The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1897-11-26
WATERS OF LETHE.

1t Is a dangerous thing to tamper with
the self esteem of woman. If you hurt a
mans pride, he will probably go off and
sulk for a greater or less time, or it may
be, if the case is very bad, that he will
even kill himself. But woman will have
revenge. You may think she has forgot
ten, you may fancy she is impotent, but
there is this much Of the oriental in every
woman-that she can wait. Break her
heart, and shewill still let it be in the dust
for you to trample upon, and she will find
the pain pleasant. Yet beware how you so
much as scratch her pride. From the
wound will trickle n stream of poison that
may flow slowly, but will reach you in the
end
James Dudley's case went to prove this
Very few knew why he came to the end
he did, but this was the way of it:
When he was very young and just out
from the Point, he was sent to post miles
from anywhere and there he became en-
gagged to marry the 14-year- daughter
of Major Gorschkov. She was beautiful
beyond tho dreams of art-far too gor-
geous for mere little girl. She should have
been historical Such as Semiramis or
the queen of Sheba or Zenobia must have
been she was. Therefore it was natural
enough that Dudley should have thought
himself in love with her. But he was
clever fellow, with very fair share of
brains, and she was an average child who
was not old enough to return his love, but
was nightly pleased in an innocent fash
ion at the Importance the engagement
gave her.
At the end of year Dudley was ordered
away. Absence opened his eyes to the fact
that haalIfyy al NO ornnI1rh 70 10
him happy in his wife. And he wrote to
Esther and asked her to release him, and
to her parents he sent an explanation of his
conduct. The mail orderly put both let
tiers into Esther's hands. She read her
own first. She wns 10 years old now and
very proud. She had also grown to care in
a vague sort of way for the memory of the
lover of her childhood. The letter cut her
through the Russian down to the Tartar,
and she hated the man who, she chose to
think, had humblcd her. She tore it and
the one to her father into small pieces
There was one sentence in the former that
she did not understand. The lieutenant
had said, lin time you will drink of the
waters of Lethe and forget me as utterly
as | deserve to he forgotten"
4 few days later she told her father that
she was not going to marry James Dudley.
Does he know it?' asked the major.
YES"
"What is your reason?'
Nothing in particular. 1 simply don't
want to.
Perhaps that won't satisfy him. How.
ever, it is just as well. l never supposed
childish affair of the sort would amount
to much. You are old enough to act for
yourself now"
In truth, Major Gorschkov had ambi-
tions that scared above n mere lieutenant
for his superb daughter Esther was
thankful to escape so easily. Presently she
asked, Papa, what does it mean to drink
of the waters of L-e-t-h-ey'
The major explained.
"Oh, she said, II see.'' And her long
eyes narrowed cruelty.
Now it might have happened in civil life
that Dudley and Esther Gorschkov would
never meet again, but paintings can only
be temporary in the service. Some years
later Lieutenant Dudley walked into a
San Francisco theater one night after the
curtain had gone up. The house was dark,
and he kept his eyes on the stage. At the
close of the act he looked about him, and
the first thing he saw was woman whose
beauty startled him. And then he realized
that she was the one he might have mar
ricd. She was in box with an older
woman whom he knew. Dudley was seized
with n nervous dread of meeting those
wonderful dark gray eyes. He would go
at once before he should do so. But as he
rose the older woman saw him and smiled
and beckoned to an empty chair beside
her There was nothing for it now but to
go to the box. He was cold with fear of
the low browed, black haired, black
gowned girl with the magnificent neck
and shoulders.
She would not have forgotten him. He
knew that, and he doubted If she would
have forgiven. If she had been less beau
tiful he might have felt less culpable, for
such is the nature of man. She smiled
when they met with the regally Indifferent
smile that had been hers even in childhood
"Oh, knew Mr. Dudley years agoW
she said. Il was little girl and was very
fond of him because he used to buy me
sutlcr store candy and ribbons"
If that was her view of the past, Dudley
resented it. \ man does not want beau
tiful girl to treat him US an old friend of
infancy
You might suppose, Mrs Graves" he
told the other woman, that she had been
II toddling child and | II crusty bachelor in
whose pockGIs she felt for sweetmeats