The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-10-07
I Mhnt Dld lie SnNT


HARRY y. MANSON.
What Did lie Say?
The ideal, when absolutely trusted,
is far more actual than the real, for II
has no material confines. Louis MiisAeH
would have described his martial IeNt!ty
as ldyliic, thinking only of its intensity
and never doubling its substance. lilS
wife, Amelia, would have said II dii
very well, making due aLoWdhe" 1uI us
tenuty She had no decisions. hdd Ah'-
LA: she fully appreciated the advantages
OF years, position, and fortune, ana she
PROPOSED TO "cap them. After the sun
light would crowd the shadows, after
youth, with ever gaining steps. sldiN'u
age. doubtless the time would come
when deC0r0us drive around the PARK
would constitute an outing, aud an ample
easy-chdir 10y the Hrestle, with basket
ful of wood an evening" enj0yWCut'
meanwhile she was pretty Htue MIS-.
Mitchell. one Of the most elegant women
in town. wife OF an opuient merchant,
whose wealth was The slave OF her caprice
therefore, viye la bagatelle; She hthtt
stopped 10 consider what LOUIS might
think Of any vagary. She furnished me
impulse, IT was his duty 10 approve OF
it, which he ala with that blindness
which is 50 superior 10 sight.
People in viewing another character
are generally limited 10 TWO cploIS, bld1h
and white. That the former denotes an
absence. as the latter does union OF ~!
excuse as the other is an essential.
they never consider; hence, the judgment
is as crude as so primary nature WOutf
he abnormal. y rigid moralist eognizaut
OF Amelid's various cscapaQeS, would
have pronounced her a thoroughly bad
woman. Now, such a sentence must
necessarily exclude kindness, generosity,
tact, and sweetness of temper; and yet
Amelia possessed these in so marked
degree that in thinking of any OF them,
one thought Of her. What she did pos
SeSS, however, in their excess. was
certain spirit Of dlsqutetute which let
her on ard on in thoushtiess dance
after something new, uutti often her
feet caught in the quicksand and she
was forced to be Stili more nimbie 10
avoid submerging.
such reckIessness brings greater risk
in the future from its very IMMUNITY.
There came a time when Amelia had adj
vanced too far 10 wish to retreat: nor, II
any one had stretched out a hand would
she have seen il. She was fascinated be-
yond reason by Cyril COomhs-a golden
youth whom goSepiHg newspapers had
set up in the desert Of fashion for The
worshipping Of silly fcminlnity. For
one thiur. ne had musical genius vehcm-
ent i'm force and originality. For another,
he was attractive IN personality, being
handsome, deft, gallant, and sympathetc.
For a third, ne was ingenious and frank
regarding manifold foibles Of his own. AN
insidious quality. for women no more
prefer perfection on pedestal than they
would Ike their babies 10 wear spectacles
and quote Upper,
for Amelia the joy Of successful rivalry.
As for the young artist himself, since he
was thus fortunate IN cndOW .ucH' ana
appreciation, and free from an burdens,
material and immaterial, 1t followed that
he was liable 20 hours OF extreme iassi-
tude. when he would fam have the wings
Of a dove, and sigh for some cohtIulH
Of space, FOR it's the cubhcr or the
plowman that raps or di4s OUT content
mont.
on one day Of such moods, II CHANGED
that Cyrfl G0ombs met young MIS-. MI
chen aboard the Eastern express. She
was bound to her summer home at Green
dun ON the sound, he, on his way To
visit friends I'm the same ueignbofh0od. |
II was natural that StrughlWaE ,htSe
two should be seated side by side I'm
earnest conversation, natural, too, That
the tone Of their talk should be senu-
mental and despairing, for AmeHa.s whole
being duivcred in harmony WIN lhe |
KEYNOTE which cyril struck. She be
rartiyating, whom she had already loved |
IN defiance Of law and duty, was so q"
voted to her that u was necessary Tor |
them to let the world be wei lost. In |
tnrrined TO foregO for her sgEc, she re |
,,rIiatpd any idea Of sacrifice on her |
own part. \ transport OF emotion seized |
her and II was more 10 gain uWe IMAM |
marked quite rrelevantly: How nice |
~ is for us that this fast train stous al !
Grapndun; otherwise. we should have TO |
come down on that pOky accommoda- |
~" "Ah," he whispered, IF This train would !
not stop Come Amelia, let IA put an |
end 10 an insupp0rtable situation Re |
as free as ! am and | VIII he as bound !
as YOU are. We belong TO each other tet |
us assert our sovereignty stay on me |
train with me until we reach the ter
minus. \ steamer sails this very AFTER !
noon for Europe, and We VIII san on her.
There, in Switzerland among the noun !
tains in Italy, by the lakes, or In the
dreamy scclusion OF a tabled Mediter-
ranean isle, anywhere, since We are only
forever together, We may achieve me
felicity Of the Eols. Won't you come.
An / can see that love pleads for me
stronger than ! can for myself
And Amelia was irresisubiy moved
There was an allur!ng harmony In thlS
mans voice, engendcrCd, perhaps. by |
his unusual musical gifts. which lulled
and drew her like the lutte of OrpheuS
II seemed as If she We're listening 10 |
some fairy-tale deliciously unreal, yet
possible. Why should She not CONSENT
it was too late for retreat; as for eX-
posture, what difference do words make
which one does not hear?
Probably an adequate puhfNsheht
would have been inflicted on these .ouiE
people If they had carried out this de-
sign. for no desert IS so barren and dreary
as are the plains Of safety and diSiliu,
sion. Perhaps, therefore, what did happen
MAS mcrciful; for just as Amelia had
formulated reply containing Ing not Iay 93ly
'iop If the past-the epitOme OF an in
riEae in score OF woFd Eat Gf yam Me5
rending a cash, and through the rear
lad plowed a following train more re-
norseless. more destructful than the car
n Juggernaut When Amelia recovered
she was lying on bank
,urrounded and half-buried by the wreck
lge. ,a,,.-. -. -, ho-
elf on one elbow, realized that she WAS
INJURED vet instinctively struggling for
lie Her eyes rested ON nangled mass
lose AGAINST her, n sickening conglomo-
alton of tattered ciOthsg and shredded
lesh all suffused with gore. The fashion
Il the raincnt, ironically distinct amid |
he humiliation OF strength and beauty !
nd vitality. revealed to her the awful
ate OF her lover. Full comprehension OF
the horror permeated her, and then
,indly nature drew swoon over her
knowledge.