Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1914-03-03

Il dlsapprove OF the stage" sai'
Toms wife, IN her thin. high, coo
voice, "and I particularly disapprov'
of all such songs and the way Tom
sings them. They seem-er- not5-er-
proper"
"You are always right" said Ton
with covert sarcasm. feeling Is al
ways banal. and love is myth. &C
why should one sing songs about II, OF
eat ones heart out with longing for
a dream that can never come true?"
It was just at this moment that Sal
" came into the room waving a yell
low telegraph envelope.
AFTER ALI" she cried, she's com
Ingl Isn't 1t too delightful"
81 don't know" I replied, seeing
that we haven't the faintest idea who
she is"
Marion. Allerly. "she replied.
WHAT" cried one OF the men. The
paragon among widows The one who
combines all charms and virtues =
beauty, enormous wealth, talent, ev-
erythfng, except a heart, for she scorns
all men and is so faithful to the mem
ory OF the dear departed she declines
to lend an ear to the suitors that
clamor at her door"
81 have met her." said one Of the
men, slowly, "and for once report does
not exaggerate. She Is the handsom-
est woman, and the most fascinating
one / ever saw, but what sets her
apart from other women Is kind Of
spiritual look. I can't describe 1t ex-
actly, but she looks as II she had been
some great sorrow-some-
thing that had scared her very soul,
and that she had been purified by it.
Only, of course, such an idea is absurd
N connection with one like her, who
has always been a darling Of for
tune"
There was some story" began Sal
Iy.
Toms hands fell with crash on the
keys of the piano. Don't tell It," he
cried fercely. "All the good stories
have been told, and the others are not
worth telling"
ut isn't much, and really l never
knew the truth of it, for she never
spoke of 1t to me, and 1t may all have
been a canard The world is always
yossiping about beautiful women" re-
piled Sally, who having gotten started
was not to be stopped. But Marian
was married when mere child by her
tyrannical old gentleman
with a stern sense CT parents rights
over his children, to man who might
almost have been her grandfather, and
who by all accounts did the one de-
cent act of his life when he died and
left her everything in his will. For
many years the poor child struggled
along, trying to do her duty, living a
colorless life. but not unhappy until
the other man dawned on the scene.
He is said to have been a handsome
young fellow, brilliant and sympa-
thetic, one who could give to Marian
everything she craved In companion
ship. Neither one of them dreamed OF
any danger until 1t was too late. Then,
because the man was a gentleman and
would not harm the woman he loved
he went away and Marian went back
to the dull monotony of waiting hand
and foot on her tyrant. That's the
story, as l have heard It,"
"And pretty enough story. too"
commented one of the men, "full of
the quiet tragedy that wrecks happi-
ness and blights lives"
"Shockingly improper" said Toms
wife,
Now she is free, perhaps they will
marry" said someone.
mo" said Sally. 1T seems it was
a double tragedy for the man was
bound, too. Do you know" she added
meditatively, its none of my affair,
but would give worlds to know who
the man is"
"Tom," / cried sharply, II left my
shawl in the hammock. Fetch It to
me-" and as he stumbled blindly out
into the dark he accidentally jostled
his wife's chair.
"You are SO awkward" she cried
sharply.
yes" he said DULY. 81 am always
a mess Of things"