The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-10-28
A WOMAN'S MERCY.

~ w O4u III - VI LlUO L.
Have you written anything lately?"
She knew his great success almost by
heart in spite of the question.
Nothing very good. A novel that is
selling"
1T must be nice to sell. am trying to
write down to that level myself.
He looked at her disapproyingly-al-
most sternly. He had put his heart into
the book
Il do not think that is the surest way
of success"
She laughed scornfully. Perhaps not
for u genius. But l am not one, as was
pointed out by great critic once"
Probably he would now admit that lie
vas mistaken. Time may have taught
him thnf your idea of woman was truer
than no supposed Time, " he sighed, de
Stroys good many of our illusions"
Great critics should be FREQ from illu-
sions.
MY illusion of woman's goodness is
not quite gone nevertheless. l remember
my mother sometimes as well as''-he
paused awkwardly.
"Dthpr women"
Another womau. s beautiful woman
without mercy" he corrected, looking
hungrily at her.
Il suppose you mean Il woman whom
you treated badly and from whom you de-
served no mercy?" she said, leaning her
elbow on the couch and putting her check
On her thin hama. There WAY Just the
faintest pink flush upon her cheek, and
her eyes looked fathomless.
My God, how pretty she isP' the man
groaned to himself.
Il am sorry-very sorry-to see you
looking so fragile" he said, as if he had
not heard her auestipn "AIaE VIC not
have truce? Let me fetch you glass of
winc-or anythingg" She shook her head
There is nothing the matter, said she
"Only-only l am not strong, and things
hurt me Writing is too much for me, l
suppose. If could write one really good
book. one that the great critics She rose
angriiy. No, No, pieass lon'E go. am
not aiming at you now. One that good
judges would praise, / meant would
give up writing and be content"
THE good Judges You want their
praisef The men who also dare to con
domuf'
Yes"
yet when they condemn
'Thcn-oh, l suppose it is all right. 1t
is just enough. Oh, yes! l know it is
just. But it nearly kills me-" She laughed
rather Historically. absurd, isn't itY"
He looked ri hef Yffy qornlassiynately.
"Yog arc 200 pxcitablp Forgive me for
saying so, but you have altered very much
during this last yeer. You look overwork
ed, oYerworricd, overwroughb You must
rcst, or you will never write your great
book.
You know 1 never could"
Il do not. l said from the first that
you had ability--cven in the criticism
which s94-which hurt YOU (she dug
her nails passionate'y tntS bee little white
palms., land for which you hayp taken
tbs fullest revenge in your power"
He smiled d WiDtry smile and would
have looked bittefiy aE hGl il he could
Il don't suppose it huru yuh lmuch:'
she inquired, with strange usefulness
Ii he had read her as he re;sd women in
NJ books, he would simply have taken
her in Ms 4:1ns. But he merely felta thrill
of horror at her rerrHa,efmlness-a mental
shudder that such u soft, fair, sIn8!! crea
ture should wish to give pain.
oh, no. not much, y said he. Not
e,}opgh TO spoil my art, such as it is. My
latest i%tv IN q Peek has caught touch
OF you. But e%eR sife tgihs,e.S; AZ right III
the third Hoimne==-itt irast, What gould |
be the third volume If they werea al in
one now"
eyes, said she thoughtfully 81 I'M
1erSt0od when | read it, She is a much |
better sgD;nsn than l..
Il gathered thai 81 hadn't read the
book.
''Oh, that was my-ugliness. or course |
I've read it. Every one has read it. Be
sides, it is part of my business now to read |
the h3Qks Of you great people"
What goA 4 efitif, For WHAT
1.-The Daily Thuaderbnit.n
He looked at her in mute 6Stonshnent, |
Tor The Thunderbolt had called his book |
the greatest work of the greatest writer OF |
the age, which he knew wasn't true
You wrote that critique?" said he
sto4g,s. II ought to thank you, l sup
pose, but GaHfesS do not understand
you"
NO." she answered sadly, "you do MOI
understand me You never will under
stand me. l cannot understand myself
sometimes. 1 am full of wretchcd nerves,
tiie .lRs;ttors say, and only one of two things
can cure Inp.
What is that ns asl>e,, .eeefis.
Death Or
Orr"
Il have forgotten-happiness, 1 sup
pose. That was what the specialist said,
but she interpreted it as love-this mans
loye,
He looked 40 her M4IitdleTringly. Was it
love or relnorSe OF ilfFpef FfEepge that
was IN her mind? He would havG sacrificed
his life for her if need be, but not his
pride. No, no; one rebuff was enough.
"If happiness Were offered, you would
probably throw it aside" he said very
stern]y. She gave a quick glance and
read his lnsn1
You do not undcrBIaUts, shn answered
quietly, with the tears very near her eyes
You misjudgc me, now and always"
He bent little toward her and just
touched her sleeve with his hand.
is there any way-any possible way
in which I eag IplEFderstand!"
Dainty touches nf hans sfqfG ont on her |
pale faatnres, and Something Sqftc4e4 out
the disdGnful curl 0f her ptGttY lips.
You might read aome Of my ntories-if
you could endure them. They are mo,
think"
"Thon you are very nice-lately, but
He hesitatcd and stopped.
"Did you read A Woman's Mercy in
The Neg MagaYineY' she asked Suddenly.
80 I'm a1r4ta I dtan't. BIT ! will"
1T isn't worth your notice. '' '''-'
II will 90 the judge Of that. What Is &c
about?"
ooh, man and woman, the usual
thing"
'What man and woman"
"a critic aud IA writer" He became
nlert with interest
Tell me about it,
Il don't think / car remember"
Her face was very pink now.
Il should so much like you to-" he !
pleaded. I
"Wcll, shp was a would be writer, a \ ,
poor, sensitive, petffotir creature, like ne
only moi SO nnsty''=-,shc pRpsed for con
LradiCtion, tat he was ,5iieug.
she wrote "A book once, - sing continued, !
when she was young and fanciful There
raS woman in it-a bitter, hard, cruel |
a-HUEn-hUrrowCd from some yellow |
Aclud nuvnl -hnt ncr own creature really
hot even her nasty self Shn paused
again and looked anXiously, appealingly
1t him.