The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1897-11-26
! Waters of Lethe. !
=
! By Gwendolen Overton. 4


ably go OIL ana Suik lOI d SiC"'ei va
less time; or it may be, if the case is
very bad. that he will even kill himself.
But a woman will have revenge. You
may think she has forgotten, 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 she will still let it be in the dust for
you to trample upon, and she Will IND
the pain pleasant; yet beware how you
so much as scratch her pride; from the
wound will trickle a 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 be-
came engaged to marry the 14-year-old
daughter of Maj. Gorschkov. She was
beautiful beyond the dreams of art
far too gorgeous 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 a clever fell
low, 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
fashion at the Importance the engage
ment gave her.
At the end of a year Dudley was or
dered away. Absence opened his eyes
to the fact that beauty alone was not
enough to make 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 letters into
Esther's hands. She read her own first
She was 16 years old now, and very
proud. She had also grown to care
in vague sort of way for the
memory of the lover of her child
hood. The letter cut her through
the Russian down to the Tartar, and
she hated the man who she chose to
think had humbled 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 lieu
tenant had said: in time you will
drink of the waters of Lethe, and for
get me as utterly as deserve to be for
gotten"
A few days later she told her father
she was not going to marry James Dud-
ley.
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.
However, it is just as well. never sup
posed childish affair of that sort
would amount to much. You are old
enough to act for yourself now.'
In truth, Maj. Gorschkov had ambi-
tions that scared above a mere lieuten-
ant 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-et-h-e?"
The major explained.
"Oh," she said, Il 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 partings
can only be temporary in the service.
Some years later Lieut.. 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 married.
She was in box with an older woman
whom he knew. Dudley was seized
with wonderful 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
proved, 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 beautiful he might have felt less
culpable, for such is the nature of man.
She smiled when they met with. the
reg'ally Indifferent smile that had been
hers even in childhood.
"Oh, I knew Mr.. Dudley years ago!''
she said. Il was little girl and was
very fond of him because he used to buy
me suffers store candy and ribbons
IT that was her view of the past, Dud-
ley resented it. A man does mot want
a beautiful girl to treat him as an old
friend of infancy.
You might suppose, Mrs. Graves -
ne told the other woman, s'that she
had been a todding child and crusty
bachelor in whose pockets she felt for
Sweetmeats."
Then Esther questioned him in her
deep, sweet voice. "How longshall you
stop here?"
For fortnight possibly"
Where are you stationed now?" She
knew we'll enough.
AT Apache. So you can imagine what
treat civilization is to me How does
II happen that l find you here?"
We are stationed at the Preside.
You must come to see us.'
Il WILL" he answered. He wonld
have done anything those red lips might
ask MN to do. The receding tide of his
lcax,o e.. 1 ]. = - -