New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-25
THE TWO SALOMES.
IN.
FOR LOVE"
Copyright: 1892; By The Tribune Association.

.ohi+raI restraint or indulgence Of years that
do,ormincs what one will do IN some sudden
s+rcss of temptation And so indeed IT IS ordi-
,,,iIv But there are some natures in which
.,oro is a lurking power that has slept, but that
.ryoLcns with an unexpected puiss0nce that seems
70 make an entirely different person Of one whom
wc have thought we knew perfectly Some
nbascs of character lie dormant for years. There
are those whose cOnscienccs are long Keyed up
% such painful activity, such morbid sensitive
nose that the reaction is inevitable and sometimes
deenlv disastrous For a reaction often brings
more or less of recklcssness of mood If not of
deed If highly strung natures reach heights,
,bev sometimes reach depths also Of which the
commonplace soul has positively no conception.
When Salome returned from posting that note
md its Enclosure 10 her father she sat for half
m hour in Mrs Darrahs sttinS-room awaiting
that ladys pleasure
She had forged that name with as complete
.,d1enness and absence of calculation as she
would have snatched her fathers hand from
burning Goals If her father had been pow1r!ess
10 do it for himself.
And now as the moments went by She was
awnre only Of q thankfuncsS that she had done
- cbe was not conscious of any clearness of
thought as yet. In fact she was hardly thinking
% all She was vaguely picturinG to herself her
fathers
that letter
II had seemed to her that the thing must BE-
flame instantly She had time TO arrange 10
osk ANYTHING of anybody And besides It was
not in her nature to ask favors.
Sba hardly knew how cold her hands were
nv how her eyes stung with an unaccustomed
heat She was absently writing meaningless
word. on q sheet of paper before her. Her mind
.aemea entirely filed with wondering whether
AZ. Darrah would care TO dictate this morning.
IN several DAYS the whole Of the time had been
toton nm in convcrsatiOn-that Is. Mrs. Darrah
,xou,8 lounge among her pillows and ask questions
~ the girl who sat in front of her AZ some
NJ the replies she would seize her notebook with
an exclamation Of delight and mako an entry
IN It.
at IS not so much that must get on with nav
nave, az that must study you" she once re-
rra,,cd "You needn't shrink" as Saome made
a sIipbt movement "you must I've studied. II is
the uenalty YOU pay for having that kind of a
face" .,
"But what kind of face do YOU mean =
asked Salomc with some distress in her tone.
She felt a little as if a process of vivisectlon
were going on and that she was the subject
THAT'S Just IT," replied Mrs Darrah with
spparent satisfaction. Il can't tell you In the
least what kind 1t is: 1t is several kinds OF
face Severe and indulgent reckless and dis
rreet. You see have no idea how 10 classify
you"
Then please don't try TO classify me. Mrs
Darrah. I'm Just common sort of girl l
uses TO have times Of rigid determination. but
I've given that all up since got well. sup
pose that goes with illness, don't you?' looking
with some eagerness at her compaHon' WHO WIS
watching her intcntly.
"You mean" said Mrs. Darrah, that
when the devil was Ill
The devil monk would be:
When the devil was well
The devil q monk was he
Salome laughed. She began to be aware now
that she was greatly excited
Eyes. that must be what / mean, though
Into 10 think So Now as l look back upon my
life I think was very good. But didn't think
30 then. thought was vile. sinful creature
used to find such wicked thoughts when l
CROPPED round in my mind. did really and truly
want to be high spiritual being, and l was
always what they called rather feeble wasn't
well Now am well don't think at all about
being q high spiritual being"
Salones eyes deepened as she went on. She
was very earnest, for her lips were slightly
tremulous and there was q white light all OYER
her pale face
Suddenly she rose from her chair and tool;
step toward Mrs. Darrah. She pressed the palms
Of her hands softly together after manner
which she had
The small and sparkling eyes Of the elder
woman were watching her keeny Mrs Darrahs
pulses quickened q little as she met the girls
gaze.
But as suddenly as she had started Salome
turned away She walked back TO the desk and
mechanically took up her pen.
With her face thus averted she said that it
Mrs. Darrah did not wish to dictate. perhaps she
would let her go home
Certainly said the lady. BAT come here"
Salome came 70 Mrs. Darrah's couch. Her hands
were taken a moment, then dropped.
"Ah. l knew they were cold. ! should like
to be very kind TO you, Miss Gerry. am lonely
woman and have great deal Of money. You
don't look as if you were mercenary. If ever
got Portia married-well, well, run along now.
Come tomorrow. And don't work too hard at the
shorthand. We do very well as We are. ell ?"
Salomc left the room She forgot that she
had said she must go home. AS she went down
the stairs she heard Miss Nunally's voice. and
then mans laugh and quick relonder. The
sounds grated on her. She hurried down across
the Plaza and did not stop until she had reached
the fort. She sat there on the water battery
She hardly noticed whether Others were there
or not.
The air blew softly from the south The island
opposite looked asleep. The small craft in the
Matanzas gided silently back and forth almost
at the girls feet.
I'm glad did it, she whispered at last.
Something had 10 be done Immediately. Miss
Nunay says that Mrs. Darrah is generous. but
that she thinks great deal OF her money.
am very glad did il. When l tell Mrs. Darrah,
for Of course j shall tell her"
She did not finish her sentence The air WAS
so lovely, the environment was so beautiful and
still so novel to Ter: She had becl starved for
Just such an atmosphere for body and soul that
she forgot TO try 10 finish her sentence. To Ger
tain kinds of sensitive natures there i opiatc
well inauguration in Surroundings.
l.. .l,.