Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-09
STORY OF NEW YORK LIFE.

culine TO love woman WYNN ~ 49,
TO be only his moral equal. All ms ue-
votion was given TO the white-ropeu hsuie
that filed his minds eye. and. In
blank way. he sim wondered why S"e
could not understand IT.
lie remembered their first meeting as
though II were yesterday. He was Just
ont of college then, with an athletic re-
cord and a large fortune. Her elder slN-
ter was his friend they were introduced
AZ a dancing class, and he had been I'M
mensely attracted by the statuesque
beaufv who carried everything by coup
de main, whose movements were lIte'
like those of goddess or savage one
was the kind OF woman TO whom one
sent orchids when one wanted 10 pisase
her Some man dubbed her venus "
trix. The name was appropriate, anu y
stuck TO her afterward. IL was tne
faebion TO admire her and her wonderful
singing. ,-...o
BRETT was young enough 20 be immense
" battered by an intimacy with the ac-
kuowledged beauty: so. although there
was as ne honestly believed, nothing put
friendship between them. he danced at
tendance on the Venus until the nlsht Oh
that opera dinner, which settled MS la'T.
He remembered the room. the marpie
figures that upheld the mantelplece' ule
yellow satin walls, and the shaueu nsn,
Of the lamps: he remembered now ~ n"N
been idly looking at some ne" pHoe9
graphs on a table. Then the door ope"II'
and the white-robed figure came III
could shut his eyes now, and see inc
eiint ~ the fire on her brown hair' the
sbimmer of her dress. and the great
hunch of snowdrops and ferns she helo'
b,,t the face that he cOnJured up was
not tho one he saw that Right IL was
face terribly cold. beautiful, but severe
Iu,e that of an offended angel; IL was
mart Of his punishment that ms memory
lever allowed him to enjoy the recollec-
,ton og the mast without this reminder OF
the end of his happiness. ..,,..
she had introduced herself 80 pretuiy'
and had spoken with such FRANK shlisn
delight of her coming debut, hol 'ih'1
she did not love the convent, she pau
him believe: her mother ana sister hau
so many pleasant plans mat they taeo
her no time TO regret IT, bie,1
getting on famously, and was IN the
midst OF a description Of his college boat
race when Venus Victrix came In. Some
now he fancied she was not quite pleased
with him that evening. yet ne touhu
the little sister 50 charming thal ne
was only vaguely sorry about H.
II was pretty 10 see the light come
and go on Graces face. AT the opera
afterward. to watch the clear white
skin blush with excitement. and wheh
the tenor had at last sung himself 10
melodous death, Brett was touched 10
find her crying silently.
The Venus noticed II. too, and repfoVeu
her laughingly. What a child you are.
Gracel The man will go home and
probably eat onions and polenta for sup
pcr." she said Somehow the Venus
grated on Bretts nerves that evening.
lie found out very soon that the little
sister had a penchant for white and
green. and he spent more than was
good for him in huge, daily punches OF
snowdrops and ferns, but forgot 10 send
the Venus any more orchids He could
not have told for the life OF him just
what Grace looked like. Sometimes, at
a ball. when she foated about i'm da-
phanous white drapery. she appeared
all smiles and gentle pleasure. a kind
Of good. familiar fairy; but again, when
they went together 10 the brown church,
where above the taltar. the newly-risen
Christ was lifted no for all TO worship,
he forgot the place and the service
watching her pure face. illumed by
kind Of spiritual glory that he admired
but could not understand. Grace was
by no means unpopular I'm society, al
though she never commanded general al
tcntion. like the Venus. Is an old
French count once said. ut was pity
they were born sisters. for a union Of
Helenism and the genius of Christianity
kin each other artisticaly.
Bretts little romance had run out so
naturally that as he looked back on it
now. there we're jumbled memories Of
dances, walks. sleighing. dinners and
operas all of them accessory to the one
radiant figure of his love. How anyously
he had watched for the moment when he
should find her alone and put his fate 10
the touch Yet, even in Renaissance. he
wondered anew why the Venus proved so
bIindly intrusive. However. the waiting
only made that time sweeter when they
walked together under the spring green
of the trees as he told her how he would
love her to the end Of his days and she
answered him with pure hearts candor.
1T all would have come right If her
mother and the Venus had not insisted
on that internal long engagement" he
muttered as he chewed the cud Of his
melancholy memories.
4 well-dressed man turned TO stare
after Brett and then greeted him EMU
sively. "Why, old fellow" he exclaimed,
"where did you come from? Haven't
seen you for an age. Been doing India
or Japan, eh?" Brett looked at him
quzzically for a moment, noticed the
puffy ewes and the sallow face, and
wondered If he had ever been anything
ike that. How do you do, Delafeld,"
he said. cordially enough. Pm iuft back
from Colorado" Been shooting big
game. l SUPPOSE queried the other
mo" something more unconventional
than that" returned Brett. 1--WE been
trying TO make living since your fall
ure." "Ah, really. Too bad. TOO bad
Good-by." said Delafeld. and trotted of
on his thin, shaky legs
9TH" erowled Brett Thank God I
never got that bad at my worst. Per-
haps the fellow did me an unintentional
service by stealing my money. l am a
full man now, anyway" The Interrupt
ton gave his thoughts new channel,
but they soon flowed back into their old
course.
There was willow near the Jewish
synagogue. He was glad they had left
il standing. for Grace loved II In the
old time, and wove quaint little fancies
about its lonely grandeur mourning com
panions lost in the wilderness of brick
and mortar with never tree nearer
than Bryant Park to keep II in counte-
nance. Whey they walked together they
used to make il kind Of objective point.
She told Brett she was sure the poor
thing felt better for a little sympathy.
Now he was worse off than the willow
for. in the midst of his own kind. there
was not one who could answer his heart
craving.
Surely bis punishment exceeded the Of
fence Of half dozen opera suppers
and a few visits paid to a fast married
woman What he did afterward might
Justly be condemned he supposed, for
those few weeks between his loves re-
lection and his loss of fortune were a
bad, feverish dream that he did not like
to remember even now-he had been very
miserable and foolish. Then came the
crash when he awakened to the ugly
combination Of empty pockets and luxii-
rious habits Now he had come back
with a full purse and an empty heart,
and Tor the life Of him he couldn't tell
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