The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-07-16

engaged himself to see her on the follow
| ing afternoon at g.
Miss Gorkam had no faith in his oath.
! She bought a revolver AMI sat UP with 1t
until the morning First she resolved that
! If he had lied to her or attempted lying
| 10 hCr she would kill him. Then she pic
tured to herself the details of such a muir
der and shuddered. She could not do It.
! Not that she was afraid or that she still
cared too much but that she could deli5-
/ crately end the life of no man. She could
not even determine TO shoot herself. The
J daylight found her sobbing on the floor IN
/ choking little sobs, like a spoiled child
| who has been denied a favor.
! At in the afternoon Miss Fellows
came. She was full of a girlish secret, and
she din not notice the condition of her
| der and kindly than ever. There were
many requests from the soubrette for
promises of silence and many pleadngs
that the faith which had not been pledged
! should be kept. Then the secret was. told.
! Mr.. Davis had proposed and she had ac-
cepted him. She loved him very much,
! and they were to be married in August,
I and he had made her give her word to say
nothing about 1t, but she had not been
able to keep from announcing the AFFAIR to
| her friend, because she did love MIN and
/ he loved her, too. and after they had join
| ed hands they were TO try a starring tour
That was all, and Miss Fellows went over
it twice Miss Gorham heard only the first
recital. She was pacing hurriedly up ana
/ down. with her teeth set and her hands
clenched. Then there was a knock at the
door.
OF course. it was Ralph Davis. He was
surprised at seeing the two together, and
would have guessed everything had Miss
! Fellows not told him before he had been
given an opportunity. 1--WE let Katherine
know" she said. Il knew you wouldn't
mind"
| He did mind and he said so with that
portion of mighty temper which he could
! not keep down. When he had finished the
/ door was locked and Miss Gorham was
+ back at the big handicapped table in the
J centre of the room. She had the revolver
/ in her hand Ralph Davis had not heard
( the bolt shot nor did he see the weapon.
/ He was looking at Miss Fellows, who was
! standing dazed and surprised and angry,
| by the leading woman. There was every
/ thing to be won by caution and more to be
1 lost by carelessness. The actor regained
command over himself. He tried to ex-
I plain. 1t was too late.
What do you mean?" said Miss Fellows,
holly. Il won't let you speak to me like
! that-you have no right TO speak to me
like that. There is no reason
| Miss Gorham was calmer than she had
been all day. She put one arm about the
shoulders of the other girl. My poor
| child" she said. Miss Fellows turned to
her. What harm was there in my speak
/ ing to your" she said.
[ Ralph Davis was frightened, and showed
it. When he tried again to plead, the SOU
brette would not hear him. Miss Gorham
laid her revolver on the table. Its han
die pointed to her friend. Its barrel
stared at the actor. Its cylinder contain
ed six cartridges Miss Fellows had not
seen it when she repeated her question
What harm is there in my speaking to
you?"
And Miss Gorham told her.
Miss Gorham told her quietly, but she
was quiyering from head to foot. Her
voice sounded high and strained, and her
! eyes never left the weapon lying before
her Miss Gorham tod her the story from
| the start, and she omitted no detail. She
1 worked up to her climax as dramatist
does She stung her nelghbor to madness
with every word she uttered. and then cut
/ the wounds with persistent repetition
| The soubrette's eyes were closed, and her
nails were deep in her palms. Her
breath came hard, and she gasped at every
cruel lash in the tale. Piled beyond en-
durance, driven to desperation, hopeless,
and outraged, ashamed and craZed, she us
tened. though she no longer heard. And
when Ralph Davis stepped up and spoke to
her imploringly. when he put his hand on
her arm. she glanced down and saw that
her fingers were on the pistol.
There was a flash and a report. The
room was filed with smoke. When it had
swirled and curled away the leading man
lay across the handicapped table and he
was dead. From a small, round hole in
his head the blood was pouring. The car
pet was dyed with IT, Miss Fellows had
dropped the revolver and stood, stunned,
and frightened. over the body of the lover
she had killed. She did not move.
minute later. when score of ex-
cited men forced their way into the room,
Miss Gorham had picked up the weapon
and was holding 1t in her hand. Like her
old, quiet self she walked up to the leader
of the party-the hotel clerk who had
kicked in the door.
Il did it," she said.
And they hanged her.