The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-01-09

even the sherin OF New York County,
had been trying to serve a summons upon
Mrs. Preston Gibson. Mrs. Gibson is now
. the wife Of the well-known playwright and
social leader. Before that she was the wife
OF Captain Alexander Dallas Bache Pratt.
whom she divorced. She Is a grand-daugh.
ter OF Henry H. Rogers. the Standard OIL
capitalist, and a cousin Of Mrs. Caruso.
Mrs Pratt Is very beautiful and, OF course,
has the entree into the highest circles
everywhere.
Not at all the kind OF lady. you would
say, to be the objective OF scores OF de-
tectives and process servers. and even the
sheriff OF New York County. And not at
all the kind OF light that could hide under
a bushel and play hide and seek with them
for over year.
Yet, SO it was Just before Mrs. Pratt
became Mrs. Gibson she had bought some
Jewels and had given promissory note
for $3.50 for them She had failed to take
UP the note, suit had been brought and the
summons had been issued ordering Mrs.
Gibson to come to court and defend her
self,
And for over a year all this array OF
officers had failed to find her and hand her
that little paper.
Now, at last, in mid-November, they had
closed in upon her. Serving of the sum
mons seemed inevitable. Just then, on
the morning OF November 20. Assistant
Deputy Sheriff William Lee received the
incest little letter from Mr. Preston Glib
son, the husband. 1t had been written and
post-marked the day previous. and read:
Dear Mr.. Lee:
"Your letter to Mrs. Gibson reed.
III am sorry, but she has been quite
Ill in the hospital and went to the
country Sat. for rest.
81 expect she will be in town Friday.
Will let you know.
Thank you for your courtesy in the
matter. Very truly yours,
PRESTON GIBSON"
Immediately the attorneys for the prose.
cution were communicated with. They
were sympathetic. So we're all the process
servers and detectives. Wouldn't 1t be
shame to harass any further beautiful
Mrs. Gibson when she had Just left the
hospital and must be at the best weak and
Indeed it would. they agreed. And so
they called the matter of until Friday.
November 26.
On Tuesday night. November %, the
Venetian Ball. a gay rOut Of masks In
which all fashionable society turned them
selves loose, was given. And the next
morning all the New York newspapers
carried news of it and pictures OF notable
participants.
Attorneys for the prosecution, detectives,
process servers and the sheriffs office each
turned to their favorite paper-turned,
stiffened and looked at each other, dazed
"Impossible!" exclaimed all of them.
at can't be-" they exclaimed again.
And again they read carefully the cap
ton under a most striking photograph OF
a most strikingly healthy and cheerful
lady in a most striking costume.
well, this is the limit" they groaned
together.
For the photograph upon which they
gazed was that of Mrs Gibson, the sup
posedly poor, suffering lady who had just
come out of the hospital! And the text
under the picture very plainly stated that
this was Mrs. Gibson as she had appeared
at the Venetian Ball the night before, and
the articles all indicated that among those
present she had been one OF the very
merriest!
But before going more fully into the de-
tails Of that narrowing disillusion and what
followed close upon II, everyone will want
to know, Of course, how Mrs. Preston Glib
son, social leader, going everywhere, fit.
ting from Newport to New York, to Palm
Beach, out West, and anywhere the fancy
beckoned, shopping, dining, entertaining
and being entertained everywhere, could
have played hide and seek successfully for
a year from all those officers OF the law
who were hunting her.
IT was on July IS Of 1919. shortly after
her divorce from "Aleck" Pratt that the
present Mrs. Gibson dropped in on an
exclusive Fifth Avenue jeweller and Sc
lccted some $1,000 worth OF gew-gaws.
She did not have the cash with her. but she
was Mrs. Alexander Dallas Bache Pratt,
you know-and just send the bill. The
firm was dubious very: people who headed
the lists OF fashion were often much harder
to get 10 pay their bills than those who
were sim unknown even to the bottom Of
On, list
Add then, frankly, Mrs. Pratt wasn't
raud as an Al credit customer In the con.
Gdental books of the guild of merchants
The money her grandfather had left her
wup lar ely tied up in a trust fund, and
o. houFl It was reported that she had
00n a year to spend-well, the best
hat could he said was that she was not
90 Al credit customer. Still, the firm