Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1756-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more
Image provided by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL
Newspaper Page Text
ft. MRS. PICKETT'S CHAPERONE By George Haskell It was getting to be a joke in their set that Mrs. Pickett, the gay widow; kept her young niece for a chap erone. True, Helen Bryan, who had come to live with her aunt, was more quiet in manner and less given to gorgeous apparel, but it was not in the least her intention to keep an eye on her relative, whom she believed entirely capable of taking care of herself and whose brilliant conver sation and witty repartee was as much a deljght to her as to any of Mrs. Pickett's admirers. Helen's conversational gift took a slightly different trend. She had also a ready wit, but she had, too, senti ment and imagination. Her poems were beginning to find their way into the best magazines and she often found reading and study more allur ing than bridge parties or teas. So sometimes when they asked Mrs. Pickett where her chaperone was she would laugh and say she was be ing shockingly neglected and who could tell where such carelessness would end. People who only met Helen in company with her aunt nev er really knew the girl, for Mrs. Pick ett was the dominant individual who took the conversational field and kept it. Not that she meant to do this, but she was simply bubbling with wit and good humor and had to effervesce. Naturally Helen did not, under these circumstances, shine. About six months after Helen came to live with her aunt Wade Barber came out of the west with his pictures. He had some letters of introduction to "good people," and these, together with a prepossessing rnpearance and a well-bred manner, ; r'ablished him in social circles, .tie . i an exhibition of his pic tures, hich were really good, and sold son e.. Mrs. Pickett invited him to call, i ad very soon he was paying , assiduous attention to the witty widow. "She must be all of 15 years older than he is," said Mrs. Catt. "Why, he doesn't look a day over 25." "My dear," put in Mrs. SpanieL "He must be near 30; and Eethl Pick ett can't be a day over 40. Besides, men of brains, poets and artists nev er think about age; it's the mind and soul that appeals to them." "Any way," purred the' other, "no one these days makes any account He Recognized Her and Waited ' of the woman being older than the man. I suppose, too, it would be a pretty good thing for Wade Barber. He's as ,poor as a church mouse, I hear; and Mrs. Pickett has plenty of money." "He was speaking of Helen Bry ant the other day to Miss Flint and I heard her tell him the" niece was a 'Door relation'."