Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-10-12
CHAPTER VI.
The Other Woman.


alton. The ties OF home. OF society.
the necessity OF earning his daily
bread-these are barriers that hem
him IN the narrow rut OF routine and
duty. He dare not look over the TO
nance that becyon alluringly. or. ~
be dare. he must throw prudence and
sometimes conscience % the wind
But occasionally a cataclysm. both
physical and mental thrusts one with
out the familiar landmarks The
habits Of a lifetime are forgotten
then. Il is then that one dares the
impossible. and refuses TO see TO what
eVtravacant and fantastic extremes he
IS recklessly plunging
From dreaming 10 action IS but
step. 10 IS true that the divine mad
ness too soon passes: the reaction
comes; one is restored sharply 20 the
normal pOise by the rude awakening
that comes with failure or with self
console business But sometimes consc-
Quences are already set in motion.
and So IS too late 60 draw back. there
IS nothing for 50 but 20 be borne on
ward with the tide.
SO 10 was with me. 7 might return
20 America-take mp the threads OF
life where 7 had left tdem-laugh 40
the newspaper accounts OF the tragedy
deny them. or az least live them
down. IN I did that. J should know
exactly what would happen 20 me. I
could count upon Just how much hap
piness would come 90 my life. how
much interest routine and duty would
yield me-
q
afame world OF chivalrv and TO-
nance beckoned 90 me auuringly.
And n ] trod the mares OF that fairy
world. there would be none 20 ridicule.
for there would be none 60 know that
had set out 20 find t. II 10 proved
90 be only a world OF dreams and fan
tasy. 7 should az least have had the
delicious excitement OF seeking 70. OF
playing make-believe-the most fas-
cinaung game. after all IS said. for
boy or man.
had come % Europe secretly
cherishing the hope that Just such an
adventure would come 20 me as had
happened tonight The SO years OF
my life had been passed in an atmo-
sphere unusually dead and prosaic.
When 7 had left the university. 7
had acted as secretary 20 an uncle. a
multi-millionaire who lived in an OBJ
scure town OF the middle West I had
trudged the dreary and stupid circle
OF business routine. my eyes bent som
berry 10 earth. Success had come. or
what world calls success-money and
a measure OF respect that IS given 70
one with a substantial bank account
But that IS not life.
And then one day awoke real
fed with a start that life was slip
ping away from me; and with the
hours the golden aspirations and de-
lights that make life worth while.
was simply a machine. rather a cog
in the huge machine OF business I
rebelled. In one day I broke the
Rhackles that bound me. I was free
My life was at last my very own.
could do with q what I pleased.
could go where I wished
And so I had come % Europe
had hugged % my breast the common
but pathetic delusion that across the
seas I should ind something-just
what I did not know-something that
would make life more joyous. give to
II NAAa4 IL anu lAltltHl
/ had searched diligently for the
magic talisman In strange cities. and
OF course had not found H. The blue
flower is not 10 be plucked 80 easily.
Instead OF happiness and diversion.
disgrace and misery had come. Should
l return home. then. imbittered. avert
ing the eyes? Or should ] avail my
self OF the way OF escape which this
woman had lightly suggested?
And II chose to consider II a quest
challenge, there was none, not even
she. to forbid, though she. OF all the
people IN the world, would be the last
to consider II snch. And II fortune
aided me. as II aids most adventurous
souls, would seek her out though
searched the wide world for her.
And then. perhaps
/ crushed In my hand the pro-
gramme OF music that lay on the Ia
bic. Pshaw, II was the woman. then.
that gave 10 this fantastic mission its
vague thrill; not the idea of the mis-
sion itself! II was the woman whom
had wronged. and who hated me.
that called. She sat in the lists; in
her hands was the laurel wreath; for
her I would endure the shock of bat
tie.
sat quietly. still staring out into
the night The lights OF green and
red and blue had burned away long.
ago. The lake, rocked in its cradle
OF shadowy mountains, stirred gently
under the moon. The terrace was al
most deserted, and still 1 fingered.
Establishment must come too soon,
and with the morrow inevitable de-
preston.
Suddenly I became III at ease.
turned slowly in my seat looked
furtively about me. II was as II
had spoken a secret thought aloud.
and one were listening, watching.
was watched. and with a curious
fntentness that was almost savage. A
woman was seated at the window Of
the writing room. She held rigidly In
both hands the English Journal in
which my photograph had appeared.
Our eyes met gazed at her stand
inc DarfQcf1e ,roo ,ot awoso-