Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1896-11-06

fascinating, lower Bohemian good fell
lowship, and swung aside the rich dra-
perry and heavy perfumed curtain which
had hid from his view the world Of
brighter. flashing lights and dancing
music in which she lived. Looking into
the world, the man drew a long breath
Of satisfaction, and, as Frou Freu chal-
lenged him with trimming champagne
glass appraised, he said, This is UNI
doubtedly reality-the abandon Of real
life in the actual world-unlike my
previous f%ancies, which were absurd.
And when the very first grayness cam
and the flashing lights paled in the
dawn hour, Frou Frou, being tired and
sleepy, carclcssly laid open tho Riges Of
her frailty's private diary-anuVhc man
read. Having read, he knew, and was
numbed. So, in the ghostly morning
twilight. he CROPPED his way out into the
No Mans Land which lies between tho
alleys Of extreme and realized that ho
mad not fought the real world after all.
Still, he had lost his own, and when
. . Well''-
"No." said she who listened. "ycu
cannot tell this part. l must, for he did
not go into another alley, you know.
He wandered into tho cloisters of o
white marble temple, because, in tho
brightness of the sunlight which camo
after dawn, he saw u pure prescnce-a
outstanding ON tho threshold. lie APP
proachOd the presence, so he longed for
rest, though after his two phases he fel5
he had no right. She was so pure and
white; the innocence of knowing moth
ing cleaning on her forehead. She could
not, like the others, conduct him into
her world, because she had not yet
crossed the threshold of tho temple her.
self; and she knew nothing of that
which ne had lived and seen. Still she
was "a girl, and his worship pleased her.
Very sweetly, though all unknowingly,
she helped him to take his stand beside
her on the threshold she understanding
nothing, and never dreaming but that
he, too, had the earliest phases to pass
and could enter her temple with her.
But when her innocence Of ignorance
had spread itself round the man for
awhile. tho crude purity of it-the'-
THE nothing knowing, nothing see
ing, nothing understanding spotlessness
of it all almost choked him." said tho
man in the drawing room. "And no
realized that since he had not at the be-
ginning found this world no could not
enter it now, or at least not accompanied
by the cold whiteness Of the little maid
who hath no breasts. So now, in real
despair, he turned away from the classic
temple, feeling not only that he had
failed to find the real world, but was
unfit to be taken into it. Then, as he
walked miserably away, an angel from
heaven came across his path and laid
her cool hand on his forehead, so that
"No. dearl A woman-only n woman.
But she showed him that he was already
in tho real world and that she was, too.
but that he kept going into little phases
of life. and, thinking each was life it.
self, was almost broken hearted when
he found himself untitled to live in a
phase. He was very happy with the wo-
man, because he loved her, and yet,
thinking that he must DO Of some one of
the phascs-the little phases-he had
seen, not knowing that they were of
him merely, he fancied tho woman must
be apart from him; that
This must be the last timer"
Exactly. But, ali, the woman I'M
derstood. She knew that he was really
Of the same life and world as she. She
thought-that he loved her, and''-
"She loved him?'
Eyes, dearr'-A J.. Dawson in St.
Louis Republic.