Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-12-20
THE WOMAN In GRAY.

)
perhaps throw light upon mystery of
which you have written much and which
thousands have wondered at, and all have
failed to solve the mystery Of the woman
in gray. Who is she, from whence did she
come, where did she go and why her niys
| tcry?"
So much like an ancient mariner spoke
an old man as he drew a police reporter
| aside from crowd to bench in a dingy
corridor of the Four Courts. His hair was
white and long, and his face was wrinklcd
and very pale A flowing white beard
| oyerspread his hollow chest. His eyes were
bright, almost sparkling. His form was
| bent, and he leaned upon staff. He was
well clad and seemed drawn to the UNI
canny surroundings by some spirit Of old
| association, which also made him remi-
| niscent.
From words that have just overheard
l know you, sir, and / want to tell you
| this story Don't ask me for names and
| dates and places, for, after all, the lives
arc the same no matter where, how or by
whom they are lived. Men and women
are not creatures Of names, times or places,
but they are only creatures of love, disap-
pointment, joy, grief and pain. Men are
not loved, hated or honored for the time,
place or name under which they live.
Neither do men cease with their time or
place, but 'extinctus amabiter idem.'
1T have coon three e,orerat;ons of mon
j., ,,anhood tho fi,st -, e. To,,;s ,,oars
,uo and tho ,otter two in on % starn city
,,.1,ora NV, ho,,;a 10 T., +h,t ooStar,, o;t,,
,aarnod tta tow o., ohont r., ro,ata ~
vo,,
III was not many wears 400 that knew
+,,on, Ntho ,o,..ars .,ho,, INV tow, COW.
an,,s Tho,, ,,.o,., +,ro,, TLo oo,,+r,l A.
mo in that trio ,yos beautiful yo,,p,
o;r, ohou+ % ,.o.rs Ala ,,hon sLo c.,,,n in7
70 tbe Stow, T an, abo,t to toll She was
richl,, ando,roa ,,,;th ,yo,onIt ,,ra,o ,nd
yorldlv wealtb She wac MT from 81
Io,,is hrt che +r,cod bor oncec+ry tn tho
Founders If tho citv and was hound nv Ties
If Hood to fonil;es st;ll ronresantad bere
and hono,,od for tlnir I;,,e.uo
,scha liyod in mn o,storn c;4v Thor,
sbo L,o,y and lov.d an artist The tender
,,assinn ,ras rot,rnad and hnt for one
Hi. al 40. ,nII n,d ,,ron;+io,,s u.;,l
tbeir love The artist was ~ genius. his
da,otin,, 70 he ,,t hoipo secona any ~
his devotion to the vonn, woman whom
bn loved His work was much sought
.f+or Tboro w,. ;, nacuIiar sameness
about all his nictures however. He had n
bohhv in art ALWAYS affecting the somber
in tints THO vrnv of November land.
scanes was nnssion with him He carried
this tastn into a nct name for his tianccc.
for when he netted her he called her his
| .little gray mouse, Shc liked the net
name for she was hut a timid. clinpinu
=
tTbe one thing that disturbed the han
n;noss of these two was the foolish jealousy
Of the artist lover, The object of this icai.
ousv was Young man of fortune and
leisure who was n friend of the pair. He
kneyv If their love and sacrcdly regarded
If Int be did love fine vounp woman He
concealed his love ALWAYS conducting him.
Golf ne n friend of the two, and nothing
more He did not know that he was the
innocent cause Of freoucnt outbursts of
Jealous accusations NV the ardent artist
ooainst bis sweetheart The girl always
nassionatelv avowed her love for the artist
and declared the other man to be hut n
friend
uTbe artist and his fiancee were accus
ton,od to frequently visit art exhibits TO.
gether One gray afternoon they went to
large art museum. She was clad in gray.
| For hours tbev 1oitered before the pictl,res,
| At last the vouno woman comnlained of
weariness and wanted TO sit down to rest.
usCome into fine next department and
Won can rest while T lool, at tbe njctures
tbero ), ba sugoested
usNo am going to rest right here.
| sbe said inst a lit nettishlv. AS She found
| on easv chair and she would not On with
I him He left her saving that he would
ho hack soon
uHe had scarcely gone before the mutual
| fr;o,,d ~ tho no;r bannened along and
stonrod for ,noment ia chat with tbc
,,,o,,,an whom, be loved hut 10 whom for
honnr,s sake he would NOT declare his
inua un COO, n,ssed IN and Ieft her ia
,,,ait for +ho .r+iSt whom ba env;od and
whom, sbe Ioved devotedIv
lsThe artist newer came The vonno
,o,,,an ,raitod ,,,,+;1 tho d,st had fallan
". +hn ,,,n,,,o,,+, ,,,nra ~, har bo.rt Mega
a. WV , ,a, VIZ IN .ho,, na1,a sanse Of
siola,,;no fo,r and Tho, a dow of tnars
c. ,ns,,,o1 +ha allow 10 yyos ,,ot
thero Suddop,v a look If horror came in.
10 ho,. a,,os and With n tho inward ones.
tiors. Hid no come barkp Md he GOO Yer.
,,s,, s,,oa,,i,n viii, mo and did ba 90 away
f,na,,ans, AZ Iast +ha ,,allorv closed The
$500, =, ,s,.a', ,,as dr;vo,, to her home
honina ,nt tIat bs would come To her
l,m,s ,,s,,,,os n,,J ~, or+ist ala
NOT eom u e''' me newt p' MORNING the vounO
~, so'u ,as =, ,or;n,, fayer de,;r;ous
o "u T" c.,,i,@ for ber absent lover At
,,a. ~ ,ao,','a,.a, NV ,uas novor tho carve
,vov ,,, IN me artist never returned As
fronro,t,, hannans In orcat cities he had