The Washington weekly post., 1900-04-10
py UNCOMPREHENDED WAYS
BY octave THANEr.

H#ak LAl GlDhFl NOAGA OA NsfNaA aAtN
s.-,sras the beautiful room. The dull
...t-ess Of tapestry on the walls and rugs
p ,ra floor was duller. only a stray
s-..-- showed the form OF the mahogany
go. ar the ceiling: and the glass OF the
,.,e- ra,ors glttered In splintered shafts
,srrs. where II caught the flicker OF tine
s,.-igrf- The pictures themselves looked
.-s.,ral and dim. One picture. alone, op-
-...a the fireplace, sprang out Of the
.-sfovs with living, almost startling
..s-ress IL was the lifesiZe oil portrait
5s- -ran's head. The subject was man
w. ,-- prlne Of life, with a face. not hand
INC mn informed, with an indescribable
humanity and power. the face Of a man
-r. .s his Gay. had moved the world. Re
nd been Of such finely tempered courage
..st sis very presence was cheerful; but
.- that unreal light, which, neither night
.r Eav. unWOnted lines showed in his
features, they looked too patient. At
las. that vas the fancif1l thought Of the
woman watching Il by stealth. The other
rsrrsU dli not look at the picture. Yet
rg,I = teg months before she had never
seen ar5-taT's glance travel toward Il
mat her own eyes had not found ii. first
Nov. with an absent. faint smile on her
.Jy-.y mouth, a soft haze yelling her love-
.r ..as she listened 10 her friend and
heard another voice
The slightly smiling, absent-ioeking NO
man turned her charming profile: while
her eyes sHone. No. dear" she answer
ea, % know / am as silly as a loveslck
y0mss,er; but l have gained this much
sense ont of my years that / don't resent
yol- not taking my word for the man
,lr man l love" The friend WINGED
After ALL you haven't said so much,
Jenny dare-say 1t seems a ferocious
fr-uHess 10 you, you poor dear. because
d eos, YOU a sleepless night 10 brace up
ur--"
More than that" said the friend, quiet
y.
But really, DO you know what you
lave said? You admit he has a stainless
,Edragter-"
j said / knew nothing disgraceful con-
1-uug him." said the friend.
'uh. don't b. 50 gTudging! Can't you
sre / am trying 10 be fair? But you 20
ADMIT ms charm?"
of course; he's attractive to the last
legTre. And very handsome"
You don't think, either. he is marrying
n for my money!"
There was the merest instant of hesita-
ton before the answer came. Il think ne
Is as much in love with you as is possible
lJ Lls nature. Why not? He is i man Of
exquisite taste"
"Eut hr s-incaecJuai-thats your
vord. Did ii never strike you that he has
not effected anything noisy, because he
Iryer found the effort worth While?"
An, don't say that." the friend inter-
Iuptei lmpulsNely, that's the way that
ICor Isabel talks il the Portrait oil a
Lady
And rou ,hink he is a heartless egotist
LIKE worthless Osmond, OsDorue-whaT-
ever his name was?"
Inzl, as the color burned in her friends
cheeks, by The iTelight, little red spot
kIEdiel on her own cheek. She spoke in
The measured monotone that reigas in a
thrO5 from the voice. Whatever you
tAlAk Of him, he has saved my soul alive.
DO yJu guess what il is 10 be interested
In lie, again? After five years Of waking
Up every morning, every single morning,
10 that awful weight of loneliness, think
ing, He Is gone. the children are gone;
shall never see them again. To wake
p and think, instead. of some one who
NIL COM! oh. / am SO grateful 20 him!
Nothing interested me before-eXcept you,
dear; and you have your husband and
children; and can't be pottering all the
tine about miserable ne, OF course, |
ought in five years TO have gotten over
II, even the shock OF seeing one's huS-
band and children all drowned before
oHes eyes So ny sister says. / think
sAe calculates a year apiece for the two
Children and three years fer husband
is ample time for repairs. But l didn't
get over it. Not until he came. | ought
10 have accumulated a store of nice wo-
manly interests; taken nay nisees and
nepheWs 10 my empty heart, for instance
ny sister and my sister-in-law think; and
got interested in clubs like you. or philan-
thTopy like ACdie. / can fill up a little
time with clubs; but | can't fill my heart
with them; and as for philanthropy. iJ's
awful / give my money. l give little
Torpid and Iepid compassion; but that's
ell
You do give a great deal more" said
The friend. smiling, you do "a lot OF
good"
" ell. my goodness doesn't do me any
s-oH, Those old women l have kept out
u The poOrhOuse. and those red-headed,
eaamb.ing young men l am educating"
only one is red-he2ded, dear
Well he is so very red that | thought
n WAS twins. They are all shaInbllng,
anyhow; and they all write me proper let
'tis ana ! know. dislike me almost as
H--. o. as ! dislike them. The relationship
Is entirely fictitious and debasing 10 them
."l-hasty all around; and I'm not going
10 educate an more when get done wi;h
ti.'e Ny sisteT-ln-law would be shocked
sA" Knew. But-I want to DE happy!
N""~ even az fcrty-one to-to-to love.
ma A. A rraa0NN Frn
"@liy- Oh, how / have gone over and
~ lAose lines Of Tennyson that seem so
il Al.-s % when one hasn't suffered, and
.oHs.- ,J- he touch OF a vanished hand.
'"' Ar has gone forever"
40. cried the friend. She put out her
H'-- 10 touch the others hand. IL was
t''.e Dare Of rings: the very wedding ring
- gone" and Iothing gave her The sense
". .-....as failure in her mission Ike this
''. -'.e sign OF putting the past away.
BIZ used 10 promise me that he would
'5"' back" said Grace. wearily; we
Often talked about il. but he never came.
'o. Jenny when We die. II is all over.
'. 'l course. in one way, everything Is
- ..l.s. but we turn into the clod;
~..i 'Hr long procession begins again. We
We ourselves know nothing OF Il, any
'',F- '--u We know o. the one before we
"rir born. he isu't anywhere nor can he
care that 7 shall take the one chance 10
H-lgu beautiful moment before / go out
mo Tie dark. in my turn. And-and /
10, RON. even more than before"
deny IT," cried the friend. ''you have
Iofgl-tsa' YoI arc ia q delrlum. You
az saaping al this new madness Just TO
o'.sA oblivion Tor your pain. Ii Is only
more subtle and more refined form OF the
-. shrinking irom pain that mikes peo-
te Take % drink OF TO opium. II won't. 4
'aL last. Iud then. your unhappiness
"' br so much worse. Grace your hus-
Dail Was 50 good, 20 noble, 20 ieDder Of
,'- sIeh lean, righteous man. 10 you
Wink rris other"
tn!nk u notEIHg but hoS love hinn."
.'.. H..st out pass.JHately: "tf / knew
-' would beat me every aay would mar
hIm. ] ooa't care for the awakening. I
COM care Tor the misery, ior one lUJle
= of haDJluess- there. .ou SIC EaaI 2
Gol / amp