Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1895-07-27
A DUOLOGUE.

Neither does it discuss the advantages
or disadvantages of having new wo-
men" in our midst
1t is a true tale.
And it concerns good man and a
bad woman.
They would never have met If tho
London county council had come into
existence few years earlier than it did,
because he saw her at the Empire. The
exact date was Aug. 25, and it was
very hot night.
The curtain had fallen ON the last
scene of the ballot. The man rose from
his seat and walked across the prom
enade toward the bar.
He passed several womon, but he did
not pass her. He had no intention Of
stopping, still less of speaking.
Yet, when he saw her, he stopped,
and when she stopped he spoke.
do not remember what he said
They sat down together at a little
table. A waiter brought them a cup Of
black coffee and a whisky and soda.
He drank the coffee.
They talked, but again l cannot re-
member what they said
A man on the stage sang comic
song. A woman on the promenade faint
cd and was carried away.
Then she said, well, are you COM
ing?'
NO." he replied. Il don't know
why l stopped or why spoke to you.
l am not 'one of the crowd here I am
not a performer in tho Comedy of
Life. l am only an onlooker.
She stared at him. ''Then why
II have told you l do not know.
Perhaps l thought you looked out Of
place-here. "
II have been here every evening for
/ 3 months. ought not to look out of
place. "
"Why did you Gomez"
'Do you expect me to answer that
question in this building, surrounded
by these people?"
Il am sorry. OF course not. 1t would
resemble a performance by The Inde-
pendent Theater society, suppose?"
II had better go, then, if you do
not
"No; stay and talk. Are you happyp"
Hardly
care you miserable?'
Il am not sure -
did you ever love anythingT'
eyes. -
"What?"
'Life-the trees and fields; the wild
moorlands; the sea; the birds that
sing i'll the hedgerows; the cattle In
the fields; the horses and dogs at the
farms. Yes, l loved life Iloved to feel
the wind blowing in my face; loved
to smell tho scent of the heather; loved
to hear the song of the mountain
streams. Ha. ha! I'm almost poetic!
PM
go on. ~
That is all. Did you ever love any
thing?"
YES"
"Who?"
"No one-.I mean only a dog"
"Ohr'
'But he is dead"
"Of course"
"Why of coursep' "
because you loved him.
The man lit cigarette. "Do you be.
lieve in heaven?"
mo; if l did, should have been
dead long ago am afraid to die be-
cause | don't know what comes after
death. l SO long for-for peace-for
something else-something beautiful
something to love. Do not laugh"
"You are not bad woman.
"Yes, am.
"Then you ought not to have been
one."
''True. That is the cruel part of 1t. "
They watched the men and women
promenading before them. Then the
woman said, 1T is strange world"
The man did not answer. He was
thinking. She continued: "You are a
strange person. Where do you live?
What do you do? How do you amuse
yourself?'
ooh, live alone. quite alone, now
my dog is dead Iwatch people. listen
to what they say. and-I think"
What do you think?'
II think that when he-whoever he
is-created men and women he ought to
have made them altogether gods or al
together animals. No one in the world
is happy, because no one is ever certain
whether he-or she-should live for the
real or for the ideal. And therefore