Evening star., 1926-02-17

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the Mardi Gras ball, given at the
| Mayfower Hotel last night, and Il
secret which has mystified society
for weeks past solved when masks
We're removed revealing Miss AilSa
Mellon, daughter of the Secretary CT
the Treasury, as Chinese empress
and Coleman Jennings aS ir Manchu
emperor. chief figures of the carnival
ball. Through weeks of advertising
the appearance of Il king ana queen
at the ball, society folk were still un-
prepared for the brilliant spectacle of
the Oriental pageant which attended
the emperor to the throne, where he.
was shortly followed by The empress.
and where after other features of
the program were carried out, their
masks We're removed and ldentltleS
revealed Even then the murmur
of "Who is she and who is he?' was
heard the length OF the ballroom, 50
complete was the disguise.
Private collections and museums, as
we'll as importers shops. were ran
sacked for the gorgeous Oriental cos
tunes and headdresses for the chief
figures in the pageant and the erect
was worth the trouble.
No decoration was necessary for the
splendid French ballroom except the
Oriental draping back of the throne
at the far end of the chamber. nor
was there much in the Chinese room.
Grand March Before Midnight.
When shortly before midnight the
grand march took place, the long ball
room was lined with an upper and
lower tier of boxes filled with foreign
amba ssadors and ministers and their
wives. higher members of official life,
and the most distinguished element Of
unofficial society. Secretary Mellon
sat in the box at the end of the bali
room and greeted his lovely daughte"
as she passed.
Mrs. Henry F. Dimock, chairman of
the ball and of the George Washing
ton Memorial Foundation. in the in
terests of which the ball was held,
assisted by Mrs. Walter +. Tucker
man. received the guests, standing
near the main entrance to the large
ballroom. She wore u handsome gown
of turquoise blue velvet with Il de
sign in tiny pearls outlining the dra-
perry, and her ornaments We're pearls
and diamonds. Mrs Tuckerman'S
gown was of coral red velvet and cloth
silver, the train of velvet being lined
with silver.
, There was general dancing until the
courtiers in their splendid Oriental
raiment. each wearing Il mask, arrived
to make way for the emperor. clearing
an aisle for the royal procession
Then the emperor entered in his mag
niticent dynastical robes of the corona
ton. escorted by his prime minister.
Walter ID. Denegre, and his official
announcer. Henry Cleveland Per
kins. and with the eight courtiers
leading. all in royal Chinese costumes
and masked, paraded to the throne.
Wonderful Chinese Costume.
An equally royal escort was granted
the empress, who arrived in perhaps
the most splendid Chinese costume
ever brought to this country. Preced-
ing her were groups of girls in gala
Chinese array attending as ladies in
waiting. and when the cortege reached
the throne, and the nice ceremony
was over. the emperor and empress
lifted their masks. Then the splendid
court, glittering in gold and silver en-
broidered robes, paraded the length of
the ballroom.
Still wearing their masks the cour-
tiers and suite of the emperor sought
the ladies to whom they had sent
cards of invitation to dance and after
the two sets thus executed, all the
masks were lifted and the ball was
open for general dancing.
The only masked and costumed per
sons were the emperor and empress
and the members of their suites.
The ladies in waiting to the empress
were Miss Suzette Dewey, daughter of
the Assistant Secretary of the Treas
ury and Mrs. Dewey; Mile. Julia and
Mile. Raquel Pueyrredon. daughter of
the Argentine Ambassador and Nine.
Pueyr.edon: Miss Anne King Carley,
Miss Gwendolyn F'foulke Smith. Miss
Violet Spencer, Miss Margaret Eustis
and Miss Francis Mckee.
Society Girls Aided.
There We're large groups of society
girls under the direction of Miss
Evelina Porter Gleaves. Miss Lydia
Archbold, Miss Suzette Dewey and
Mrs. Charles Patterson. in oriental
costume and giving the carnival at
mosphere to the scene. The secrecy
almost the only touch of the carnival
in the entire entertainment. AS a
ball. it was quite brilliant
There were many interesting box
parties.
The Secretary of the Treasury, Mr..
Mellon, occupied his box.
The Amba ssador of Germany and
Baroness Nathan were guests in the
box of Mrs. Chrales Boughton Wood,
who also had with her the former
Solicitor General and Mrs. James NJ.
Beck. the President of George Wash
ington University and Mrs. William
Mather Lewis. Col. and Mrs. Francis
r. A. Junkin. Maj. and Mrs. Robert
Goetz, Mrs. William Barret Ridgely,
Miss Harriet Allen, Miss Mary Nor
gan and DR. SchauS.