Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-13
Henry James, New Heroine.

From The Siege OF London" In The Cornhil
''Headway-H Roadway? Where the deuce
did she get that ?" Littlemore asked, as
they looked down into the animated dusk.
s. From her husband, suppose" Waterville
suggested.
I" From her husband? From which, The last
was named Beck" ..-.-.
"How many has she had?" Wateryille in
quired, anxious to hear how it was that Mrs.
Roadway was not respectable.
Il haven't the least idea. But it wouldn't be
difficult to find out, as l believe they are all
living She was Mrs. Beck-Nancy Beck-when
/ knew her."
Nancy Beck!" cried Waterville. aghast. He
was thinking Of her delicate profile, like that Of
pretty Roman empress. There was a great
deal to be explained.
LittemOre explained 1t in few words before
they returned to their places, admitting indeed.
ent situation She was memory or his western
days; he had seen herlast some six wears before.
He had known her very well and In several
places the circle of her activity was chiefly the
southwest. This activity was ola vague char
acter, except In thesens that it was exclusively
social She was supposed to have husband,
one Philadelphus Beck, the editor of a
democratic newspaper, the Dakota Sentinel;
but LittlemOre had never seen him-the
pair were living apart-apd it was the I'M
r.
and Mrs Beck, was about played out Heremem-
bered now to have heard afterward that she was
getting divorce. She got divorces very eas;Iy.
she was SO taking In court. She had got one or
TWO before from man whose name he had for
gotten, and there was legend that even these
were not the first. She was exceedingly d.
VOrced When he first met her in California.
she called herself Mrs. Grenvle, which he had
been given to understand was not an appella-
ton acquired by matrimony. but her PARENTAL
"a no 6iSon 1rpfin 49,
fortunate union. She had had these episodes
her unions were all unfortunate had borne
half dozen names She was a Charming
woman, especially for New Mexico: but she had
been divorced too Often-it was tax on ones
credulity; She must have repudiated more hus
bands than she married.
AT San Diego she was staying with her sister.
whose actual spouse (she, too, had been d.
vorced). the principal man of the place, kept
bank with the aid of six shooter) and who
mad never suffered Nancy to want for home
during her unattached periods. Nancy had be-
gun very young; she must be about thirty-seyen
to-day. That was all he meant by her not being
respectable. The chronology was rather mixed:
her sister at least had once told him that there
was one winter when she didn't know herself who
was Nancy's husband. She had gone in mainly
for edtors-she esteemed the journalistic pr0-
fessiOn. They must all have been dreadful ruff
nans. for her own amiability was manifest. II
was Wen known that whatever she had done
had done things that was the main point
now. She was very pretty. good-natured and
clever, and quite the best company in those
parts She was genuine product of the far
westLa hover OF the Pacific slope; ignorant
audaclous, crude but full of pluck and spirit, of
natural intelligence and of certain intermit-
tent, haphazard good taste. She used to saw
that she only wanted chance-apparently she
had found one now. At one time, without her
ne didn't see how he could have put up with
the life. He had started a cattle ranch to which
San Diego was the nearest town, and he used to
run over 10 see her Sometimes he stayed there
for week; then he went to see her every even
ing. 1t was horribly hot; they used to sit on
the back piazza. She was always as attractive
and very nearly as well-dressed, as they had just
might have been transplanted at an hours no.
tice from that dusty old settlement to the city
by the Seine.
''SOme Of those western women are wonder
ful," LittlemOre said. alike her, they only
want chance"