Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1900-08-31

month and year after year, and then
are shocked and outraged when he
meets a flesh and blood woman and
loves her! What kind Of life will he
have2 Why, he viii learn for the first
time that he Is alive! What right have
women like you to talk about love
women who give a man up the first
time he looks another wayl Why, |
would make myself the most beautiful
and most attractive creature In the
world to him, so that he could never
even look Mt another woman-and then,
II he looked would not go away and
leave him. | would kill hlm!"
She clutched the paper knife in her
right hand, and lifted the left hand
and kissed again the flashing circlet on
her wrist.
The woman In gray looked Mt her,
and the sight was branded on her
memory. When she spoke again, It
was In lower tones. Her eyes were
fixed ON ring-a loose, loose ring that
she was turning around on her finger.
Perhaps we We're mistaken about
having loved each other" she said
to herself. I'VE were both so young,
and 80 ignorant We were married
earlier than we had acknowledgements
my mother died, and | was left alone.
and was such an unprotected child
and so we were married, and we
agreed that we were to study together
because we were both 10 ambitious
for him. Aud perhaps | couldn't have
kept pace with him. at my best, but
had to take In sewing to help him
along, 80 hadn't much time-and In
little while he was away beyond me.
have never cnught up with him since,
but | have always gone on studying. 30
that | wouldn't quite dlsagrace him
when he became n distinguished man"
The woman In gray stopped to put
delicate and tremulous hand to her
throat.
when he was studying law" she
went on presently, 'his eyes were trou-
bling him. and no | read aloud to him
for many hours every day. Sometimes
almost wished his eyes would fail n
little morc-a great deal more so that
he could be more dependent on me,
for ! was very young and ignorant
then, and, you see, | thought | loved
himw
The woman In white did not spcnk.
She was sitting quite still, as though
she were n marble woman.
And even AWAY back Mt the first"
the woman In gray went on In that
desolate self cOmmuning, "when we
were Ignorant boy and girl together. we
had quite settled II with ourselves that
he was to be distinguished man. We
even made little play Of 1t. telling
one another that people would one day
point out with pride the poor little
house where we had lived aud where
we had NO much trouble paying the
rent, and then we would laugh NO mer,
rlly. Oh, where has the laughter all
gomez And so we went on looking for
ward always to the day when he would
be famous ana working and planning
for II. and | always pictured myself 80
proud-so proud Of his trlumphs! We
cold blooded women feel very deeply
sometimes and think long thoughts!
And now he has won the hon0rs we
dreamed OF, and tomorrow am going
on long journey"
She slowly rose, and the marble wo-
man In white saw for the first time
TINT she had n little package In the
thin hand
81 have something to leave with
you" said the woman In gray, Some.
thing TO give you See, II IL n little
bundle of letters. lie wrote them dur
Ing my mothers Illness. They are the
letters OF mn undeveloped and ignorant
boy to poor little girl. | have cher.
ished them long time, but give them
TO you now. because--becalIse they
have already gone out Of my llfe."
An hour nfterward the woman In
white found that she had been alone
for long time and that the last OF the
poor little letters was open In her hand.
A withered rose had dropped from II
and lay In her lap among the folds Of
hury white. The air was filed with
The fragrance Of the little old time
rose. which seemed TO be part OF the
DID time boylsh love that was dend rs
he rose. Once. long ago, In her life
llso-
The radiant fnce Of the woman I'm
white was pale and old and weary
cooking ny she tied the letters In the
Jacket ngnin aud laid this penclled
Inc upon them:
do not go on the long Journey, for
go on Journey Of my own" Then
he slipped the bracelet into Its velvet
nsc and scnled and addressed II and
allied n servant TO go on two errnnds.
u am going AWAY tonight. John"
he said NJ his foot hcsItated on the
tnlr. Send Susan up to pack"
And then she stood In the middle OF
he room, her head dropped, pressing
'ack something that tried to come to
er eyes.
"And now for new fields" she said
espnlringly, "and the life In them
st. Louis Globe. Democrat.
Couldn't Sec tho Joke.