The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-01-21
Berthe K. Mellett's "The
Ellington Brat" H. S
Capital as a Setting

OaplLal as q OeCClng
THE whispered suggestion
n that Secretary Mellon, OF
the Treasury, and his daugh-
ter, Ailsa, are the pro-
totypes of the principals
of Berthe x. Mellett's novel,
"The Ellington Brat, = is
helping to sell the book. So
why deny the impeachment
TINE fact that "the Ellington
= brat" is the beloved only
daughter Of q multimillionaire,
who wins his way to high
political position, has obviously
given rise to the theory. But
there is little Of the Mellon that
Washington knows in Ellington
pere and less of Miss Ailsa
Mellon, now Mrs. David K. b.
Bruce, in Loretta. Indeed, the
impulsiveness and daring Of this
character suggests rather more
Miss Natalie Hammond, daugh-
ter of Mr.. and Mrs. John Hays
Hammond, and a few of the
incidents in the book can be
directly traced by those who
know their Washington to incl
dents in which Miss Hammond
has figured.
"RS. MELLETT laughs at the
AVA idea that she has drawn
upon live models" for her char.
acters any more than any novel
list Ii inevitably influenced by
personalities. And. indeed, The
Ellington Brat" is no ''Revelry."
to tell what purports to be q
piece of fiction, with its char
acters developed in the round.
and the story set against q back
ground of Washington. which
Mrs. Mellett knows so well.
There is considerable clever dia-
logue and Mrs. Mellett has an
aptitude for expressive phrases.
For example she speaks of a
baby faced-and baby minded
girl as "a congenital minor"
and describes the villain of her
piece as 1.-The one man in Wash.
ington who can wear a morning
coat and not look like robin.
MUCH Of the story deals with
IVA the doings OF the younger
set in a FLAMING Youth" vein.
But there is an underlying theme,
very deity handled, OF the trag-
edy of the father who can buy
anything" except the continued
respect of his child, and the
tragedy of the daughter, whose
best instincts are crushed by the
tremendous money power machine
built up for her protection.
Washington knows the writer
as Mrs. Lowell Mellett, but her
name Is so we'll known to the
readers of magazine fiction that
one doesn't need to tag her as
1.-The wife of Lowell Mellett, news.
paper editor. The Melletts have
charming house in old George.
town and their associa tons are
with the literary and artistic
groups of Washington's cosmopoli
tan society.
THE President and Mrs Cool
Il idge have as their guest at
the White House former Senator
William NJ. Butler, Of Mass
achusetts, chairman OF the Re-
publican National Committee.
y y
The Brazilian Ambassador, 8.
GurgeI do Amaral, will entertain
at dinner this evening.
II X
The French Amba ssador and
Nine. ClaudeI will be hosts at
dinner this evening after which
several in the company will go to
the dance at the Polish Legation.
X u
THE Polish Minister and Nine.
Il CiechAnowska will be hosts at
a dance this evening at the leGa-
ton ewhen their guests will in.
clude about $50 representatives OF
official and resident society. Pre-
ceding the dance they will enter.
tain a small company at dinner.
X y
DURING the visit Of William IT.
~ Cosgrave, president of the
council of ministers of the Irish
Free State, the American Min
lister to the Irish Free State and
Mrs. Frederick Sterling will be
in Washingto and will be
guests of her mother. Mrs. John
%