Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-12
BY BETTY BEALE

Palm Beach, Fla.-Dear Lee:
Here I recline on the beach
of the B. and T. Oath and
Tennis Club to YOU'D with my
toes curled into the sand and
my nose shifting the surf as I
watch the millionaires stroll
by.
I'VE become so Injured to
the latter that it was all I
could do to look around nom
chalantly to see who tossed in
$4,000 in one bid on the
Cadillac auctioned off at the
Good Samaritan Ball! 1t was
Spelman Prentice (of the
Rockefeller clam who kept on
giving away thousands along
with Marjorie Post, Peter H.
B. Frelinghuysen, John S.
Pillsbury (flour to YOU'D and
Mrs. Horace E. Dodge. senior,
till the kitty reached $125, 900.
Mrs. Dodge, the automo-
tive heiress. poor dear, won
the car.
Talk about your walking
Dun and Bradstreet's-this
$50 a throw benefit was it!
Nothing less than a goldplated
typewriter will suit me now.
Mrs. Post, who donated a
black mink cape as a prize,
had the biggest, prettiest-
jeweled, best dinner party
there. Her 81 guests included
ranking 24-year-old HRH
Princess Astrid of Norway, the
Philip Armours, Mrs. Axel
Jonsson; Schuyler Parsons of
New York, Newport and P. B.
whose book, Untold Friend
ships" of Gotham's glamor
days, you will remember, came
out a year ago: the Paulding
Fosdicks who are mentioned
in the book: well-known por-
traitist Charming Hare; polo
star Laddie Sanford's wife
Mary; and bachelor New
portite Bill Brend who has
eyes only for Hank Fort. She's
here now and nobody will be
surprised if this ends at the
altar.
Marjorie's houseguests were
there, too-Perle Mesta, the
George CARROTS. Gladys
Huertematte, Jack Logan and
her two "ladies-in-waiting,"
as George Williams once
labeled them-Lady Birley and
Lady Bradbourne. There
are some younger fry at Mar
jorie's mammoth, luxurious
Mar-A-Lago, but the place is
so big I was here for days be-
fore I saw one or two of them.
incidentally, I appeared in
a peacock blue dress the other
morning and asked for a
chauffeurless car in which to
whisk myself out to a luncheon
at Mrs. Charles Ulrick Bays.
Whether by accident or de-
sign, I wouldn't know, but a
peacock blue car was placed at
my disposal!
At Mrs. Bays beautiful white
ocean-front house with its
blue pool are the Biddles,
the Norwegian Ambassador
and Nine. Morgenstierne, and
just for lunch came EVE
and Chip Robert. 1t was
a buffet luncheon, but the
plates were so hot that, sissy
that am, l couldn't pick mine
up. Imagine my surprise when
Her unspoiled Royal Highness
Astrid who's also staying
with Mrs. Bay said, May I
hold your plate for you? I
can stand hot things. I work
with ceramics, so am used
to it." Whereupon she followed
me around the table politely,
holding my plate all the way.
Wasn't that sweet?
My first night in this SUM-
kissed social center was scented
with night-blooming jasmine,
orange blossoms and the heavy.
heady perfume of tuberoSeS.
The setting was the pebbled
patio of Mar-A-Lago edged
with giant palms. lush tropical
foliage and a gumbo limbo tree.
You should be drooling. I.
That was the night Marjorie
gave a dinner for so followed
by dancing that was spanked
by seven professional twirlers
one girl and six men. The
sashaying was sensational.
The party drew Marjorie'S ex-
husband, Ed Hutton, and his
wife who's a dead ringer for
Peggy Talbot. Mr.. Hutton
writes a daily column for both
Palm Beach papers about life