Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-08-16
AMID ALF TLER 2
BY JULIA TRUITT BISHOP.

IN bl JULIA TktlII blSHUf, @
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The woman In white had passed
through a most triumphant day and
was weary. She tossed her hat 10
bed. her gloves and fan to a chair. and
she herself dropped into the great
willow rocker-a mass OF fluffy white
draperies. her deerlike head. with its
crown of red brown hair. lifted above
the foam The woman In white had
been younger. but she had never be-
fore been SO beautiful.
Because she had won him-and be-
cause she had no right to him. Be
cause be had ence scorned and fiouted
her and had passed her with his wife
on his arm and look Of cold contempt
in his eyes, and because now he had
followed her for days and days. and
she had made him sue for kind word
from her-her, the scorned and de
spised Because she had laughed in
his face and had baited and lured him
until he had thrown to the winds his
decent life and all the long years of up
rightness and the position among men
for which he had struggled, and was
ready to follow her to the worlds end,
and because he was the one man
whose scorn had cut deep into what
she called her soul!
She looked at the radiant thing in
the mirror and laughed and turned
the flashing bracelet about and around
on her wrist, and 4 something almost
womanly came into her face as she
realized that it was not the diamonds
she cared for-noi She would have
loved a ribbon If he had given it to her
with that look on his face and would
have kissed it as she did this, with
passionate delight.
And the woman in gray, standing In
the door, saw her kissing the bracelet.
MAY l talk with you few min
utes?" asked the woman in gray; and
the woman in white saw her reflection
in the mirror. What she saw was a
slender, gray clad woman, with pale.
pale face, and dark eyes with darker
| shadows under them, and brown hair
that was beginning to whiten with
| early frost
The woman in white stared insolent-
| ly at the reflection in the mirror and
| smiled.
"I don't know what my servants can
! be thinking Of" she said without turn
| ing 81 really have nothing for you,
my good woman. Perhaps If you go
down some of my people will show you
| the way out"
But | must see you for a little
| while" said the woman in gray, put
| ting aside the insult and coming slow
| ly nearer, and there was deadly still
ness about her as she drew chair for
ward and sat down in 1t. Then they
| looked at each other-the woman in
! gray and the woman in white.
81 think perhaps you know me-" said
the woman In gray. mo doubt people
have pointed me out to you as the wife
| of-of"-
"They have" said the woman In
white haughtily, taking up steel pa
per knife from the table near at hand
and playing with it. "To what do |
owe the honor Of this visit?'
The woman in gray looked at the pa
per knife and smiled wearily.
"You mistake me-" she said. "Some
women might have thought of that,
But you will live. Seel Tomorrow
go upon long journey. and l knew
that must see you face to face before
1 went"
what possible interest can 1 have in
your plans for travelling" cried the
woman In white contemptuously
pray consult your dressmaker instead
and tell her for me that she should be
killed If she ever dresses you In gray
again. 1t is not becoming"
you are bitter" said the woman In
gray, land we have 80 little time, and
we are so near the tragedies of both
our lives. A little while ago | was bit
ter against you, too, but now | am toe
sad to be very bitter. I see how past
remedy 1t is. l am not here to beg you
to be merciful. Even II you wished
you couldn't give me back what have
lost"
well, you have had your chancep'
cried the woman in white. And you
have lost 1t! Who but yourself is tC
blameT"
The woman in white had thrown
prudence to the winds with that
speech, and now rage and jealousy and
insolent triumph were curiously blend
ed in the beautiful face and flushed in
red glow from the eyes.
"Yes-I have lost It," said the woman
! In aEAnl .yiDU IporDa1 This
past all doubt, l would not try to kee
him IL l could. | am going away, an
he shall live his life in peace. l hav
merely come to ask You what kind o
life it is going to be-"
The woman in white threw hersel
back in her chair and raised her beat
tiful arms above her head.
ooh. you cold blooded woman" sh
; cried, clasping her hands above til
shining coil of her hair. you ic
wives that 60 your round Of what yo
call duties and sew on buttons an
have good dinners and sit at the hea
of the table, as interesting as tina
Dresden shepherdess, month afte
month and year after year, and the
are shocked and outraged when h
I | meets n flesh and blood woman an
loves her, What kind of life will h
4 have? Why, he will learn for the frs
time that he is alive! What right hav
women like you to talk about love
women who give man up the firs
time he looks another way! Why,
( would make myself the most beautift
Z and most attractive creature in th
+ world to him, so that he could neve
even look at another woman-and theI
I If he looked, would not go away an
leave him. | would kill himw
\ She clutched the paper knife in he
Z right hand, and lifted the left han