The Washington herald., 1911-09-03

man in such case, after Such an Incl
dent, could have loved, really loved,
the woman whom he held in that way?"
II not only believe he might, my dear
girl, but / know that in this one case
the only one of my eXpertence'-he
smiled-"such was the truth. There
was some untold reason they two did
not, or could not, marry. do not go
into that.
Consider, my dear girl" he resumed;
you are young, and 1 am so old that IT
is as though I, too, were young now
and had no experience-so we may talk.
Our life is a contest among men for
money and for love; that is all success
can bring us. In older days men fought
for that To-day we have modified life
a little and have other ways; but
fancy the game in which that
certain lady figured was only one form
of contest-it was fight, the spoils to go
to the victor"
''Horriblet But you might have been, the
victor? In that case, would you have
loved her, would you have used her WELL
all your life, and hers?
He drew back now with dignity.
Madam, my position in later years de-
fends me from necessity of answering
you. You are young, impulsive, but you
should not forget the proprieties even
now" His face was now hotly flushed.
y
He smiled in spite Of himself, some
thing Of the old fire Of gallantry still
burning in his withered veins. My
dear girl, if il were yourself, 1 would.
And by the Lord! I'd play again with
Parish, or any other man, II my chance
otherwise, merely by cruel circumstances,
had been left hopeless. Some one must
win
But how could the winner be sure?
IJo1I, ,Or,ld +he-hOw did She-I would
say"
Dear girl. let us not be too cold
in our philosophy, nor too wise. l can
not say how or why these things go as
they do. All 1 know is that the right
man won in that case, and that he proved
II later. by each act Of kindness he gave
her, all her life. This, my dear, is an
odd world, when it comes to all that
Was he-did he have anybody else In
the world who
'Oh. only a wife, I believe; that was
all"'
Did she die soon? Was there
ever
How you question! What do you plan
for yourself? My word! You are putting
me through a strange initiation on our
first acquaintance, my dea- countess. Let
us not pursue such matters further. or
I shall begin TO think your own interest
in these questions is that of the original
Eve"
ITO the victor does not always belong
the spoils,' she said slowly. Not TIL
he has won-earned them-in war, in
conquest, Perhaps conquest Of himself.
You speak in enigmas for me, my
dear countess"
She shook her head slowly, from side
TO side That poor girl! Did she ever
feel she had been won in the real game,
I wonder? To whom would belong her
self-if she felt that she had something
in her own life to forget some great
thing 10 be done, in penance perhaps,
in eagerness perhaps, some step to take.
up-something TO put her into a higher
plane in the scheme of life? To do
something, for some one else-not just
to be selfish-suppose that was in her
heart; after that gamer
Why, you read her story as though
you saw it. That was her life. abso-
lutely Never lived a woman more re-
spected there. more loved. She disarmed
even the women, old and young-yes;
even the single ones!'
1T is an odd world" she said slowly.
"But"-drawing back-'I do not think
will go back to Europe. II would de-
light me to meet again my friend, the
patriot Kossuth. But here have many
ideas which must work out
My dear countess. you oppress me
with a sense of failure. had so
much hoped that you would lend your
aid in this mission of my own abroad.
You would be valuable. You are so much
priced in the opinions Of the administra-
ton, I am sure, that"
What do you mean? Does the ad-
ministration know Of me? Why should
it know? What have I dene?"
But the old statesman before her was
no such fool as to waste time in lost
cause This was lost, he knew, and ii
booted little for him to become involved
where, even at the best issue, there was
risk enough for him. He reflected that
risk must have existed even had this
young lady been a shade more dull OF
mind, of less brilliant faculty in leaping
TO conclusions and resolutions. She was
a firebrand, that was sure. Let others
handle such, but not that task for him!
Now you ask questions whose an
swers lie entirely beyond my power, he
replied easily. You must remember that
1 am not of this party, let alone this
administration. My own day in politics
has passed, and 1 must seek seclusion,
modestly. I own tnat the mission to
Europe, to examine, IN a wholly non
partisan way. the working out there Of
this revolutionary idea-the testing on
the soil of monarchies of the principle
Of democratic goverrment-has a great
appeal 10 me. anu IdllCleO II "Oulu
offer appeal also TO yourself. But if"
'An life is chance, is it not? But in
your belief, does the right man always
VIM
He rose. smiling. inscrutable once more,
astute and politician again, and passing
about the table he bowed over her hand
to kiss it.
My dear countess" he said. my dear
girl. all 1 can say is that in the very
limited experience can claim In such
matters. the victor usually is the right
man. But 1 find you here, alone, intent
on visionary plans which never can be
carried out, undertaking a labor natural
ly foreign to a woman's methods of life,
alien to her usual ideas of happiness.
So, my dear. my dear. fear you your
self have not played out the game-you
have not fulfilled its issue! The stakes
are not vet given over! cannot say as
to the right man, but can say with all
my heart that he who wins such prize
Is fortunate indeed, and should cherish
it forever. See, I am not after all
devoid OF wit or courage, my dear young
girl: Because, I know. though You do
not tell me, that there is some game
at which you play. yourself. and that you
will not stop that game tc participate
in my smaller enterprise Of visiting
Kossuth and the lands of Europei ! ac-
cept defeat myself, once more in a game
where a woman is at stake. Again, I
lose!"
There was more truth than she knew
in his words, for what was in his mind
and in the minds of others there in
regarding her, were mat
ters not then within her knowledge.