney-those who are sup
posed to know, have always said. nor has
IL ever been denied-was engaged to
Quentin Roosevelt, and the announcement
of their troth was to have been made BY
Mrs. Whitney on the eve OF that heroic
young flying mans tragic death In France.
And to young Tower-the son by the way
of Charlemagne Tower. formerly Ambas-
sador to Germany, Austria and Russia--
Quentin Roosevelt was not only one OF the
nations great heroes, but dear friend
and also his preceptor in his first stages
Of the flying game. 1t was one Of the real
sorrows Of Towers life that he could not
follow Quentin overseas. Instead, he was
forced by the War Department to remain
In America as an instructor.
I'd the Texas training camp. where
Captain Tower was assigned came
Vanderbilt the brother of Miss Whitney,
for instruction.
"A strong friendship developed between
the two, and when the heiress of a con-
siderable section of both the Whitney and
Vanderbilt fortunes dropped down to visit,
the three were thrown together. Quickly
Miss Whitney and Captain Tower discovi
cred their mutual interest in the gallant
aviator abroad. The girls trips were fire.
quent and when in July of 1918 news was
flashed over the cable of Quentin's death,
the two mourned together.
For hours upon hours they talked -
minds strained to visualize that little
grave near Fismes, in France. where lay
all that was mortal of him who had been
the lover of one. the ideal and friend OF
the other.
What more natural than in this harmony
of interest the pair should have been more
and more drawn to each other; should
have found out more and more in each
other to admire and at last to love?
The lonely grave was the connecting
link between their two hearts, and out OF
It grew romance. 1t was as though the
spirit of the dead hero arose from IT and
drew them together - the girl he had
hoped to marry and the fine, clean, cour-
ageous lad whose metal he had tested
among the perilous forces of the air.
There will have been few marriages
which have united such interesting families
or mating of two young persons so filled
with such unusual potentialities. Flora
Whitney is one of the greatest heiresses In
the country, destined, as has been said, to
inherit a large part of the Vanderbilt and
Whitney fortunes representing an enor-
nous accumulation Of railroad property
and real estate in New York. Through the
Payne side Of the house she will, also,
receive share of the Standard Oil mil
lions. She is a charming young girl who
inherits much of the cleverness OF her
mother, who is a very distinguished
sculptor and artist indeed.
Miss Whitney was, in fact, mentioned as
one of the possible American brides for the
Prince of Wales during that engaging
young rOyaltyS VlSlt 10 tuls COuuIy, ucau-
ing, also. as asmatter Of fact, the list. She
would be thoroughly at home In England,
where her cousin is Duchess OF MARI
borough and where she has many other
relatives established in high society.
At the time when this matter was being
discussed, Miss Whitney laughed and said
that she guessed after all that when she
made up her mind, she would marry an
American" What she did not say was
that her mind was already made up.
On the Tower side there are many more
millions, and many a mother In the exclu-
sive Rittenhouse square district OF Phila-
ielphia will receive with bitter disappoint
ment the news that young Tower has been
captured by a maid outside the Quaker
Cjty--and especially one of the Wander
bilts. who for various amusing and curious
reasons, have never been accepted by
Philadelphia's fashionable Holy OF Holes
as having arrived. Both the mothers, II is
said and especially Mrs. Tower-are very
happy over the arrangement The mar
riage will go far toward wiping out UNI
pleasant memories OF the romance of an
other son OF the Towers, Charlemgne, Jr.,
to them tragedy which they have never
quite gotten over. This happened not so
many years ago when Charlemagne, Jr.,
was a student at Yale. There he met
Dixie" Burdick, very good-looking young
woman who might have posed as the