Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-08

SINUS "eIe ueitueu III Olack. ana IN the
black masses of her hair glittered q
crescent of rubies. Her face was very
dark; she had immense black ewes and
a crooked mouth. with little dimples
at the corners, and teeth brilliantly
white. She bowed and smiled to the
whole of us, and then her keen, COM
prehensive glance fell upon barley.
Her face grew suddenly sad and cloud
ed.
You have an urgent destiny to full
I'LL, " she said. You have a life to
save from present and future perdition
1t comes TO you as a recompense
for two unhappy lives. The story of it
all Is terrible one. ] can but dimly
see 1t, but what l see fills me with
horror | am sorry you came, l am
always affected by the fortunes of the
people | tell. | can't talk any more
now. Leave me, and you all can come
some other time for your fortunes.
am very tired"
She sank into her deep crimson chair
and closed her eyes. We left her
silently. awed and impressed against
our will.
When we entered the cool air of the
October night the young fellows conf
menced testing over the scene.
''She'S queer one," said Valen-
tine. Lots of believers among the
fashionable people, and makes loads of
money"
''Confound her." said barley. with a
nervous shrug. Il wish she'd singled
out some one else for her uncanny pre-
diction."
Where shall we 90 nextp" 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 dives?" suggested Mar
lowe.
LAS I'm in for anything uncanny YOU
fellows propose, | think, perhaps, l
shouldn
We'll, there's one here that know
of which is decidedly different from the
usual run. You hear of their luxury
and all that, but this one is the ONLY
luxurious one in all New York. It's
kept by an old mana Chinaman,
presumably young girl about
whom there is nothing Chinese. She's
a beautiful creature, and people 90
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
delirum tremens into his senses. l
have access to this place. having got
the drop on the old man through pro-
fessonal knowledge of some of his pro-
ceedings.
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 wraith-like
figure of girl clad in shimmering vel
low satin. gold embroidered. The
figure of the old Chinaman arose from
its half reclining position on the richly
carpeted floor and bowed with cring-
ing poltenesss before Marlowe. The
man was richly clad in Chinese robe,
gorgeously embroidered. | examined
his face curiously. 1t was not a
Chinese face. The complexion, despite
the paint was that of Circassian. The
eyebrows were painted into thin slant
ing shape, and the full, sensual lips
could never have belonged to any one
save a Mixado Chinaman. The face re-
called something familiar, something
| had seen before and liked not the
memory of. As | was bordering 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 sui
lenlv, and vet in a voice strangely soft
and musical.
| looked up closely to 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 lifeless before
me fifteen years before. | felt myself
grow weak, and young barley lay his
strong hand on my shoulder.
rs anything the matter?" he asked.
perhaps he's had too much already"
/ heard the girl say ptuously.
| saw Darleys gaze fixed like one
spell bound upon her, and for the first
time she lifted her eyes, and 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. know 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 l told them my
story. and they told me theirs.
After their first meeting he went to
the place ostensibly as 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 repetition.
The girl had kept her purity, but she
said sadly to me- Il wonder il all the
love and tenderness of my husband
and all the deep repentance of a life
time can wash from my hands the guilt
of aiding my fellow mortals to that
which is more horrible than death?"
Her husband put his arms tenderly
about her. Il think God has forgiven
your unwilling sin," he said, land at
least He he has been kind to bring
light and happiness finally out of the
darkness and disappointment of two
lives now passed away. ''-Atlanta Con-
Stltut5On.
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