New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-13
HIS WIDOWS.

From The Coruhll Magazine.
There was little ivy clad cottag, on The road
10 D, and two maiden women lycI there
They were of an age. forty-iivc ana they had
been houSemat-s FOR the last ten wears They
were known 10 be rich and supposed e. J., CO.
centric. II is well 10 have that reputation in
nciehborhoods like that Of - --. imply ing com
Ilctc liberty of action combined with perfect
So. dl consideration The toilet and dcucsti,
appointments Of Miss Narncy and Miss L'v,n
left nothing for ConSOrIous world 10 desire
while their actions were sufficiently uuoouy,n-
tiond to inspire interest and amusement. They
were, Of course, open 10 the iWIutd:Ion OF being
unmarried women OF certain age. but there
was not the slightest hint If anything OLD fash
lonod or old maidish iu their appcaIdu,, or
Their surroundings There WcTr no fatt,d or
crochet chair covers, no painted hands, rc,ns
u" stamp snakes in their drawing room. th,Ir
clothes were cX9ulsitcIy fashionable. and eaul'
down from London. and perhaps Paris. But IN.
material Of these clothes MAS invariably black
and they both wore what looked very Ike
widows caps Of ia" same identical pattern.
There their ccccutricIty came in
once a fortnight ;hoy paid visit bearing
two similar lunches Of whit, flowers. q, . GENIE
terry on the other side ~ The town ui D.. hut
10 one ever discovered whose grave 10 Na~ that
th,y took an interest III. though som, curious
Otherwise unoCCupi"d persons had Thought u
worth while 10 play hid, and seek with ia, Two
women among the tomhs without success. so
Clrvorly did the mourncrs dodg, Thorn
They had not many friends ~ IA" town -
D. nor did they seem a. care 20 maxi. any.
tut after Will" young gin. called Lucy
Gray. who had hut recently left school. succeed
cd In ingratiatiug herself whore more ifupor-
tant people had failed. She was sweet and sim
pie. yet shr"wd. and soon sh" knew more 81
the inner life Of Mss Narucy and Mis- L.ycn
t.dn any one. She thought them romantic and
said So openly and IA. women dId not ~ her
case disdaiu the trhut, 81 this suhil. and SCI
GuCtINc form 81 nati,ry
She used 10 ma il delightful t. 20 and sit
with them IN th' long winter evening" over tho
ire. and 10 c0nfdc her little doiurs and Util.
Al
on a low stool exactly between tn. two ana
talked. and turned her eager fac, FIRST g. one
and then 10 the other without any particular
discrimination; for though they differed from
each other much as two unrelated human
beings are likely to DO. thoy seemed ty skifIl
modification and Admiration a. habits and lido
SynCrds.cS. to haN" made th'W-,lN one. To
Lucy. in point 81 sympathy. ih.y Wen. az PARIS
Of the same person.
But they differed a good deal 10 appearance.
Miss Nain"y was dark and eager looking and
little imI"rous ia manner. 81" laughed u.,'
than Miss Lcv"u. and betrayed e fuller AT times
more cynical. humor she read all tu, modern
magazines. and kept herself M t. dat. Mir
Lcvcn was softer. perhaps siIl,r. certainly NOR"
sentimental She was a uttl" inclined o. be-
stout. her comvI"xion was sim wonderful. she
took life more easily than Miss Ndrucy.
Had taken it. for surely during thcs, last ten
years that they had lived IN - life had stood
still for both Of thom'
Tho life of liza" Lucy GRAY was hut usi h,-
ginning, in mid idylnc way Shc told he
women all her innocent affairs and they CAV,
her the promrt.st interest and sympathy. tut
she came to notice. when she looked up into the
face Of either. that their gaz' was seldom. II
ever bent ON her who Was connding In them.
No. their eyes were generally raised and fixed
seVcrallN. two large framed cabinet phptp-
graphs hanging over the bcilpulI on either side
Of the chimney ui.cc.
There was nothing very odd in this except
that the two photographs were n every respect
Identical
1t was the likeness Of man in full rcsi.
mcntals handsome. logged looking with heavy
eclf- sufficient jaws and gent" eyes ana
elusive mouth Under thu print was written.
IT, a hold. decided Handwriting. the name Koh-
er + Musgravc. and date, 1850.
Later on. when she came to know The women
better Lucy Gray taken into their bed
rooms and shown things Afghan trophies Ind
varably. but what Interested the girl most was
that though there wcr" two separate rooms. I
the same likeness enlarged and colorcd IN this /
instance. hung over the bed Of each. Lucy Gray /
loving and curious. 81" put the story Of her /
two friend one story. Two women together as
W, u as she could and gloat"d on IT, She real |
L. that these two women had loved the same
man. and mat this was his likeness They had /
tost him. how she could not guess; but, at any |
rate. he was not here. nor had been these ten .
years. They mourncd him, Therefore, but what |
she could not understand was that they should |
mourn him in such strict concert 1t seemed I"
form the very bond Of union between them;
now, accor ling to her simple theories. II should
rather have forced them apart!
Was IL possible for two human beings so To
compound with Jealousy jealousy that ~ even
stronger than love?
What grown up curiosity could never have
achieved. her sweet childish sentimental sympa-
thy was able to draw from them. She sat one
avening In her accustomed place between The