Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-11-12


that in some of her wanderings she
would find hinl--for such women as she
must love sometime-and she lied
when she spoke OF her happy relations
with her husband. 1t pleased her TO
deceive people, but / knew the tragedy
of her life.
Kniyen Kallender's broad. sweet
smile. that made him SO popular in the
world OF men. and the suave courtesy
of his manners to women. had never
taken me in. l had seen the big black
bruises disfguring the white flesh of
DOrOthy's body and l had wept over
her when she had lain in white pain
utterly unable to rise from her bed.
The secret of it was that he was an in
termittent drunkard. and cruel and un-
comfortable in his drunkenness. No
one ever suspected this: they were
looked upon as model couple by men.
and the women said that he was far too
good for her So. where l would have
left him, careless of the world. she
stayed on. too proud to publish her
shame. hiding her hurts and the hOl-
lowness of her life in friendships and
firtations. The tale OF these was end
less. and SO daring in their innocence
that 1 came to understand how a wom-
an might hose her reputation without
losing her honor. Her safety lay in
that she could never see a man daily
for week without growing bored, and
the moment a man put his passion in
TO words. or attempted to do so. he was
dismissed from her presence and The
cd Ropchff
Il suppose L have no soul. Peter.
DEAR she would say in her exagger-
ated way, "or else am incapable of a
grand passion. Any woman who comes
along can have a slice of my affection
for awhile-but | soon get bored" Men
grew infatuated and mad over her. but
she kept them in order in her cool.
despotic little way. Understanding of
their madness came to me one night
1t was at dance, and / came into the
dressing room just as she was unwind
ing the wraps from her sweet body.
coming out of them like a pale green
star. diamonds cleaning and moving
on her bosom. l think there must be
something of a man in me, for I suf-
fered leaping of the heart at the sight
OF that revealed and suggested beauty.
1t lured my lips to her, and STOPPING
kissed her where the curving outline
of her cheek melted into the lips. The
blood flowed crimson to the spot where
my lips had been and spread all over
her neck and face.
You silly kiddle," she said. Peter.
/ believe you are boy"
She WINS l,riI1ior4 thos III.
women hated her more than ever: one
especially. u woman with red hair and
envious eyes. She always dressed well.
and that night she wore the loveIiest of
Partisan gowns, but even that could
not make her look anything but a be-
spangled tiger cat [ knew by the
yellow spiteful light in her eye that she
was saying yellow. spiteful things of
Dorothy. Later in the evening heard
man say to Dorothy, IF you could
have Mrs. Lovelrs frock would YOU
have her face2''
Il would rather play Godiva to the
end of my days" was the answer. and
| felt she was avenged.
Her adorers came and went in batch
es. according to the time it took for her
to grow tired. but they adored ALWAYS.
In time | grew so used to the cold
sweet short friendships and the faces
that came and went. that | ceased to
fear for her, and anticipated the COM
ing OF her souls counterpart. whom I
believed to be seeking her. Once indeed
when Desborough, a great limbed law
Yer, with broad, determined hands and
close mouth. Swallowed the house. I
grew fearful for her lie would sit for
hours unspeaking in corner OF the
drawing room, while she poured tea
for her visitors, discoursed literature
and abused and initiated her neighbors
and acquaintances-ne her friends.
and he would laugh moodiIy some
times at her fiippancies and frivolities.
as one day, when asked If she knew
much OF Byron, she answered: No
only one line: The phantom frolic of
her Grace Fitzfulke. She rode lit
tie old pony her husband had given
her, which rarely If ever went out of a
fast walk, which just suited Dorothy.
whom no amount OF riding would make
good rider, though she looked well on
horseback. The pony was afflicted
with wet nose, and Dorothy would
climb down many times and wine il
gently with the little lace rag she called
her handkerchief.
Desborough would accompany her on
these excursions. coming back moodier
stlil. and With a devOuring passion
staring in his eyes. But one day when
they returned his face was old and
pallid, and there was q little hardness
about her mouth, that | knew he had
spoken. and she. as usual, had been
merciiess. He left England The next
day, though all his interests were in
the country.
When Lewis Lyndhurst walked into
the shade of her red lamp was so busv
allaying my fears OF Desborough that !
hardly noticed him. so he and Dorothy
trod the old path unrestricted by my
guarding eye. and he drank deep of the
cup CT Gree. All. and she put her lins |
TO it. too and so was the tragedy of /
Tristram and lseult once more 10 tell