Evening journal., 1900-01-20
WIDOW OR WIFE

elQc southampton. al the early aBe OF 1
thirty-slx' We talked Of "deathless [
fame" and said, whom the gods love +
de young" and then changed the sub ,
iect.
So VIC went on with the world and /
leiJ Martin Arthur behind. Mrs. Rou- 4
peli stood before the mirror in her |
bedroom. leaning her hands on the tot
let table. with It's adornings Of crystal
the glase.
Isn't It written there?" she said
aloud And then she laughed, the Aw-
ful laugh OF woman who Is bur
lesquing her own real emotion, which
HAS its source in the very foundations
OF deep nature. and which viii die
when it dies. OF kill Il; there Is no
other way.
Three people had asked her that day
Why she Was In mourning. The friends
and acQuaintances had gradually rea-
lli2ed that the touches of color which
had OF late begun TO tighten the Wild
lows weeds, had again faded into black
rs before. and that the strange heart
wearing, Notwithstanding time Of
mourning seemed to have goue back a
step, and resumed its old haggard un-
certainty
For Maria Roupell was a widow. and
10 widow. Her husband was dead--so
said ordinary surmise, so said humble
probability, so said the newspapers,
which gave an account of the sinking
Of the Atlantic liner Ramadan with
al hands but two. in the bay three
years before There was only one
thing lacking positive, incontroverti-
Die proof; and that thing tarried.
..f..... sI.Naa -
with Martin Arthur. In the old days
of racking uncertainty as to her hus-
bands fate. she had met the rising
author whose name was then appearing
aDove flames horizon, as the edge Of
the suns disc looks over into the
/, world. lie became deeply Interested In
: err She was a handsome woman OF
the night-dark Spanish type. erea-
. ture OF the strong emotions, distracted
with suspense, torn this way and that
hy hopes and fears.
: When a woman is suffering through
Ter love for one man. another may
wrap himself inextricably in the flying
) threads of her life and become more
near. more dear to her than she has
! any knowledge Of by standing silent
Lut ever in readiness at her right
I hand She will turn TO him for help
o. and when q woman goes TO q man
= for help. those feeble hands so pite.
4 ously Outstretched hold IN their opor
e palms the link OF a chain which bind.
= lives together-loosely, It may be, bu
y there Is n bond nevertheless, and "th'
o bands of love are sair TO loose
+ Martin Arthur and Maria ROupel
n found their lines laid side by side, Eel
b the letters that stretched lightly iron
o wrist to wrist were necessary to eaci
G other. and knew that It was so.
o Three years passed and George R0u
lpell did not return, and out Of the IN
n % his widow his memory was slowly
softly, irresistibly shouldered by ia
4 nlmy. insidious ghost OF the personal
Ie ity Of another man. One day the ghos
l. put on Immortality, and the likeness q
s Gods own image, and Maria Roupe
r found the cold. intangible shape Ell
% dowed with flesh and blood-eyes tina
looked into her very soul. strong arm
k that held her against a broad breas
IS lips that spoke words of passion like
'e flame of fire. that took their answe
ID from her and would not be denied. an
Is heholdi she awoke, and there was n
il friend any more, but lover in dee
De and truth.
10 Martin, Martin" she said, lookin
I'D at him with a great love and a de'
Re uerate fear struggling for the supren
icy in her beautiful dark face. III
y newl-Oh. God II knewl But d
10 not. l may be no widow at ALL ma
'r be his wife still and in that case"
r. In that case / love you just III
10 same, and nothing can alter IT,"
~ answered.
" You have no proofs? Then proc
ID hall be obtained. Il we have TO scare
every inch Of the Atlantic Do yo
in hink I mean TO let you go-to let
shadow separate us7 Dearest woma
n IN the world. the thing has got TO
D. done, and'1 will do IT,
"a
d "Dorinda, you are looking very 4
< my child"
yh I'm really quite well, only-but pc
NJ laps it's a mercy to be thought
when one Is merely miserable.
ne Girls are FOOLS Mrs. Roupelii And {
fhey always leave on folly when th,
d. become women7 Oh, forgive me,
n I'm talking nonsense-Ive got into Il
ir habit of it because il is easier thu
as saying nothing and feeling a gre
e. black curtain coming slowly. slowly
es down-down-down, directly one sto
ak 10 think Your mourning.
NJ envy youl What am l sayingg B
tn wish / had an excuse for wearing il
n For whom?"
et Maria Roupell was not the sort
~ person to ask a tactless question as
~ rule, and with such blank directnei
=, but there was something in the cir
-, race that reminded her of her own
IA he had seen it in the mirror III
morning
- Dorinda Carson moved nervously
y" her chair, hesitated, and then spoil
- quickly, and In a low voice, with d
- ace averted from her friends sight
~ "Ol for--for some one KNEW
81 has died lately-somc one I had o
right to be fond of. Mrs. Roupol
n ~, laria--I must speak may I? Y
al gill understand, and nobody q
W would"
And the girl was on her knees
~, Maria's chair, clasping he han
y, which lay on her lap, and bowling {
golden head till il almost touch
hem