Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1911-04-22

For two years, they tell me, my moth
er wept. Then she died. She gave
me, baby, to her friend, woman of
her village-Threlka Major. You have
seen her. She has been my mother
ever since. She has been the sole
guardian / have known all my life
She has not been able to do with me
as she would have liked,
you did not live at your own home
with your father" asked.
For a time. 1 grew up. But my
father, think, was permanently
shocked by the loss of the woman he
had loved and whom he had brought
into all this cruelty. She had been so
lovable;, so beautiful-she was so beau
tiful, my mother, So they sent me
away to France, to the schools. l
grew up, 1 presume, proof in part of
the excellence of my fathers theory.
They told me that / was a beautiful
ANIMAL"
The contempt, the scorn, the pathos
the whole tragedy of her voice and
bearing were such as l cannot set
down on paper, and such as I scarce
could endure to hear. Never in my life
before have 1 felt such a pity for a
human being, never so much desire
to do what 1 might in sheer compass
sion
But now, how clear it all became to
me. l could understand many strange
things about the character of this
singular woman, her whims, her I'M
accountable moods, her seeming care
lessness, yet withal, her dignity and
sweetness and air of breeding-above
all her righteousness. Let others
irI6 har fr,-
only longing in my heart that I might
find some word of comfort. What
could comfort her? Was not life, in
deed, for her to remain a perpetual
tragedy?
But, madam said I, at length,
you must not wrong your father and
your mother and yourself. These two
loved each other devotedly. Well,
what more? You are the result of
happy marriage. You are beautiful
you are splendid, by that reason"
perhaps. Even when I was 16 l
was beautiful she unused. 81 have
heard rumors of that. But I say t.
you that then I was only beautiful
animal. Also, l was a vicious animal.
had in my heart all the malice
which my mother never spoke. 1 felt
in my soul the wish to injure women,
to punish men, to torment them, to
make them pay, To set even those
balances of torture,-ah, that was
my ambition! I had not forgotten
that, when 1 first met you, when 1
first heard Other, the woman whom
you love, whom already in your saw
age, strong way you have welded
the woman whose vows 1 spoke with
her-I-I, Helena Won Ritz, with his
tory such as mine.
Father, father"-she turned to him
swiftly; 'trise-go! 1 cannot now
speak before you. Leave US alone I'M
til I calli''
Obedient as though he had been the
child and she the parent, the old man
rose and tottered feebly from the
room.
There are things woman cannot
say in the presence of a parent" she
said, turning to. me- Her face
talk to you
'@Why should you? There is not
need. Do mott"
'tAh, must, because it is fair said
she. Il have lost, lost 1 have tod
you 1 would pay my wager"
After a time she turned her face
straight IOWdTu anu "SHI OAI
with her old splendid bravery
$50, now, you see, when I was
young and beautiful 1 had rank and
money 1 had brains. 1 had hatred
of men. 1 had contempt for the arts
tocracy My heart was peasant after
ALL My principles were those of the
republican. Revolution was in my
soul, 1 say. Thwarted, distorted.
wretched, INSCRIPTIONS, / did what l
could to make hell for those who had
made hell for US. / have set dozens
of men by the ears. l have been
how many A dozen men have fought
to the death in duels over me- For
each such death / had not even a
thought The more troubles l made,
the happier 1 was. Oh, yes, in time
became Known had reputation;
there is no doubt of that
but still the organized aristocracy
had its revenge-it had its will OF me,
after all There came to me, as there
had to my mother, an imperial order
In punishment for my fancies and va
carries, l was condemned to marry
certain nobleman- That was the whim
of the new emperor, Ferdinand, the
degenerate He took the throne when
1 was but Is years of age He chose
for me q degenerate mate from his
own sort" She choked now
You did marry him?"
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