Evening star., 1923-03-02

had migrated to New York was very
proud of the achievements Of its ma
tive son. The house in which the
Mohuns had lived, square, frame
affair. with a cupola at the top Of its
geometric center was pointed to with
pride as the former residence OF Jim
Mohun. the financial wizard. And the
cast-iron deer. which faced the be-
holder on each side of the graveled
path that led to the front porch of
the old house. still stood expectant
as though awaiting the great mans
return.
But Jim Mohun had long ago out
grown those provincial shades. And
Alicia Mohun looked back from the
splendid perfection of her show-p place
near Oyster bay with gentle sludder.
fnss at the memory of those expect
(ant deer.
1t was true that when they were
nrSf married, the house az Leperville
nad seemed very splendid place, for
Jim Mohuns fortune was then rated
only in the thousands and in very few
Of those. But Mrs. Mohun was yery
hronn or tho fact that her mother was
g. Van Wyck. and later when sociaI
ambition became the actuating mo-
tive OF her life, managed to use that
iamlly connection with an adroitneSs
winch paved the way that her hus-
,'s hsla growing fortune had already
Ihe move to Long Island had been a
ShrcWd ono, for this was the back
deor into New York society, and he-
tore the children had grown through
family was duly noted and the name
or Mohun recorded as being among
those present" at tho dinner tables
OF the elect. Alicia Mohun made few
Stis. snistakes. She had the social in
stinct and she had beauty-assets Of
Importance when reinforced bv a
steadily GROWN income and a desire
70 please. The value Of beauty il, a
"oman's face. when added to other
personal charms, can never be lightly
considered. beautiful woman at
once creates an audience She take
the center of the stage Uostesses
want her as a part of the decoration
or their dinner tables and any man
as q nead soul, indeed. who isn't
Sratlhed at being in'her presence. II
she sparkles for hinl. he feels that
ne mas a part in enhancing her
beauty IF he provokes her smile or
her hiush he sees III these manifes-
ta ttons new beauties which he him.
self has painted. Beauty in a woman
IS III itself almost equal to power. but
q clever. beautiful " oman is omnipo
tent
Realizing the full value Of tbes.
assets with which nature had en-
dowed her, Alicia Mohun played tho
social game With a skill which at
times somewhat bewildered her htIr .
band. who found himself almost be
fore he was aware OF it. a habitue
of the houses of the near great and
a member of at least one exclusive
club. His own knowledge of the
world did something for him here.
for. though he had none of tho finer
perceptions which distinguished his
rather a heavy way and had sense
enough. when at q disadvantages, to
remain silent.
But 1t was his wife who bridscd
these difficulties. ignoring with a
graceful confidence the snubs Of the
snobbish. mounting the social ladder
by climbing over the shoulders of
various circles of aCquaintances. con
quering old prejudices and winning
new favors with n tireleSs attention
of subtle campaigns of advertising
which kept her name and face in evil
dence at bazaars. show ring and
hunt meets. She cultivated the So
ciety writer's, did them judicious
favors, always consented to be inter-
with copy with an air Of comforting a
favor. There were pictures, too, Of
herself, of the children, now grown
very handsome too, of the place at
oyster Bay, exterior and interior; of
the stables and the hunters which
her son Jack and her daughter Mar
got rode to the hounds. Very pret-
tily. in the familiar chat of a society
magazine which devote6-a part of it's
pages each month to we'll known
people. was told the story of how
Margot. the daughter. had been
called Cherie by her French COVER
ness and how that affectionate appel
lation had been Americanized to
Cherry. by members of the family
and the circle of immediate friends,
a title to which she seemed so suited
that it clung to her through all the
adolescent years
Jim Mohun watched with good-na
tured tolerance this surprising prog
ress of the family upward through
the fringe of society and at last into
its very woof and warp. but he inter
posed no objections. footing the bills
realized that the social Affiliations
which his wife was bringing him had
added value to his business connec-
tions, which increased yearly IN pres
tige. But, as the years went OH and
the demands of his many interests
grew more exacting, he. was content
to leave the control of his social des-
tinies entirely in the hands of the
author of them and to devote more
and more of his time to the accumu-
lation of the large sums of money
which were required to pay the new
obligations he had thus assumed.
Sometimes, perhaps. memories of
at Lieperville assailed him. It had
been very quiet there. He had al
ways worked hard in his Pittsburgh
office, but not so hard that he couldn't
reach home in time for a romp with
the children before dinner. And
he could spend with the whole family.