Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-07-25
THE STATUE MOVED.
DISPUTED QUESTION SETTLED BY a
CHANCE PASSER-BY.
The Figure In the Window Mystified the
Crowd and Many Thought 1t Wasn't
Alive-Girl Settled All Doubts by Disap-
pearing When Her Lover Tainted.

Aliye-Girl Settled All Doubts by Disap-
pearing When Her Lover Tainted.
Was it a statue or a woman? A
large crowd had gathered in front of
the show window of a popular St.
Louis shoe store and stood gazing
curiously in at the figure, which re-
mained so immobile that it might be
must be woman. There was not
movement of muscle, quiver of the
eye-lid, or motion of the lips. Men
smiled, waved their hands, waved their
handkerchiefs, but there was no re-
sponse. Surely it was a statue.
Looks like it's made of wax said
one in the crowd.
Paste" said another.
Come off It's a woman" laughed
big fat fellow.
And the golden hair is hanging
down her back" was the response
from a would-be-wit.
Nav, it's mud!" said little news
boy who had failed to sell any papers
in the crowd and who was turning
away in disgust.
Il tell you it's a woman" repeated
the fat man. Then he went away.
Faces were pressed against the pane;
they shifted, others took their places,
aud still that same stony stare, the
same motlonless body and immobile
face. Surely no human being could
remain so still without even the bat
ting of an eyelid.
1t was evident to many of the crowd
that heart could not beat in the
breast which showed no signs or res
piration no matter how closely OBJ
served
Suddenly the statue moved Like
Pygmalion's marble bust, a glance had
awakened it to life. Cheeks that were
marble became alabaster, then red.
Eyes that were dull and expression
less proclaimed a soul. They flashed
fire, resentment, anger, 1t was after
ward recalled by some in the crowd
that there was CLEAN of tenderness
mingled in the look. Evidently it was
woman, and her whole womanly ma
ture had been aroused by a glance, one
glance from hundreds that scrutinized
her every day. Yet that one look was
sufficient to change immobility into
motion and marble into flesh
Out in the crowd on the sidewalk
another peculiar scene was taking
place. The man whose chance arrival
in the group of curious had awakened
the statue lay limp in the arms of
bystander who had caught him as he
fell
The crowd divided its attention be-
tween the man who was so pale and
motionless and the woman in the win
dow. 1t seemed as if the man had ex-
changed parts and become statue,
while his vital spark had entered the
figure in the window and endowed it
with life.
The man had merely tainted. He
soon revived under the cool influences
of the atmosphere. He looked in the
window, but the statue was gone. The
woman had disappeared behind the
curtains and sought retirement in the
recesses of the store. 1t was appar-
ent that there was some tragic con-
nection between the man and the sta
tue who was posing as an advertise
ment for the shoe firm. What was it?
The man was uncommunicative When
he had gained control of himself he
went away.
The woman who played the statue
and the man who tainted in the street
at sight of her were once loving man
and wife. Her name is Madeline Re-
chell and she resides in South st.
Louis. To her employers She tells a
pitiful story of welded life, desertion
and suffering. Accustomed to plenty
all her life, she was unable to enter
any vocation when thrown upon her
own resources. She accepted the place
offered by the firm to pose as an ad-
vertisement.