The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-13
An Exceptional STORY.
This one PurpOrts 40 BE of Real Life
and IL Ends just Like a Novel.

and IL Ends Just Like a Novel.
From the Argonaut
wondered why Barry should be sitting
alone in the garden at 10 o'clock on a
fine midwinter night. As I remembered
him, he had been a sOciable sort of fell
low, fond of gayety and pretty girls; ana
there was a cotillon COINS ON indoors in
the ball room. I wondered too, where
his wife was; for he had told me ne was
married. It was six years since ! had
last seen him. We had been boys to-
gether, just out of college, and l had
visited him for a summer in the southern
part of the state, where his home had
always been, and where his family was
one of the few "old" ones which could
rightly lay claim TO gentility Of other tnan
mushroom growth. After that visit had
gone back to san Francisco ana to truly
san Franciscan system OF work, with the
result that my health and spirits had
steadily decreased, and at ,Ae end OF these
half dozen years l was Obliged 10 come
south for a long rest.
l had chosen this delightful and quiet
hotel in the hope that / might not have
my peace disturbed by any of my numer-
Gus acquaintance; but here, the first
thing, came down upon Us ia our retreat
a crowd of worldhngs from town, bent
on dancing a cOtillOn. Barry nad come
with them; why, then, repeated was no
not in the hop room, and where was his
wife? Perhaps she did not dance. But
in that case, why was either OF them
with the frivolous party turning our Sc
cluded spot into Bedlam?
For a moment longer ! let my gaze
follow a girl in white satin, who had
fascinated me. She was young and bril-
liant and erect, with face a painter
would have chosen for Olmpia's
wreathed in vines and serpents. A high
unnaturally white forehead, with very
black and very straight, thin brows. eyes
long and flashing and cruel, a large nose,
suggestive of the Hebrew, thin red lips
continually parted In a wild sort of smile
over her wonderful teeth; a brilliant color,
a long face, hair parted and twis ted low
on one of the most cOlumnar necks / had
ever seen. 1t was not beautiful face;
in repOse Ii was far from beautiful. but
it was rarely in repose, and her laugh
was the most beWildering thing magma
BILE. If she had been the heroine of a ro-
nance, men would have loved and hated
her to the extent of the shedding of a
is hard cash, not womens faces, that ac-
complish that. 1 took one last look at
the demoniacal young face, and then went
to hunt up Barry.
We had already met in the office. but
had not had time to exchange a dozen
words / wanted to talk over old times
and new times, so, when 1 drew near him,
l scraped my feet and coughed as being
the approved method of breaking in upon
tete-a-tetes and meditauOns and when he
started l said: "Hulo That you, Bar
ry?" and took a seat beside him on the
bench. He offered me a cigar and gave
me a light, from which l inferred / was
not unwelcome.
What are you doing, incoming under
a pepper tree? 1t seems to me dancing s
more in your line; or doesn't the madame
dancer"
YES; she Dances"
"Oh!' 1 said. and feeling slippery
ground, proceeded to avoid it. Game
down from town tonight with party
Yes
Heaps of pretty women"
do you think so? I admire your north
ern women more; they have more dis
tinction, too. Ours fade early, besides. 3"
Well there's one girl there, by Jove!
that makes up for a country of mediocre
ty-that witch of a flirt with the black
hair and the very bare shoulders who is
dancing with Thornton. If / didn't hap
pen to have some one like better in the
city, think I'd go in for her"
But she's married. my friend"
mo? Who's the proud possessor?
Il am"
You don't say! Since when?"
Since five years, nearly"
We'll, it's a little late, but permit me
to congratulate you; she is superb"
Thanks" and then we lapsed into
silence, and I reflected upon the faculty
with which a well-meaning man may put
his foot IN it."
You wonder at my not dancing. don't
you?" he said, abruptly. We'll, I used
to like it; like it now; but / found Mrs
Barry was already engaged, so there was
nothing for me to do but 10 order flowers
gracefully and step out hereto reflect
and recall. DO you know" he went on
II had a romantic meeting and parting
on this spot once? Right under this very
tree. 1t was just after l left you six
years ago-the meeting. l had ridden out
from town on Nocturne-you remember
her, the little black mare? I was walking
her along a road which ran about six feet
from here, just about where that Bob
Silence bush il Ct was before the days
of the hoteD when all of a sudden she
SHE'D at what looked like a bundle of
old clothes under this tree. Mono,
wasn't thrown and 1 wasn't rescued by
the heroine. 1t was not much of a shy
just enough to make me look at the bun
die and wonder what il vast was dusk
you know-and then to notice that the
bundle moved.
Wherefore I concluded 1t was woman.
probably Mexican. II was a woman or
a very young girl, rather, and a deuced
pretty one-a Mexican, too. / could see
that, even in the twilight for her eyes
cleaned in the dark as only a pair of
Mexican eyes can CLEAN; and there was
an added brightness, for the eyes We're
wet with tears. How do l know? | dis
mounted and found out, of course It
isn't likely l was going to see a woman
prone on the ground, a long way from the
nearest habitation, at nightfall, and yet