Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1900-01-04
FOLLY OF WOMAN.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

never thought about you appear
ance at all, was the majors blunt an
swer. And l suppose it doesn't much
matter-of course you'll go home
now?"
mot at once. don't want to spoil
Walters evening"
The major bent his brows.
WAS it for his pleasure you came
here to-night?"
Eve sprang Mt once to arms.
For my own, I'm afraid-principal-
ly. | love dancing. I'm a perfect child
where a ball is in question. By the
way, Tom, you undervalue your pow
ers. I'll give you the third and the
fifth at Lady Holmwoods tomorrow IL
you like"
you mean to go to another dance to-
morrow said Everard, appalled,.
Most certainly; why not?"
why not?" Everard's tone was more
than half angry now Because you are
totally unfit for this life OF hurry and
fatigue and excitement You look ill;
you are ill-we have just had abundant
proof of that. If you go on in this
fashion, you will do yourself some seri-
GUS mischief What has come over
you? When you we're a young girl in
your first season, you could give up
parties philosophically enough. And
now-now-"
Now that am old enough to know
better, | will not forego a single even
ing's amusement, you would say?" Eve
had grown very white again; her lips
were quivering. Even so, sage moral
ist You see. I'm painfully conscious
that, being so old, | shall have few
more opportunities of dancing and
must needs make the most of those
that remain"
Even at the risk of killing your
self?"
"Have you never heard of a short life
and a merry one? You needn't trouble
yourself to assume that disappearing
air sir | don't mean to sink into an
aged invalid before necessity compels
me, just to crafty prudent persons
like YOURSELF"
In such an airy fashion did she bear
down his arguments-being, indeed, for
the moment really gay, since had not
this business of "the attack"-she
never gave it any more definite name
! tided her safely over those terrible
| blank spaces? She insisted on return
| ing to mingle at once with the crowd;
and when Betty. an hour later, ven
| tuTed low-vOiced TemOnstTance,
| grounded on her friends air of sup
! pressed suffering, she was repulsed
! with.
MY dear, it's not civil to tell people
| they are too ugly to be abroad If
! had a cough which disturbed the COM
| pany's peace of mind. l would retire at
! once" ("Thank heaven! my ailments
! have never taken such tangible form!"
| she thought to herself) But in this
| free country | presume a woman may
| be permitted to look as i'll as she likes"
When Major Everard stepped out of
his hanson at Lady Holmwood's door
| the following evening" he felt certain
! miserably certain-Of finding Eve
among her guests. There had been
strong and serious purpose underlying
! his cousins light speech. Something
very far removed from reckless love OF
! pleasure-was driving her Temorseless-
| ly upon this suicidal course which he,
and every other human being save one,
| stood pOweTless to arrest.
Dance music was sounding as he
crossed the hall; but just as he reach
ed the foot of the staircase it ceased,
sharp, suddenly, in the middle of bar.
| And his first sight of the ballroom on
the upper floor showed him no array of
ordered couples, but a veritable mob of
| black-coated men and bare-necked be-
jeweed women pressing toward door
way at the further end, with subdued
eXclamations of:
"Shes dead!" "NO. no-it's only a
fainting fit" "Heart, l suppose; she
looked appalling i'll at Preston House
last night" rs her husband here?"
mot yet; coming on later" Someone
ought to send for him"
With scant ceremony Tom Everard
| oibOyad bic Wav tbrDuuh tha cWavinu
murmuring throng into the little room
-draped and shaded to a soft gloom
for "sitters out"-where, on a heap of
cushions, Eve Allonby lay white and
mOtiOnless. An elderly mana great
physician who had brought his daugh-
ters to the ball-bent over her holding
her left wrist in his fingers. Lady
HOLLYWOOD, pale and shaking was al
the head of the couch; at the foot lInelt
Betty, crying helplessly.
As Everard, walking like a man in a
dream came close to the group. the
elderly man drew back, with an omin.
Gus shake of his gray head; and the
still figure on the cushioDs. stirring
slightly, opened its eyes. STOPPING in
his turn, the major caught the old, pitt
full whisper
"Its nothing-overtired. l shall be
DtUleI- presently.
A pause followed-a moment long as
an hour to the man whose heart seem.
ed to stand still in breathless waiting
Then the pale lips moved again-fol
the last time:
Don't let-my husband know!"
poor thing, she courted her fate!
Her folly was positively criminal She
. knew from DR.. Carmichael-whom Il
! seems she had consulted without tell
ing any of us-that her heart was al
wrong. And yet on the day of hel
death she rode in the park, went t
Sandown with her husband. and dineC
out somewhere-befOre coming on t
the HOLLYWOOD dancel OF course ont
feels immensely for him; but it's diff
cult to be very sorry for a woman
/ who deliberately threw away her life
for the sake of a few parties"
This is Mrs. COtterel's verdict
enerally allowed to be just by the ma
ity of Eve AllOnby's acquaintance
nby himself, while missing hi
erribly cannot altogether shu
Eyes to the recklessness of the be
or which deprived him of her; il
too, a recognition of her folly hal
something to soften the edge o
e. There are, however, a few
ft-hearted persons-among them Ma
IT Everard and little Betty-whO, al
.er errors notwithstanding, find /
Easy to mourn poor Eve. And thes
give that folly" rightly condemne,
OF their less indulgent fellows anothe
and 4 gentler name.-The Argosy.