The San Francisco call., 1906-10-28
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false as the hair on the head % some
women. Its Bohemian side largely GEN.
sists of bad elaret. worse music and
ghastly studio teas; its fashionable side
poverty grand ladies with
furnished regulations. I've seen IL all
One OF the sights OF greater tIotham IS
this glittering set of takers Ine wO-
man / speak of was whirLed OF her feet
by the cheap show. She was a fresh.
pretty little girl when she came here
from a small Gown. Her friends We're
ambitious fools, she was greenland
very vain. SO vain Then he~ name
crept into the newspapers, it's hard
work keeping out OF them nowadays.
She was called the beautiful Mrs.
Somebody. who painted exquisite min
latures of socially prominent ladies'
You know the style Of such rot. The
horror of it, Rather you don't. for
you have never lived in this particular
set
But l do. I do. cried Mardcn- My
client told me something of it" Serle
sneered.
She didn't tell you much or YOU
might have asked her whether there
wasn't another side TO her case. Thel
girl 1 am talking about went the pace.
and, as an old philosopher on the police
force remarks; When a woman is
heading for he'll don't try to stop her.
It's waste Of time Her husband saw
il, and he did try. Her friends knew il
and helped her on her merry way. The
painter even sent her TO Europe, and
with her some OF the friends to keep
her company IL they couldn't keep her
straight. Wel-Paris is worse than
poison for such women. She was soon
back in New York. leaving behind her
a sweet record, many unpaid bills and
with a half-dazen fools. picked up God
knows where at her heels. And then
he went away. 1t was too much How
ever, being a woman she won all the
sympathy. Her story was believed, not
his, and
singular coincidence. But wasn't
the husband to blame a littleg
oh said Vincent, gayly, men are
always TO blame"
.Couidn't he have forgiven herr
He did better--he forgot her"
ibid she go to the bad?" SYM
pathetieally inquired Marden.
'On the contrary. She married we'll
a professional man OF some sort" He
smiled with good -humored malice.
And is she-is she-right now?
mean is she happy?"
"She will be happy always. a selfish
little soul You mean is her present
husband happy?"
Yes Marden leaned back non
chalantly and his hands, lean fingered.
travcrsed the corner OF the table. To
Serle the air became as dense as a
vapor bath. He continued merciIessly:
"Of course he is happy-her husband
Why shouldn't he be? He doesn't
know.
Doesn't know what? Really you set
me on edge. exclaimed Marden. He
tried to smile. but his upper lip only
lifted stiffiy displaying white eye teeth.
Vincent lighted a fresh cigar His arm
did not tremble now. Then. swallow
ing the last OF his cold coffee. he con-
tinued:
Her husband doesn't dream the
truth of her life in New York and
Paris. She is. as I said. very pretty
and can pull the wool over a man 3
eyes-she is so interesting, so poetic
you know! She plays that little trick
of the abused wife with the artistic
temperament, plays it of on all the
men she meets. on my friends"
Your friends?'
MY friends know her; know her
now as a capriciOus vixen, masquerad-
ing as delicate oversouL I knew her
once" (SerIe was cool; he had him