The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-06-23

SNSTi VI grew interested m ner from
Certain words and hints she let fall.
She was a devout Catholic. but adj
mitted she had not always been ~.
One day Williot led her uh step ny
step To tell her story. and how she had
become devout. They were discussing
matrimony in the abstract. and she APP
Feared SO concetsant with the law be-
tween ma and wife that he asked
her how she knew it.
How did corne to know the law?
said she. We'll. because you see |
was brought up behind the
Born in the property room of a provin-
cial th"ater. and educated to emerge
gracefully from p%antoninie pies or
gigantic ruSebuds As n diminutive
fairy. With this refined birth and
training | learned many things not
generally impaired to children. At
ANY rate, very early knew that n man
could legally rhastise his wife. so long
as he never struck her with a stick
thicker than your little finger. | xnew
this. ! say. because | heard it explained
by the lawyers when my father vas
SEM to Jail for having beaten my
mother with something a good deal
thicker than the prescribed dimensions
permitted"
Williot smiled and suggested that
that edifying spectacle had apparently
not deferred her from taking a hus-
band herself.
No" she answered. land ! was only
seventeen when | did marry"
''iIov did that come about?"
because | was a self-willed young
fool. and | thought | loved the other
self-willed Young fool, who vas our
assistant scene painter. was playing
general utility in the thcater, and he
was painting general utility, as you
might call it"
did YOU love him them" i~nterposed
Williot.
Yes, | say So. but | got to hate him
as well. Love and hate seemed ever
to go hand in hand with me all through.
First one was uppermost. then the
other. 4 contradictory. violent-tem-
pered young wretch I was. never
tried to control my passions-Td never
been taught. My mother always said
I never had a heart; perhaps she was
right"
Tell me, why did you hate your
husband?"
because ! found he had n stronger
will than | had. and because he grew
on in his profession. oddly enough Be
too. he was as artful as he was
handsome: and he knew the law bet
than my father. He never struck
me with a stick at all. thick OF thin,
but once. and that once settled the
business. but ! shall come to that pres
Yes. he vas a clever fellow.
too. in his art He gave mp scene
painting and painted pictures instead
that sold at high prices He used to
make me sit as his model often. and |
hated that more than anything. You
may wonder that | didn't run away
him long before | did The truth
is | was afraid of him. lie cowed the
very life out of me. At one time he
made a lot "f money. but he couldn't
keep it. and finally we had to go abroad
to avoid creditors.
We went to Rome. and lived there
years. In those DAYS an artist
could live there very cheaply. as we
did. hut still he got into debt again.
and for months he was afraid to show
himself by daylight. You can guess
how we carried On. and if you cant it
won't matter. and so. as I've rnld you
so much. I'll come to that last scene
between us. which, as | say. settled
the business. seemed tn be quick at
and picked up a good smat-
tering of Italian. and being still pref I
" he made me sit as a model for other /
painters in order sometimes to get /,
He even went SO far. and | .
iidn't mind. As to make me go and
wait in the Piazza di Spagna. on hire
With the native models. At first they
we're inclined to resent Sig. In :
intrusion on their domain, but
hey were good-naturcd people. and
,ut mp with me after awhile
lie was in hiding 1t that time. and
had tn go to and from home with the
.rreatest care, SO as not to betray
whereabouts. My training on the
tage. and then as a model made me
nimble at DISCUSSES and wear
strange dresses. and when ! went
hire to the piazza, ! managed to
make up quite like an Italian contadina
ut of his studio wardrobe. most of
which we'd saved. You would hardly
ave known me from the real thing
quare white headpiece OIL cap. such as
GU see in pictures, the panno as they
all it, and all the rest of the costume
We lived in a curious half-ruined
lace. part of what had nce been the
hapel of Benedictine~ monastery. We
Iirsa il Of a kindly old mo nix for q Song.