The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-10-06
THE MAN IN THE PORTRAIT
BY HARVEY LLOYD.

Copyright, 1905, by Daily Story Pub- fishing Company.)
 The sunshine never had looked SC bright to Amy as on this glorious Sep | tember day, as she stood on the vine- clad porch of her cozy cottage and con templated the thriving garden and the velvety lawn. The city with It's dis tant haze of smoke blurring the sky seemed far away. The great world it. self seemed to have retired an immense distance from her little Eden. and all the noise and the strife and the trou- ble seemed wholly away and apart from the new life into which she had come And all doubts and fears had van ished, for there was Fred, strong and tender and true, to stand between her and every harm. An, Fred and her eyes grew tender and an ecstasy of joy filled her whole being. Of course she was still almost a bride. but the months since the springtime wedding had been so full Of happiness that the entire future was rosy-hued. While she still reveled in these de- lightful day dreams she glanced toward
 the street and was surprised to see the figure of a woman leaning against the fence. The woman was poorly clad and bore on her face the unmistakable marks of erring and marred woman hood. She leaned against the fence as
 though in pain and her face showed much pathetic evidence of sickness and weakness that Amy involuntarily hast ened toward her.
 You are ill.," she exclaimed. Cant help your"
 The woman turned Ia sullen and de- liant face toward ths dainty lady on the pretty lawn,
 Amy did not fail to notice that be- heath the hardness and badness and illness. the face had lines of beauty.
 "She must have been a very pretty girl once." thought, Amy. 'and she is yet young. She cannot be much older than l." -. .~:
 But covering all the lines of beauty and of youth were the lines of dissipa- tion, of wantonness, of lbrazen shame lessness. and over all like a mask was the expression of pride and defiance.
 Such as you can't help such as me-" she replied sullenly to Amy's proffer of help.
 But you are ill.," persisted Amy, as a spasm of pain twitched the hard fea- lures and the woman leaned more heav- fly upon the fence.
 You'd be i'll yourself if you'd gone through what I have" she replied T ain't slept for two night, nor had decent bite to eat, either. But I'll get into the city tonight, and then reckon I'll be all right. I've been walking for two days and I'm pretty well fagged" with an expression of apologetic weakness.
 "Oh. dear how dreadful" responded the young wife with pretty sympathy. You must come in and rest and I'll make you a pot of strong tea ou never can walk into the city in your condition. It's a good ten miles"
 Come in there?" faltered the woman, pointing toward the house.
 "Yes, indeed" replied the other, "and lie down a bit on the lounge while I make you some tea and fix you up a lunch''
 Lie down in your pretty cottage while you wait on me?' And the wo- man laughed harshly. But the laugh ended in sob and she broke down completely.
 Nom, I won't do that. But wish you'd let me just kiss your hand" and she grasped the others hand impul- sively and raised it to her lips. Its the first kind words I've heard for many month." she sobbed.
 Mrs. D"nnison gently pulled her within the gate and before the woman knew it she was lying on the com fortable lounge in the bright little sit- ting room.
 Tired nature asserted itself and she dropped into a gentle slumber which lasted for two hours When she awakened a dainty luncheon was on a little table by her side, and the young hostess who had been watching her came forward with a warm invitation that she partake. Wonderingly she did so.
 ''If there were more like you thered be fewer like me-" she said.
 Perhaps it is not all your fault" suggested Mrs. Dennison gently.
 No, before heaven. 1t is not" re- piled the latter passionately. Al though I've plenty 10 answer for But in the beginning I was honest. I be- lieved him although I knew he was not of my kind, and that gentlemen were not in the habit of marrying shop girls. But he was so fair of speech and so honest of face that I believed him-and, of course, he tired of me and threw me aside like @ broken plaything I ought to have known 1t. but I was an ignorant young thing and didn't know the world then. First I was broken hearted. but I was proud and-well. simply drowned myself in wickedness I thought I didn't care for a time but lately I've been sick good deal and I'm getting old and the river ain't far ahead of me. Oh. I know. Such as you don't know, and I hope and pray you may never know, but I've seen it many times. There's nothing but the river when we lose our good looks and get sick"
 And this man." suggested Mrs. Den nison.
 A look of black hate. murderous in | It's intensity came over the woman's | face. T heard few weeks ago that i the man was married and settled down. l Married and respectable. while I was | sick and hungry and an outcast and it i irovo me nearly mad. And that's why l walked fifty miles. I'm going to | make him feel some of the things I've i felt As l loved him once now 1 hate i flm, and the whimpering chit he has ! married, and I'm going to ruin his life | IS he has ruined mine"
 "Oh. that would be terrible" ex- claimed Mrs. Dennison. How do you | know she is a whimpering chit? Do you know her?'
 No, but I know the tribe," replied the woman with a gesture so fierce | that the other recoiled. They draw |