Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-08-25
TIE WOMAN IN RED.
n, wrRrEL CAMPBELL DYAR.

- 1hnitely blue, DeloW the sea was
and purple and amethyst. EY-
s-,2.ere the sun, everywhere the
IF geranium and mimosa, the
z.-arce Of rose and violet Always
y boom, boom of the waves
.z 1ering against the tall cliffs Of
S15--o. always the cry OF the sea gull,
sr tae chimes from the church OF
e Devote.
-ronte Carlo, that paradise of the
-.-. ter. the season was at its height
81, Hotels de Paris and Beau-Rivage
crowded, those of the quarter La
-. anne were full, and well-dressed
finding shelter in some cheap
house over in Monaco, gave
-ame OF some moro fashionable
=. q. when applying for a carte dad
n TO the "Cerele des Etrange-
the euphemislc title of that in
@..,.aa which draws hither the avid
l the inquisitiye OF all the nations.
after day, night after night, the
10 oyerflowed with those who came
.. -aaI Dt Fortune. Every one laughed
al saHg and was gay. Heavy hearts
- adden at Monte Carlo.
f, Was at q concert that She first ap
5=.-.d-the Woman In Red. The
fs..ch tenor was just beginning his
srr when the doors of the middle
of the right hand tier swung slow
omen and closed behind her She
s.59d for just a moment outlined
5F+rst the ivory background. Very
~ sue seemed, dressed from head to
in red-not cardinal, nor crimson
If the most intense and glowing
t. From out this mass OF color
80 m rOa4 rose VfVidlV white and
gr the satin of her skirt her I'M
g..d arms hung, soft and round as
4-s OF a child. Her hair, too, fine
4r3 far. gave her head a rather child
ia look And then-no wonder fans
s.6gDed Tutoring and silks began to
fsst'e-her face was entirely concealed
hg mask of dark red velvet.
I1e lady seated herself quickly with
curious grace in every movement.
aal the red of her dress spreading out
srurd her, stained as with blood the
Wbiteness of the box. She raised her
rss and insolently swept the house.
moving her head so that the jewels in
be- hair blaZed and famed into the
aces turned In her direction. \ laugh
tied from above the woman IN the
gallery. with her program twisted into
htt.e roll, Knocked the motion. The
Woman n Red turned away her face
with a shrug of her white shoulders,
ana sat through the performance quite
ssl and Indifferent. At the beginning
o! the last number she rose slowly, and
gathering together her shmmering
scarlet left the box. That was the in
reduction to the world of Monte Carlo
o. the Woman IN Red.
After that. interest centered about
her, Increasing as her peculiarities be-
came known. She never wore sug-
gastlOn of any color but red, and that
alone was enough to make her con-
sglcu0us. Then the mask, thought to
have been merely a caprice on the
n#ght OF the concert, was never re-
moved. That rendered her mysterious.
she talked but little, going about ST.
leatly, with soft, light step. One might
Biz quite alone, and the next moment
suddenly aware of the Red Woman's
presence When the tall young Eng
lshman who lost everything at turn
Of the wheel went out into the Casino
garden and, cooking his pistol in the
shadow of the cacti, muttered, iii
end the whole cursed business!" the
Woman In Red murmured persuasive
" beside him, "Oh, wouldn't" and
be didn't, and when a lady knelt one
evening before the image of the Virgin
In the church of Saiute Devote, and
whispered wildly, "Qh, Blessed Mother,
forgive me my sins!" it was the Wom-
az in Red who finished softly for her,
and those who sin against me-" This
made her something more than con-
sp!cuous and mysterious-it made her
awesome.
No one saw her smoke, but her
scarlet garments always eXhaled faint
oior of cigarettes. Every night she
came into the roulette room and sat
there in her scarlet dress, with a red
flower in her hair, and put down her
s2kes with as much emotion as though
tAe gold anu notes were worthless.
Consistent in her color scheme, she in
yara5ly placed her money on the red,
and nine times out of ten she won.
10 make her a trifle more conspicu-
Gus mysterious and eerie, she had for
chaperon a woman so thin and wrin-
HE'D and old as to seem hardly capa-
BE OF life. When some one ventured
to ask her a question about the Wom-
a. in Red the creature cackled, "Oh,
tae DEVIL, the devil, the devil. How
Should i know?"
No wonder the men like her chat
tered lively little French woman.
they'd like us if we muffled our faces
esI wore clothes like that. III wager
she has the face of a blanchisseuse-
aal one could be fascinating behind
yt mask"
She is, certainly" said bystander.
dry
f=5e." exclaimed the sallow crit
l.. a4gt.y. No one wants that old
f}' CT that stupid baron or that pink
e. ed English boy anyway"
true that the Woman in Red had
ardent admirers in the old count
fac stupid baron and the English
She one to whom she had whis-
that night behind the cacti-and
Nairy between them increased as
~ 4son passed. To-day one was
favor, tomorrow another, and the
aters Of the Casino got to bet
l.nr "a the chances of the several suit
III it became almost q exciting as
ne at one of the tables.
throughout it ali the woman re
calm, inscrutable, mysterious.
er of the three could persuade her
her name or take off her mask.
answer to any name she said
I'VE forgotten my own, and as for