The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-05-29
THE ADVERTISERS
 DAILY SHORT STORY

with bitter smile. had not then daz- zied him with its splendors, and so ne loved and married me. On. sne wenl m ture of tragic deprecation, know all that you are going to say-that 1t was boys love. that he had not come to himself. and did not know ms srsn, own It. but 1t was the springtime of his life: and all that was best and purest and sweetest and truest in his nature he gave to me We were ysry sapPE f1r Seared of me. and of the dull and narrow lines M which our lives were cast. and--i let him go."
 woman by the window. You made no effort to keep your own? You submitted without struggle? If he had been mine l should have held him against the world. I would have fought for him while there was a drop of blood left in my body.
 "I would not have the casket when the jewel was gone replied the tall woman proudly. Who wants the body without the soul of lover
 The woman by. the window arose. Come" she said. leading the way into the darkcned death chauber. Upon a couch the dead man lay. as sWeeuy sleeping One hand rested lightly upon his breast. and clasped within it. as if it had been tho last thing he remem- bered and clung to in life. was golden locket Tho two women saw al tns same instant. and instinctively they faced each other across the bier. their eyes mutely challenging to a duel to the death. bitter triumph. '.I was hi. wife. I made him rich and famous. and gave him all the things he craved in life. He loved me tor it. and you shall see that 1t was my. portrait that he wore abova his heart"
 Sometimes said the tall woman desperately. ''the old love comes back. he Strnttlderinp ernhQrH that YOU think arc dead. burst into contia gra l. ton that nothing can extinguish. Per haps. at the last. his heart turned back to the passion of his youth, and it may have been my face that he treasured most of all the world. and would have carried with him into the grave"
 With trembling hands they unioosrd the clutch of the dead mans fingers the spring. and the lotket flew open. A womans face laughed ont at them with mocking eyes and full. rich red. lips that were curved Ill the jnsolence of con- scious beauty. but it was a face that neither of the women had ever seen De- fore
 In q magnifcently furnishei I apartment. a woman superbiy beautiful stretched luxurIously among the silken cushions of a couch, was indolently reading the afternoon paper. All about were masses of crimson roses and rare hanginss and 
 was sweet with the pufgant fragrance or sandal wood, and heavy with the ofor of Egyptian cigarettes. and the woman herself looked like some gorgeous tropi- cal butterfly as beautiful as soulless.
 Suddenly notice in the obituary col umn of the paper attracted her atten- ton, and as she read it look half weary. hal! contemptuous swept across her face
 And so he is dead she murmured. two women loved him. and sacrinced themselves for him, and he betrayed them both. and the only woman, ina, in all his selfish life he eyer really loved WaS--
 She paused. stretched out white hand glittering with jewels, lit cigar cite. and as sic watched its heavy smoke wreathinG Iazily upward her eyes narrowed until they had look that was almost tigerish in them.
 ''rhey will find ,-N picture she saic slowly. fin the lcrket above his heart and although the two women who loved both.'