Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 February 1892 — M.DUFREE, LADIES’ TAILOR [ARTICLE]

M.DUFREE, LADIES’ TAILOR

That was the sign above a third story window opposite a mansion on Fifth avenue. It appeared thero one misty morning. When the fog lifted a bit, Miss Mangrove caught sight of it and exclaimed: “I shall positively sell this house and move further uptown. Trade is resistless as the sea, and for Society to endeavor to stop its encroachments on the aristocratic portion of the city is as vain as was Mrs. Partington's broom fight with the waves. I abhor Trade!” She turned from the window with a shudder, as if the gilt letters of the sign had leaned over and touched her fnmiliarly on the shoulder? Miss Mangrove was besieging society. Jabez Mangrovo, her fathor, had been a persistant success from the timo ho left the farm and sold tinware from house to house. When he bought for a song a prescription for a liver pill, ho quitted peddling and devoted his enorgics to pushing “Mangrove's Liver pills.” Fate may have been sarcastic when it took him out of the world of congestion of the liver, but the public had no idea how congested his pocket book was, till the amount of his estate became known, and thon thero was amazement that there hadbeon so many bad livers in the world during ono man’s lifetime. The first stop taken by his only hoir, Amolio, was to sell tho pill manufactory, its good will and patont, at such a sum that proved sho wn? born to comtnorco. Then sho bought the mortgage on an aristocratic mansion, foreclosed it and took possession. From there sho had besought society to take her in, had hoped to ensnare somo scion of the old families, and had failed because her father had beon in tho patent medicine business. That was why sho hated trade. But her tactics had chnngcd. Sho had to into sooiety. Sho wasn't pretty, exactly, but sho had a good figure, and flattered herself that she had a manner as pronounced, not in tho wav of loudness, but as noticoable as that of any of the Four Hundred. But she was not in it—this was the sum of it all. And, accordingly, sho frotted outside of the closed doors, and lay awake at night in her dainty bod devising ways of making a break in socioty’s walls. Ono night, with a weary sigh, she fell into a troubled sleep; for hours sho had been schoming how to obtain tho entree. And now, in her uneasy slumber, sho began again tho wearisome will-o’-tho-wisp chase after tho magic word entroe. Even in her sleep sio felt herself uttering a protest against repetition of the useless pursuit, but before she had wholly voiced her unwillingness to follow the dancing, teasing sprite labelled entree she saw the letters of the ladies’ tailor’s sign march before her. They were in command of the big gilt M, who lifted his hat respectfully to her ns his company filed past. At the word thoy broke into a double-quick, and in a few seconds they had surrounded and held prisoner the agile and evasive little imp she had chased so many times in vain. The company of gilt letters faced about, and marching within a respectful distance of her, halted. While thoy presented arms, the corporal M. led forward the mischievous imp and placed him on the palm of her outstretched hand, which she closed gently, holding fast the coveted privilege which in her dreams the sprite always had represented. “I have the entree at last,” sho oxclaimed, and awoke to vexation at having felt so much joy over a delusion, and finally to wonderment about the significance of the letters having made tho entree a prisoner and then presenting it to her. The dream troubled her not a little the next day. To her its meaning was pluin M. Dufre, ladies’ tailor, could procure for her the entree to society. But how. could she call upon him, when nobody that was anybody him? At last she concluded to request him to call upon her, and she sent him a succinct, business-like note. The following morning he called upon her, and she was astounded to meet a handsome, quiet, well-bred man. who proceeded at once to open a case of samples. “Not those,” she said, haughtily. “Somebody else will wear a dress off the other end of tho same web.” “Ah,” said the tactful business man, closing the case. “I suppose I was to •how you the latest importations, but 1 am at your servjce to procure for you •ad fit you with what even tho Baroness Sothschild cannot procure a duplicate of.” “The reason I want a new tailor is that I may be original in my costumes. If you are a reader of the society gossip published in tho sarcastic weeklies, you will see that 1 am laughed at because I, ’, am not in it, meauied from the circle to esterday, owing to a before, I had an idea, to confide to the first 5 face inspired confito be a gentleman, tray a secret.” oent to note the effect lim, and was pleased symptoms of exciteo learn the nature of •he was about to , r.* plicate of the material or the puttern of a drew or hat worn by any other woman:

Mr. Dufre did not reply hastily. H seemed to be estimatihg the probable loss that his devotion to one person would cause him. One society woman might make the fortune of a ladies tailor, but a woman not recognized by the 400 was not likely to make other wealthy women yearn to have M. Dufre make their drosses. Miss Mangrove interrupted his thoughts: “Are you doubting your ability ?” she asked. “Not for a moment have I hesitated on that account.” “How will $20,000 snit you? ” “For how long a time is your service?” “One year.” “Perfectedly.” “Come to me again to-morrow. We shall then draw up a contract, and you can give me a design for a new dress.” M. Dufre bowed, and taking up his sample case, left the room with the case of one who had been accustomed to the best society. That day and night he worked on a design for a modern robe. As he was a good draughtsman and a fine colorist, he was ablo to present to Miss Mangrovo at tho appointed time a picture of herself engaged in opening the morning's correspondence and dressed in a beautiful gown of uniqse puttern. “You please me so well,” she said, that I will pay you $50,000 if you will engage with mo for two years.” “As that is moro money than I could hope to make in so short a time from general custom I will sign with you,” M. Dufre replied gravoly. “Very well; here is a contract drawn up by my lawyer. You had better read it, for it is one of these iron-clad agreements that prove hard to break.” The ladies’ tailor examinod tho document carefully, asking occasionally for an explanation of a clause, and then put his signature at tho place left blank for it. At tho first night of the opera season Miss Mangrove appeared in a box ronted from a family that was in mourning. When she slipped out of her cloak and stood for a moment in front of the box whilo the maiden aunt who acted ns her chaperon was seating herself, thero was a levelling of lorgnettos in every part of the house. tier dress was pronounced perfect by every woman in the audience who was possessed of an opera glass, and the socioty women enviously admitted that the creator of that costume was a gonius. Who had made it? That wus an inquiry that more than one of tho ladies asked of liersolf in n wondering way, and resolved to instruct hor maid to quiz Miss Mangrove's maid at the first opportunity. On tho second night of tho opera season Miss Mangrove appeared in a different costume, but one us beautiful as tho ono worn by her on her first appearance in tho sacred precincts known ns the millionaires’ boxes. The third night sho was again gowned in a no loss becoming dross, but ono that sho had not yet worn in public. The socioty ladies boenme excited. “What will she wear to-night?" they asked one another, and they waited impatiently till Miss Mangrove appeared. Then they lovellod their opera glasses to see whether Miss Mangrovo had at last been compelled to mako one of her costumes do duty tho second timo. In this they were disappointed, for sho was novor seen twice in tho same costume.

When it was rumored that M. Dufre, a now man on Fifth avenue, had created her marvellous costumes, society smilingly said that it was a good advertising story, but ono to be skeptical about till admitted by Miss Mangrove herself. But at tho beginning of the second year of M. IJufre's contract with Miss Mangrove, it was whisperod that M. Dufre was a genuine count who had temporarily abandoned his title while ho repaired his finances in trado. This report was one that aroused the most intense interest among tho 400, and an investigation wus set on foot at once. Tho result of the inquiry was tho conviction that a real nobleman had sot up on Fifth avenue in the tailoring business. The evidence adduced to bring about this conviction was a series of letters written from Paris by ono of the Matriarchs. She lmd inquired at the establishment whore M. Dufre had learned his trade, and after carefully following up the clues to his identity sho lmd assured herself that he was the only living representative of one of tho oldest titles in France. That settled it. Society was willing to patronize him us M. Dufre, but to open its doors to him as Count do Nino. Of course his contract with Miss Mangrove eluded his filling orders for anyone else; but ho was at liberty to accept the invitations that wore showered upon him. Soon he was seen everywhere, and being affable, polished und woll-odueated, he became a general favorite. Soon the society reporters stated that ho was engaged to one of tho belles, but the ailnouncement of tho betrothal would not be made till a certain business matter of tho ( Count’s wus settled. Everybody knew what that business matter was, and smiled at the vexation the item would cause “the Mangrove,” who was known to be a studious reader of society gossip. Tho season was well under way when the Count suddenly dopurted for Europe, leaving behind him a lot of hastily penned regrets for social functions. Socioty felt hurt and thought it horrible of “the Mangrove” to send away their delightful French nobleman just at the height of tho season. Envious of his brilliant social success, sho had ordered him to Paris about some new dresses for her. Such was tho popular explanation of his absence. He returned the week before Easter and was enthusiastically received by the 400. The only knowledge Miss Mangrove had of his movements during his trip abroad was a short cablegram: “nave bought it (or 1,t0j,000 francs. Dufbe.” He had come back to report in full, and Miss Mangrove was listening with excitement to his story of how much tact it had required to obtain the real Count De Nino's consent to remain forever a plain citizen, while M. Dufre used the title abroad.

“And now there is no danger of anyone ever discovering you ure bogus?” Miss Mangrove asked. “ None. I have all the family papers, patents, heraldic devices, etc. They and the Count’s continued silence cost a big sum, but it is not to be paid to him in a lump, and if he betrays me the payments will stop.” “ Good! You are very clever,” “ Ah, Mademoiselle Mangrove, it is you who are clever. You have created me the Count de Nino. Is it too presumptuous —may I hop* it is not? —in me to ask you to do me the honor to become the Countess de Nino?” “I rebuke your presumption,” said Miss Mangrove, playfully, “ by consenting to do you that honor.” A momeut later Miss Miss Mangrove summoned her aunt, the chaperon, and startled that worthy lady By the announcement : “Aunty, the Count de Nino has asked

ne to be his wife, and I hare accepted him.” The chaperon promptly tendered hci congratulations to the couple, nnd thon inquired, with apparent solicitue: “That sign over there, it will come down?” "Certainly,” said Miss Mangrove,, “since from this day there is no longer M. Dufre, Ladies’ Tailor.’ ” Society was staggered a whole day by the news, confirmed by publication in the Herald, that, after all, “the Mangrove’ 1 had captured the latest imported genuine nobleman, but in the evening Society wrote her name on the eligible list.— [New York Epoch.