Judge, 1914-02-21 · page 11 of 24
Judge — February 21, 1914 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This story satirizes the "matrimonial syndicate" scheme—a business arrangement where wealthy American heiresses are matched with impoverished European nobility for mutual benefit. The Count de Gresac, a broke French aristocrat, is selected by the Syndicate to court Miss Alfrey, a wealthy American woman seeking a titled husband. The joke targets both parties: Miss Alfrey's desperation for a husband despite her fortune, and the Count's willingness to marry for money. The irony deepens when the Count actually falls in love with her—undermining the transactional premise. The photograph shows the Count (standing, left) in formal dress with Miss Alfrey and others, illustrating this "gilded age" phenomenon of European titles being effectively sold to rich American women. The satire mocks mercenary courtship and the pretensions of both aspiring American socialites and impoverished foreign nobility.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
»Gresac was nearly at the But one day of He was a ndicate. business men in THe Ci end ¢ ro} grace was left to him of The Matri his or- hy Jo y promote international wedlock for its own « The cate had service the world over to dis- cover n men with great n was opened, but it and the like without money a dise under the Counts, but with good addre put on the tr standing, signed and s , that « loot should L lover to the Mage was effected ¢ The Syndic gener yndicate as soon intelligence of Miss Mildred Alf- Taking the Count WALDRON The Count de Gres court to Miss 4 introduction that would have given him entree anywhe very well Almost d: horsewoman. y enough to cupidity. Miss and would ve st to masculine metal with All sorts of men had pu rand her fortune, but her fastidi- 83 was suggested by her age. the Syndicate to pay ork with letters of but to y lived at one of the hionable hotels near ttled down and came to know Miss Alfrey so well, in fact, that he fell in love with her. as she was an inveterate n a degree jealous of D ly he rode with h Of late he had been Percy Brooke, in whose company Miss Alfrey delighted to be. comicbooks.com