The Washington times., 1920-08-08
All Fashionable Society land Broadway
Much Interested in the Race for the
Brilliant Divorces Hand with Actor John
Barrymore
the Favorite

mi on to fashionable society in America
by one Of its members than the di-
vorce of Mrs. Leonard Thomas-whon
Helleu, the great French artist, called the
most beautiful woman in the United States,
and who is known as the poetess OF pas
zion Of Americas "Aristocracy"-from her
pleasant and very rich husband. Both
are young Both have lots OF money
Mrs. Thomas was Blanche oelrichs,
daughter of that immensely wealthy
family. Both. on the surface. had loved
the same things-the gaiety of Newport
OF Paris before the war, Of New York.
They seemed an ideally matched couple.
OF course, fashionable society watched
with much interest and some amazement
the steady progress of Mrs. Thomas along
the paths Of poesy. Her verses were not
exactly conventional. And Mr.. Thomas,
coming from the old Philadelphia family
OF that name, was supposed TO be at least
conventional in his literary tastes.
Then after months Of secrecy it leaked
out that the Thomases had been divorced
in Paris, now the International Reno,
where wedding rings are cut with enor-
NOUS facility and dispatch And now So
ciety is bracing itself for a further sur
prise-greatef it hazards than the divorce
was to it. Whom win beautiful Mrs.
Thomas marry next? In that question
lies the coming shock.
Rumors and gossip as to the lucky man
have been growing daily thicker. Very in
teresting is 1t not only to Fifth avenue and
Newport, but to Broadway as well, to find
that Mr.. John Barrymore is most fire.
uuently named as the future custodian o.
the former Mrs Thomas's charms, graces
and temperament
In fact, so many and confusing are the
reports that weekly journal devoted to
the doings of the "smart folk published
recently in paragraph the statement that
no one actually knew if Mrs. Thomas
calls herself Mrs Oelrichs Thomas or
Mrs John Barrymore
II this were so, while it would be the
beautiful Mrs Thomas's first venture into
the fields of the theatrical for a husband,
II would not be Mr. Barrymore's first ven-
ture into the fields of fashion for a wife.
It was not long ago that Mrs. Herbert Har-
fiman's niece, Katherine Harris. daughter
OF Mrs Brady Harris, divorced Mr.. Barry.
more after having been converted to
Catholicism in order to marry him.
And a very curious fact concerning this
Is that the very famous Ethel Barrymore,
instead of taking sides with her brother in
the matter, sprung still another surprise
upon society by engaging her ex-sister-in-
law as a member of her supporting COM
pany in her play "Decrassee!" But whether
Mr.. Barrymore or some other, those who
know Mrs. Thomas believe that she will
not again marry into the set to which she
was born, but into the to her far more in
teresting set which she adopted some time
before her divorce.
For months the name of Mrs. Thomas
has been linked with that Of the talented
actor whose drafts upon his genius in his
production of Richard III" caused a COM
plete breakdown and sent him away for
treatment and rest At least that was the
cause given. But it is no secret that many
of Mr.. Barrymore's friends lay the blame
for his breakdown on anxiety over Mrs
Thomas's affairs. They assert that her
temperament, which kept Mr.. Thomas on
the anxious seat for several years. also had
its part in Mr.. Barrymore's collapse, for
Mrs. Thomas is a very temperamental
young woman, and her several years of
matrimony increased rather than lessened
this fascinating quality.
At all events Mr.. Barrymore's illness
began shortly after the Thomas divorce
was granted, and Broadway frankly says
that IL the lady had announced her engage
ment to the actor he could still be playing
Richard.
Mrs. Thomas, whose beauty is OF rare
order. possesses also a curiously brilliant
mentality. Her divorce revealed that she
had never found supreme happiness as a
member of the ultra-fashionable class to
which she belongs by birth and breeding
Through all these months Mrs. Thomas
has kept her own counsel. She has
refused to say the word or take the step
that would clear the fascinating mystery.
Those who know her best say that she is
doing perfectly right-that having made
one mistake she wants to be sure before
taking a second husband. But this does
not satisfy either Mr.. Barrymore or his
numerous supporters. They can see no
reason for waiting. now that she has her
freedom. and they say that this talk about
temperament is all bunk, for Mrs. Thomas
b ..o~o ton, mar a al than narrvmoro