The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1900-07-25

haVeY Why. he will learn for the first
time that he is alive! What right have
women Ike You to talk about love
women who give man up the first
time he looks another way, Why. |
would make myself the most beautiful
and most attractive creature In the
world to him. SO that he could never
even look ut another woman and then,
II he looked, | would not so away and
leave him. would XIII him.
She clutched the paper knife in her
right hand, and lifted the left hand
and kissed again the flashing crclet on
her wrist.
The woman IN gray looked at her,
and the sight was branded ON her
memory. When she spoke again, II
was in lower tones. Her eyes were
fixed on ring loose, loose ring that
she was turning around ON her finger.
Perhaps we We're mistaken about
having loved each ether" she said
ahsently, as though she were talking
TO herself. We were both So young,
and so ignorant. We were married
earlier than we had in,enueu -necuuse
my mother died, and was left alone,
and was such an unprotected child -
aud ~ we Were married, and we
agreed that we We're To study together,
because We We're both SO ambitious
for him. And perhaps | couldn't have
kept pace with him, ut my best, but
had to take In sewing To help him
along, SO | hadn't much time-and In n
little while he was away beyond me. |
have never caught up with him since,
but have always gone on studying, 40
that | wouldn't quite dlsagrace him
when he became distinguished man"
The woman In gray stopped to put Il
delicate and tremulous hand to her
throat.
when he was studying law" she
went ON presently, Ibis eyes were trou-
bling him, and SO read aloud To him
for many hours every day. Sometimes
/ almost wished his eyes would fail II
little more II great denl more-so that
he could be more dependent ON me,
for | was very young and ignorant
then and, you see. | thought | loved
himp'
The woman In white did not speak.
She WAS sitting quite still, as though
she were II marble woman
And even away back at the first"
the woman In gray went on in that
desolate self communing, "when we
We're ignorant boy and girl together, WI
had quite settled 1t With ourselves that
he was to be distinguished man. W.
even made II little play of 1t, telling
one another that people would one daN
point out with pride the poor lttl,
house where we had lived and whcr,
we had SO much trouble paying til,
rent. and then we would laugh 50 mer
rlly. Oh, where has the laughter nj
gone? And SO we went on looking for
ward always 10 the day when he woult
be famous and working aud planning
for 1t, aud always pictured myself s,
proud-so proud of his triumphs! w
cold blnoded women feel very deeply
sometimes and think long thoughts
And now he has won the honors ",
dreamed of, and tomorrow | am coins
on long Journey"
She slowly rose. and the marble wo
man In white saw for the first tim,
that she had little package In I'll,
thin hand
81 have something To leave Will
you" said The woman In gray, "somc
thing to give you See, II is II littl,
bundle of letters. He wrote them dur
Ing my mothers Illness They nre IN,
letters OF an undeveloped and Ignorant
boy to poor little girl, | have cher
ished them long time, but | give them
to you now, because because they
have already gone ont of my life"
An hour Hrterward the woman In
white found TINT she had been alone
for long time and that the last of the
poor little letters was open In her hand.
A withercd rose had dropped from II
and lay In her lap among the folds of
! fluffy white. The mir was filed with
the fragrance of the little old time
rose, which seemed to he part Of the
old time boyish love that was dead as
the rose. Once. long ago. In her life
also
| The radiant face Of the woman In
white was pale and old and weary
| iooAihb as sue iieu the letters III the
packet again and hid this pcncllcd
line upon them
| DO not go on the long Journey, for
| go on journey OF my own" Then
she slipped the bracelet into Its velvet
case and sealed and addressed II and
called servant to 20 on two crrands
II am going away tonight, John,
she said as his foot hesitatcd on the
stair. "Send Susan up to pack"
And then she stood In the middle OF
the room, her head dropped, pressing
back something that tried to come te
Der eyes.
"And now for new fields" she said
despairingly, land the life In them"
st Louis Globe Democrat.