The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-09-18

the Governor OF Maryland, the day
after the rash young Southerner out
danked his attack upon their lady and
made her laugh at him. And six
months later this gay young conqueror
we spoke his name in whispers al
ways-after fierce quarrel with his
mistress, after night when love aud
wine had fired his brain to madness,
put bullet in his heart and went to
his account. We spoke his name in
whispers always and thought of him
as the hero of a wild romance, and
wondered if the lady for whom he
violently died had loved him after all
and reproached herself and mourned
for him, in spite of having given no
sign. Thus did the people theorize
picturesquely to explain her single
life; and from childhood had given
ear with the rest and accepted the
plausible tragedy. And now at last
she was denying it, unveiling another
idol in the secret chamber.
"Aunty--dear lady" 1 cried, in
scorn of this new figure, "Who was
it, what was hep"
"You need not disdain him, dear, "
she said, quietly; che was finer than
the rest-I felt it then and / know it
now, He had different way with
women, more innocent way. sup
pose there was something evil in me,
for men crowded around me and /
could not help using my power 1 in.
famed them-somehow / gave them
poison, aud then the fever in their
| eyes and voices would nausea.e me. ="
"But this one?" recalled her to
her story as her head sank back,
heavy with memories.
"This one was different, and so /
failed with him-the only man ] ever
failed with, I suppose l cared too
much, and lost my head. When |
knew him he was a good comrade with
women exactly rs with men-nothing
more; for not till years after he left
us did that Western woman make a
lover of him. remember one day
when we were going to picnic "a
crowd of us. The rain had swollen
little stream and the logs we crossed
were rather rickety. He stood in the
middle and helped the girls over. /
believe my new white dress, with its
huted founces, were too much of
temptation to him; for the logs
swerved little, and down splashed
into two feet of water. There was
twinkle in his eye under all his apol-
ogies, and told him L believed he
had done it on purpose, and refused
to let HIM pull me out or take me
home. But he enjoyed tho joke in
spite of mel believe he enjoys it
still"
'He was a brute" said I, she had
no chivalry."
"Well, l used to get rather tired Of
chivalry; it went with queer IDEAS OF
right and wrong, after all. There
was that Maryland fellow-he was a
true specimen of chivalry; he would
have broken his back rather than let
me pick up glove. Yet how many
women had suffered for him-broken
hearts-ruined lives?"
''Yet he died for you," pleaded,
reluctant to give up the old romance.
'sDied for mel" She rose to her
feet, aud splendid gesture empha-
sized the protest. ''He died for his
own vanity and passion. l never de-
ceived him or any of them. He
came to me drunk one night after L
had warned him. | sent him away
forever else could do-and he
shot himself Bah! he was not brave
enough for self-control.
81 played them off against that
other" she went on, "let him see how
/ was pursued, tried to excite him to
emulation-iealousy. But it was, no
use. One day l overheard him. saying
| to one of the others that he never
could care for woman who had a
troop of men around her; and sud-
denly 1 felt ferocious and could have
murdered them, one aud all. "
"He was fool!" / cried; els it o
woman's fault if she is glorious and
men worship her?"
"No-no--I have thought it all out
there was a righteous intuition in
him. He was rare-the one man in
ten thousand who loves but once and
never looks at any other. For such