The Washington times., 1909-10-06
/ THE WOMAN TN THE PURPLE Will

woman. The man. handsome in a
/ iiashy. cockuey way, can sing and
dance little, but the girl is obviously
impossible She is gawSy, raw, countri-
fed Even that undiscriminating audi
ence 'jeers at her awkward efforts.
But there is one present who does
not laugh, a gilded youth from New
| York, who is travelling through the
! West, and has dropped into the place
in a spirit OF crriOsity
He does not laugh. Instead a subtle
CLEAN comes TO his dull eve. He notes.
I in spite Of her outlandish makeup and
ll-htting costume, the girls slim pref
tness and youthful charm. He sees
the ripple Tn her golden hair the curve
of her immature cheek, and the purity
'of her profile, all the budding graces
or glorious wOmanhoOd
1T IS not hard TO obtain an introduc-
uon to her. The proprietor Of the place
has already marked the stranger as a
swell and money speuder, and re-
guest from him of that sort Is all suf-
''The girl is shrewd enough 10 see In
her new acquaintance a stepping stone
20 her fortunes. She IS fattered. too.
dressed stranger type Of man diffcr-
ent from any she has ever met before.
He speaks to her enticingly OF tho
gay life along Broadway, aud tells OF
his acquaintance with various man
ayers, so when at last ne proposes that
she accompany him to New York. and
promises TO get her a position there APP
on the stage. she consents without a
moments hesitation, deserving her song
ana dance associate for his new lure,
with no more compuuction than whcn
she lett for him her people and her
home.
And now" pursued the speaker, the
scene shifts rapidly. see the girl.
swiftly transformed to a woman, caught
In the giddv whirl OF metropolitan pleas
ures. j see her gowned like a princess.
wined and dined, besieged by admirers.
Jealous rivals plot against her. men
driven mad by her coquetries go TO a
suicides grave; yet she fits above the
Wrack and borrow she causes unscath-
ed, She has no heart, no feeling; she
is only a butterfly preening her gaudy
wings In the sunshine"
TRere came a pause The long room
Wa@ silent for moment, with the
white-robed seeress leaning back upon
her throne. and Dorothy Crouching mo-
tionless, I'm her hneTy. her awe-fllled
eyes upraised to the others face.
Scarcely less amazed and thunder
struck. Davis sat in the outer room be-
fore the Idle telephone. Where In the
world had Edythe learned the story of
Dorothy Brents career, that she could
reel it off so glibiy2 AS the girl had
said herself, no one in New York knew
where she came from or anything of her
early life. She had always evaded In
terogation on that score, declaring light
ly ttat, ike Topsy, she had Just
ETUMeN. How Luells WAS EQALue aDle
10 follow SO unerrinEIy her every step
and build up the narrative with details
which left no question OF its accuracy
Before he could hit upon a reason
able explanation for HIS associate
knowledge, though. he heard her voice
take up the tale again, and IN a deeper,
more impressive tone
''I have told the past and the pres
ent" she said. the future IS now TO
be revealed. 7 sec
Here mUttered DAYS. leaning quick
" toward the instrument. 7 can't let
this go on This is where I want 70 take
a hand myself
"Edythei Edytaer' he called sharply
over the wire "1Teak of therei Stop
It. say IN tel you what TO hand
her"
But. apparently deaf 10 his prompt
ings, the seeress went steadily ahead
The Continuation OF This story VIII
BE Found In TOmOrr0vy's
Issue OF The Times