Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-12-30

When Socialism had been "consld-
cred for a couple CT hours the meeting
broke up, and Dobbs found himself
walking beside Miss Emden under the
pale July stars.
She walked along quickly, only re-
plying by rather snappish monosylla-
blts TO his conventional commonplsces
about the meeting.
"I'm afraid something's vexed you,
be said presently.
She turned her eyes on him quickly.
Have / been disagreeable? | didn't
mean to be. But this sort OF thing
does annoy me fearfulIy-more than [
can soy.
"This sort Of thing?"
"Yes-I mean-Oh, it's too much to
hear these Snug, Sinking people in
their comfortable drawing rooms talking
about tho poverty they are causing and
profting by just rs they would discuss
| Chelsea china or the last new novel"
"You see they don't realize IT,"
"Thon they should hold their silly
/ Tongues. When one knows what poverty
means one can hardly sit still and hear
them talk. One wants to Jump up and
knock their empty heads together
81 didn't know you felt so strongly
about this. Have you ever looked into
the condition OF the poor ?"
She kicked pebble along the pave
ment.
There that another of the phrases
that drive me nearly crazy. Looked
] IN
"Oh-I beg your pardon" and he
/ stopped short, confused.
"Oh, there's no reason why you
should beg my pardon. l am not in the
+ least thin-skinned, thank God about
having been poor. And since we are on
this subject. / was penniless
when the Countess took Inc to live with
her. [ owe everything to her-every-
thing-my very life.
The vehemence of this astonished
Dobbs still more. He hardly knew what
to say.
II suppose, then, it was from you
that the Countess got her knowledge
of-of that sort Of thing? b"
"Yes."
"What remarkable woman she is
She must have a wonderfully subtle and
sympathetic mind to transmute all this
into those beautiful poems.
She smiled, frowned, and was silent
"Do you know she interests me pro-
foundly. Her brain seems TO be in
water tight compartments. The poet is
so completely apart from the woman"
perhaps not SO completely apart as
you think"
They walked along in silence for few
moments. Then suddenly, without
knowing how, EyerarI Dobbs found
himself making to Miss Emdon the con-
fession he had meant to make to the
Countess. He told her how he had be-
lieved- and not had the courage Of his
faith how lie had vaiulv tried to satisfy
his soul with the husks Of conventional
ism, and how, though he was still starving
he had not the strength to seek noble
food. She listened gbsorbedly, now and
then throwing in word OF question.
"And when / read that book ! sail
to myself that the woman who wrote 1t
WIS the only human being who could
help me. That the sort Of strength
there is in that book was just the sort Of
strength ] wanted. That was why ]
wrote and asked her to let me come and
see her. Miss Linden, felt l loved
the writer OF that book.
"Bnd now?'
"Well, feel | haven't yet found her.
But | hope to find her. have failed
to understand Madame dc Yillermay,
but ! mean to understand her yet. "
"Iou shall, she said, earnestly.
"iou will help me;'
"I wiil-gooi night
"Well hut this is not the house."
"No but 1 feel / must run the rest
Of the way"
And without a hand-shake she left
him. He was a fastidious man, and had
cultivated the fastidious SHE Of his ma
turc. Somehow Madame de Yillermay
was a little big, Il trifio too fat her
laugh was little too loud-her cnitou-
paint q little too pronounced. Why
hadn't the book teen written by some
quiet, refined, spirttucil, dainty little
woman. hke-wel, even like Miss
Linden?
Madame dc Fillermay at that moment
was sitting alone on her lap a little
bundle OF his no,es-harmless, neces-
sary notcs-abOut dinners and at homes.
and in h-r hand a photograpE-his
Photograph.
She was looking at it with a tender
expression which became her much less
than her usual society air. Her eyes
bali closed aud grew moist, and her fea-
lures, being tritle relaxed. looked
larger than usual She kissed the pho
tograph-a soft, hot kiss-and at the
moment q TAP at her door brought her
up with start. With one swift move
mont she thrust the letters and photo
graph under pile of papers beside her,
and WAS reading Mr. Whlstler's "Jeu
O'clock vixen the door opened and Miss
Linden came IN. She looked up.
"WeIl, dear? Have you had plea
SAINT evening? Who was there? -
Miss Emden mentioned few names.
"And Nr. Dobbs was there, and he
walked home with me.
"Oh 1. Why, what pity Why ever
didn't you bring him in, dear?
because he told me he loved the au-
thor Of that book, and / can't bear it any
longer
she caught up a copy of "thas
hook there was one in every room IN
the houso-and flung 1t across the room.
The Countess sat bolt upright Ter
skirt str tched ungracefully tight across
her knees der eyes shone.
"Do you mean to say he told you be
loves ms ,"
"lou ?"-the contemptuous intona
ton stunP the Countess ike lash-"nc,
not you, but the woman who wrote hat
book !"
The other leaned back.
81 suppose you're caught yourself.
since yOG make such fuss about il.
"Well, if am, 1 haven't shown { 10
him and eyerybo iy else :"
The Countess jumped up and wall.ed
across tho room and picked up tle
book, which lay face downward on the
carpet
"Xou seem very much excited. must
say your Socialism doesn't seem to agree
with vou