Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-06-26
HER RIVAL.
A Story of the Latin Quarter, Paris.

and now and then asking the price OF some
moth-eaten and battered proprietor. aAadi Eating
over his pipe underline budding trees she was
very PRETTY and very daintily dressed, but her
face and carriage showed so much quiet resolu-
ton and self-reliance that the boldest idler OF
the BouleYards would have been deferred from
annoying her even in cynical Paris and on the
very boundary of the Latin quarter. She was
deep In quaint little copy OF La Bruyere,"
some sixty years old which was offered at
Ealf franc. when She heard burst OF light
laughter not far from her ear, so strangely
mingled OF sweetness and kind of haunting
mOckery that she involuntar1ly raised her eyes
Approaching her were young man and a
girl, perhaps two or three years older than
herself and as near the perfection of physical
beauty as it was possible for a woman to be-
Miss de Forest acknowledged to herself with
a strange pang. She had profuSton Of pale
Chestnut hair, skin OF lilies and roses, large
liquid eyes, a perfectly developed figure AMI
an undulatiBg grace OF motion which did not
belong TO the streets OF Paris She was per-
est, In her own toilet, displayed the happy
medium between chic and dignity character
tic OF the delaOiSelle 6it nleiieJt monde OF
whatever nationality, the girl who suddenly
confronted her with an impairment glance had
more OF the quality OF che than was strictly
desirable. "She is not lady" thought Miss
de Forest; "a grisette, probably" and the jeal-
Gus pang deepened, for the man accompanying
this girl-the man who raised his hat without
looking at her, while faint color overspread
his handsome features and clear skin-was the
ST.
loved Arthur Duncan for more than a year,
had watched the ebb and flow of mis-
genius, had encouraged him TO new
effort in his respondent hours and shared
With him the pleasure OF his successes. There
had grown up between them a conradeship
which on her side had ripened into something
deeper. and on his had led to the thousand sub
tie remarks OF preference that may mean moth
Ing or anything. And what in other men meant
nothing seemed in Arthur Duncan to mean
everything. so much so that Amy de Forest
clever, Seli-poSseSSed girl as she was, had come
TO believe In the absolute predomInance In the
scheme OF her future life OF this one figure
Only yesterday evening they had sat long to-
gether IN the embIasure of the wide window
that looked upon the gardens OF the LuXem-
bOurge while the lamps sprung into light
through the dusk and when he went away
pleading an engagement in friends studio, he
had lifted her hand to his lips IN the darkness
and called her his better angel.
The girl bit her lips ana opened the La Bru-
yere' again-the bitter, healthy draught of the
old wits cynieiSm acted upon her as tonic and
kept back the starting tears The lives OF her
men friends outside OF her mothers drawing
room did not concern her, she thought but It
was hard that Arthur, with his talk OF asptra-
ton towards an ideal and the elevation of art
above Sordid realism, should find his inspiration
In the soul OF grlSettee. And yet she could not
blame him; the girl was beautiful-hke white
rounded water-llly with dewy petals Perhaps
II she, herself, were man -. She closed the
book abruptly and paid the old bOuluiniste
for II, and then turned up long avenue that
Luxembourg. She liked these gardens better
than the stately allies OF the TuilerteS There
was more OF the flavor OF old Paris about them
before the Second Empire-the Paris of De Nu,.
set and BalZac. She liked the threadbare stu
dents with their books, the knots OF sewing
Girls, the bOurgeOiSe mothers and nurses Win
the children playing around them; the old men,
with red ribbons In the buttonhoIas or tne'r
rusty broadcloth coats
The spring wind swept down the avenues
scented with Hover cdOrS from the market
81. Sulpice. Miss de Forest wandered on 10
where the great fountain stands haIf-driei.
with the water shallow over the rockwork of It's
basin. and green. wet boards dripping about the
TritoBs and NeptuIeS, and Ivy throwing IT'S
arms cut from the crevIceS OF their shapes and
overhead new-leaflng trees casting tender twf-
light upon the quiet place. The voices or child
rem came from the main avenue. Miss lie For
est seated herself on the edge OF the basin and
looked into the shallow water yellow with 1he
dead leaves in It's BED. The reflection OF her
own face came back TO her framed in the sha-
dow boughS.
There had been times when its bright blue
eyes and delicate outlines had seemed to her
TO nj all the requirements or beauty, but now
darkened by the decay1ng leaves and with the
memory or the splendid creatures she had lust
seen rising before her. il seemed quite inp5sst-
bic that any man could ever regard her as beau
tiful
Pure physical beauty IS the best worth hav
Ing" she thought, with little sigh. And then
she thought many things that cir! might
think under the circumstances. but Jnat poets
n
lem OF the two women struggling Tor authority
over the soul OF the one man. as Olu as hStOrv
and Observation-Disclosures bound IN the Chains
OF Venus while his chaste Elizabeth awaited his
return. All men solve IL Tor themselves and
all women In one way or another Dlde the issue
OF 1t.
Miss de Forest fell to studying her dainrfly
glOyed little hands as they lay on nIr Ian an.
especially the place where last night Artaur
Duncan's lips had rested. A shadow came De
tween herself and the sunlight beyond tn.
trees and. CHANGING up, she saw before her the
man she loved. She looked up at him with a
smile slightly touched with the Cynicism learned
from the small book In her lap.
What charming weather. Is IL not The air
Is full OF spring sounds today. l have been
walking long distance"
Alone, Miss de ForeSt?"
Yes why lot? l much prefer walking alone
unless have very agreeable companion AID
you know AIN not demOiSelle franc .ise 20 be
bound by les conveDanccS.
We're these two people, talking the smallest
or small talk. the two who had parted the night
before With the look Ia their meeting eyes tina.
makes speech useless? A shadow had c9me be-
tween theIn-the shadow OF a woman with
nmpid eyes and shape Ike pictured goddess
There was moments silence. A bird sang I'm
the tree overhead. leaf whirled down jnJO the
translucent water, the drops trickIed from the
green beard OF the water god.
When wiz you come and see my picture, as
you promised
Whenever mamma viii go with me- You
know cannot go 10 your studio a.ona."
IneIc was distant naughty ring IN her
voice that Arthur duncan Sad never heard
before.
lam going home she said rising. 81 am
tired have walked too Tar. VIII you not
come this evening"
Thanks; am sorry. but have made an en-
gagement which can scarcely break
- All"
May take you to your door The streets
are full OF students and all kinds OF people,"
Thanks; have no fear. do not think any
one will trouble me-
Sitting that evening in the tender spring
twilight among the flowers or the balcony hiyl
above the street. with boy artist on a 10y
stool at her feet, looking up IN sort OF adora-
ton at the cloud OF golden hair that was ike a
halo above Eer white gown. Amy de Forest
asked her young page II he had seea Arthur
Duncan Of late.
NO one sees much OF him now. Hes en-
gagged, the fellows say, In some sort OF frightfu
!oVe AFFAIR with spanish girl who dances at
Tue bolher She posed for the picture he ha |
yusI nhlSned The fellows say It's an aHfdl
clever I1,nihg.sure 10 get into the Salon next
!e veal ne eaIls y The Goddess OF Morning. ;"
=, aes, Ia sna. a. me name he had told her.
II Was ner rlVal she had met yesterfiay-a paid
dancer at students ball, Rnf carrainr~ "a
thur DuncanS artistic Instincts wera not a
faut, FOR the girl was an ideal tncornara =
morning dew ana rosy cloud and yan0TonS am
light IL gave her pleasure despite her bn SUI
1aiion. 70 realize the truth and poetry OF his
You have never been TO the Buu,ar y,
course, Miss de Forest. But great many
and well protected
II confess have always wished TO go. I've
no doubt. II were man, / should be very
dissipated one"
For little while. perhaps said the wise
Young man ar ner feet. s.buI vo,, IyoriS S.N