The Washington herald., 1914-06-24
NE Double.
% JOHN D. BARRY.

Z = :
A man thought he had married one woman. H
had really married two women. He had married tw'
women in one woman
OF these two one loved him in return. The othel
neither loved nor hated him She merely Judged.
1t was not till the man had been married for NOR,
than year that he discovered he had married two
women.
He was startled, terrified. Then he realized that
he had been dimly aware something was wrong. In
his moments of deepest feeling when heart beat
vaguely felt an intruder.
Now he was alive to the presence. And he saw
that the presence was alive to him They confronted
each other like enemies. And what was most terrible
to him that the face of the alien presence was
the face of the woman he loved
The man began to be afraid of the woman be
loved, for the reason that she was like the other
woman
In her eyes he could see the eyes of the other,
Those eyes watching him. In the depths of the
night they looked at him through the darkness.
He began to dread them TO shrink away. And
the he shrank away the more searching grew
the eyes
And now he knew that because he shrank away
they were judging him suspieiousiy, nerciIessly
Presently the woman the man loved became dis
quieted He noticed. He feared that she might be
influenced by the woman he hated; that the two. so
strangely alike, might become one
He longed to separate them, TO drive away that
other, the alien the intruder But he did not dare
to try. He did not dare even to speak.
For closer to his wife than he was himself, closer
than he could be, that other one, the men,
acing presence, the memorable judge.
To escape from torment the man began to drink.
He saw that his wife suffered But the other did not
suffer. She looked at him inscrutably. He fanced
he could her smile as one whose suspicious were
verified.
In his bitter hours of reaction from his debauehes
he felt tempted to destroy that other one.
She would hover about him while his wife,
the he loved the only one he had meaut to marry
was minisering to him tenderly, devotedy. But he
could not destroy that other without destroying her
too. After time the grew afraid of his thoughts
He grew afraid of himself. And this fear, he knew.
came from his fear of her, the other
His periods of drinking occurred oftener. They
asted longer. People sympathized with his wife. |
Some of them said she ought to leave him. /
Wncn he heard OF the talk he felt both terror and
10y. His terror caused by the danger of losing |
fer.
But suppose she should leave him. Then he might |
from the other. Yet he knew she would never
cave him. The other would not let his wife go, be-
,Ause she would not go herself The other would
understand that she could inct the greatest punish
nent on him by staying.
One day after a debauch, the man saw he could
lever go back. He had not the courage to face the
'ther. But he greved deeply and sincerely for the
wife he had lost. He went to a far-off place where
lie hoped that in time he might cure himself of his
lorror.
People said he had deserted his wife They SYM
athized with her. They encouraged her to think
hat burden had been lifted from her and she was
etter off. They urged her to seek divorce. They
judged him harshy
When the man had been away from his wife for
rany months he wondered why he did not feel better
ie discovered that he was suffering for her. for
he woman he loved, for the woman he meant TO
larry. She had become part of his being. With
ut her he was crippled, helpless, dismayed.
But he did not dare go back to her, he was so
fraid Of the other, the double.
As he sank lower and lower, he grew more afraid t
the other. If she could see him he knew how
-uel she would be. g
Finally, he reached the state when he saw the end
'mng. Defled and broken, he lay in the hospital
e sent message to his wife: Il am dying. For
i've me. wish l could have done better" Then he {
signed himself.
The message reached the wife few days before L
e time set for the divorce proceedings. 1t affected Il !
II strangely She sat perfectly STILL looking straight
lead In her consciousness struggle began be-
1een her real self and that other self, quiet and
rrible struggle, with love side and on the d
her side hate. o
Hate tried to persuade her that it was she who 3
ID been injured Hate reminded her of things that Il
ade her almost shrek with pain e
Love showed her that it was she who had in a
red herself and injured him, the being she loved "
ost in the world and most longed to cherish. Love s
ade her see how, with sympathy she might have n
pit him from evil, how she might have succeeded y
turning evil into good W
Even now, love mplored her to make an effort to OF
m evil into good. assuring her that it was not too
e. c
Love conquered. AT that moment the other woman q,
Is driven out After the struggle, the wife wept C
tn shame, with remorse, realizing all the harm
at had been done, all the good that had been lost
And through those tears the temple of her heart
IS purified Never again could the other woman
ter. VI VI