Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-05-30

She sank into her deep crimson chair,
and closed her eyes. We left her silently,
awed and impressed against our wills.
When we entered the cool air of the Octo-
Der night the young fellows commenced jest
ing over the scene.
''She's queer one," said Valentine elias
lots of believers among the fashionable peo-
pie, and makes loads of money"
'Confound her" said barley, with a nerv-
GUS shrug. II wish she'd singled out some
one else for her uncanny predictions"
"Where shall we go next?" That was the
question we stood and asked each other as we
reached Twenty-third street.
"Perhaps you'd like to see some of the
opium divesa" suggested Marlowe.
Gas I'm in for anything uncanny you fell
lows propose, I think, perhaps, should
"Well, there's here that l know of
which is decidedly different from the usual
run. You hear of their luxury and all that,
but this is the only luxurious one in all New
York. It's kept by an old mana Chinaman,
presumably a young girl about whom
there is nothing Chinese. She's a beautiful
creature, and people go there to see her, and
she fills their pipes and sings them songs with
a look of loathing and scorn upon her face,
passionate enough to scare man with delir-
ium tremens into his senses. l have access to
this place, having got the drop on the old man
through professional knowledge of some of
his proceedings"
To this place we went, reaching it through
many ways too complicated for description.
At last the queer, crooked little dwarf who
met us at the entrance drew apart the rich
curtains of the apartment Along the walls
were divans of rich material, upon which re-
posed forms in the abandonment of drugged
sleep.
A dim, crimson glow pervaded the room,
and about in this mystical light glided the
wrath like figure of girl clad in SHIN
mering yellow satin, gold embroidered The
figure of the old Chinaman arose from its
half reclining position on the richly carpeted
floor and bowed with cringing politeness be-
fore Marlowe The man was richly clad in a
Chinese robe, gorgeously embroidered. ex-
amined his face curiousy. 1t was not a
Chinese face The complexion, despite the
paint, was that of a Caucasian.
The eyebrows were painted into thin, slant
ing shape, and the full, sensual lips could have
never belonged to any one save Mixado
Chinaman. The face recalled something fa-
miliar-something I have seen before and
liked not the memory of it, As was ponder
ing over the strange figure the girl came up
to us. She held a golden bowl, filled with
pipes, in her hands.
'Will you have one?" she asked sullenly,
and yet in a voice strangely soft and musical.
looked up to closely examine the face of
this strange young being The black lashed
lids were downcast, and the face, my God! it
was the very face of the woman who lay life
less before me fifteen years before. I felt
myself grow weak, and young barley lay his
strong hand on my shoulder.
els anything the matter?" he asked
''Perhaps he's had too much already"
heard the girl say contemptuously.
I saw Darley's gaze fixed like one spell
bound upon her, and for the first time she
lifted her eyes, and l saw them meet his. In
hers lay an infinite logged SORROW like the
anguish of some dumb brute; in his lay an
infinite tenderness and pity. I knew these
two beings had met their destiny.
Two years after this went to New York,
and barley brought his young wife to see me,
and told them my story and they told me
theirs.
After their first meeting he went to the
place ostensibly as a patron, but really to
watch and study the horrible life of this
young creature. He gained her confidence
and learned the terrors and misery of her life.
The story is too bad too horrible, for repeti-
ton. The girl had kept her purity, but she
said sadly to me, II wonder if all the love
and tenderness of my husband and all the
deep repentance of a lifetime can wash from
my hands the guilt of aiding my fellow NOR
tails to that which is more horrible than
death.'
Her husband put his arms around her ten
derby. st think God has forgiven your I'M
willing SIM" he said, ''and at least he has been
kind to bring light and happiness finally out
of the darkness and disappointment of two
lives now passed away."-Maude Andrews in
Atlanta Constitution.