Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-09-30
CAUGHT IN A TRAP.

CAUGHT LIN A IkAP.
"Shes positive angelo
Charlie Marten threw himself back in |
MS deep chair, exhaled long sigh min |
gled with cigarette smoke and beamed &C. !
at a blue plate above the frieze
rail.
"Of course she is, old boy; of course"
Ralph Lamont spoke in soothing voice,
and then lifting long tumbler to his lips
cried, "And here's to her health"
"Don't chaff, Lamont" said Charlie
restlessly.
"I'm not. Never was more serious in
my life Marriage is no joke.
Ralph Lamont's handsome brown face
clouded heavily as he spoke, but his friend
and host-for the two were winding up an
evening in Martens little fiat in Piccadilly
was too busy looking for wedding rings
among the smoke wreaths to notice him.
Presently Lamonts last remark seemed
to strike some line of thought in the alb
sorbed lovers brain, for he laughed lightly
and cried in his fresh, boyish voice:
"You talk Of marriage as though you
the most confirmed old misogynist in
town"
"Oldl like that. Why, my dear fellow,
I'm not five and thirty yet. But If you
like I'll plead to the misogyny, if not to
the age. It's you who are SO young"
"Why do you dislike women and mar
riage and all that kind Of thing, lamont
You are one of the best looking fellows in
town. My-she-a young lady who was
up here the other day spotted your photo
at once and said you were the handsomest
man she'd ever seen. You are well off,
move in the best set, meet every day in the
year the prettiest and most delightful wom-
en- and girls, who are all ready to jump
into your arms, and yet you seem to me to
hate them like poison
~ do, I dop'
Leaning forward in his chair, with his
burnt out cigar between his clinched
teeth and his sun tanned face set like a
grim mask, it was easy to see that Major
Lamont meant what he said-that he hated
women.
Charlie Marten was too young to be al
ways tactful, and he pursued the subject
"Did any woman ever behave badly to
your" he said, with boyish bluntness.
From an older man Lamont would have
resented such question as an idle imper-
tinence, but he was genuinely fond of
Charlie Marten and in vague way he
rather pitied the boy for having had his
wings singed so early in life. There
would be no harm in telling him the rea-
son, and, after all, he need mention no
names.
"I'll tell you why hate women, If you
like, old boy, and though at this moment
you are bound to the chariot wheels of one
Of the sex the story may help you to I'M
derstand me, and other men, too, perhaps,
for, after all, suppose it's an everyday
occurrence"
"The reason I hate women Is this:
There was once man like yourself, young,
rich, full Of the joy Of living. The world
and all that was in it were at his feet He
was gentle natured, good hearted and
would have trusted and believed the devil
himself. The gentleman in black did not
seek for credence on his own account, but
the best instrument of torture and temp
tation he could find was woman. Don't
look 80 shocked, Charlie. No trace Of
horns or hoofs disfgured her exquisite
proportions, and If smell Of birthstone
lurked anywhere among the folds of her
simple little muslin frocks a dash Of sweet,
odorous violets effectually disguised It,
She was the loveliest scrap Of mortality
that ever drew man to perdition. For a
glance from her sapphire eyes, for smile
from her delicious baby mouth, that man
Of whom 1 speak would have cut off his
right hand. But she-dear little innocent
that she was!-wanted no such grewsome
playthings as several limbs. Rather did
she prefer such pretty trifles as hands can
give"
Lamont paused and lit fresh cigar.
ut began with flowers and theater
tickets. She would sit through play with
her starry eyes fixed on the stage and the
fair blossoms-his fowers-held against
the wilderness of her girlish breast until
his arms ached to clasp her to him. But
he always feared to even hint his passion
to one 30 innocent and pure. One day he
met her in the street, and, charmed by her
childish admiration, bought her string
Of milky pearls. After that the flowers
dropped off, and brooches that CLEANED
with rubies, rings and bracelets of dia-
monds and strings Of gems for the deck.
ing Of her slim white throat showered in.
to the lap Of her frock. And all this time,
while every smile and pout and merry
laugh was forging the pitiless bands Of
mad passion round his heart, he had moi
90 much as brushed his lips across her pink
tipped fingers"
"the sex" Charlie Marten smiled quietly
into his tumbler.
"This went on for months. For THU
| girls sake the man tell you Of gave W
the society where he was popular, deserted
the friends who would have been true t.
him through everything, broke the hear
Of q little, quiet, brown eyed thing ava.
| In country parsonage and sent his owl
mother sorrowing to her grave Then
| when the girl with the big eyes and tn,
| tiny mouth had had all-his manhood tn,
fulflllment of his lfe's career, his none,
| and his fair fame-he offered her the las
thing he had to give-his name. He wen
to her one night, tsggared, Ill, weary, and
asked her to marry him. She laughed IL
his face. God, how that woman laughed
Lamont dropped his face between hi
hands and groaned as the memory Of TIN
| past came back to him. From between hi
hands, in muff1ed tones, he finished tn
story.
''She dashed him with the cruel tongu,
Of contempt and mockery. She cried tina
no bankrupt In pocket and In friend
should be her husband, and then, will
virtuous Indignation flashing from ever,
feature, she ordered him from her, saying
that his very presence would endanger hel
/ good name. They never met again"
Silence fell. Lamont, with hidden face
was breathing heavily in his effort to re
sain his self control. Charlie Marten fld
died awkwardly with his cigarette, NOR
moved by the older mans emotion than b
cared to show.