iety she knew its needs,
and although she was too young to look far ahead and foresee the
structure which was to rise upon these tentative foundations, she
shrewdly began by offering her services to certain friends often
hopelessly bewildered with the mass of work they were obliged to
leave to incompetent secretaries and housekeepers. One thing led to
another, as it always does with brave spirits, and to-day Miss de
Barril has a position in life which, with its independence and
freedom, she would not exchange for that of any of her patrons. She
conducted her economic venture with consummate tact from the first.
Owing to a promise made her mother, the haughtiest of old Spanish
dames as I remember her, she never has entered on business the houses
of the society that employs her, and has retained her original social
position apparently without effort.

She has offices, which she calls her embassy, and there, with a staff
of secretaries, she advises, dictates, revises lists, issues thousands
of invitations a week during the season, plans entertainments for
practically all of New York society that makes a business of pleasure.

Some years ago a scion of one of those New York families so much
written about that they have become almost historical, married after
the death of his mother, and wished to introduce his bride at a
dinner-dance in the large and ugly mansion whose portals in his
mother's day opened only to the indisputably elect.

The bridegroom found his mother's list, but, never having exercised
his masculine faculties in this fashion before, and hazy as to whether
all on that list were still alive or within the pale, he wrote to the
social ambassadress asking her to come to his house on a certain
morning and advise him. Miss de Barril replied that not even for a
member of his family, devoted as she was to it, would she break her
promise to her mother, and he trotted down to her without further
parley. Moreover, she was one of the guests at the dinner.

Of course it goes without saying that Miss de Barril has not only
brains and energy, but character, a quite remarkably fascinating
personality, and a thorough knowledge of the world. Many would have
failed where she succeeded. She must have had many diplomatists among
her ancestors, for her tact is incredible, although in her case Latin
subtlety never has degenerated into hypocrisy. No woman has more
devoted friends. Personally I know that I should have thrown the