The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1914-04-04

oPOsN>A' ~ one tlSPF
Il wouldn't put that pas' Ackerma,
when he's drunk If he'd talk 10 me
he would to others, And YOU know
perfectly well thai when talk begins
about woman, it never stops"
NO. that is the cruel part OF it"
her voice trembled just enough, her
eyes became just sufficiently and dis
creetly moist; she choked a little. lust
sufficiently
1T is cruel" she said, with ma.
thetic little sigh, but the hand of ey
cry man seems to be against woman
Did you ever stop to think. Mr.. Rawu,
how helpless, how hopeless, we really
are. we women"
He hung himself closer upon the
couch beside her his face troubled, as
she went on with her gentle protest
All my life I've done right as near
| ly as ! knew, Mr. Rawn Perhaps |
was wrong in coming to trust so much
to you-to depend on you so much. Ii
all seemed SO natural, that I've lust
let matters 20 on. almost without any
thought I've only been anxious 10
do my work-that was all. But t.iis
| -ihSi Vain dbOut uS-Well-lt can haze
but one end, | must GO"
| GO? Leave me? You'll do nothing
OF the sort. III take care of this thing
myself, say-lll stand between you
and all that sort OF talk"
| Mr.. RaWn. | don't understand YOU"
| Ihey sat close together on this bro.
caded couch among many other bro,
caded couches. Crystal and color and
| gilt and ivory were all about them;
pictures. works of art in bronze and
marble and costly porcelains. The air
was heavy with fragrance. dripping
with soft melody and music. She was
beautiful beautiful young woman
He caught one glance into her wide,
pathetic eyes ere she turned and bent
her head. He caught the fragrance OF
her hair-that strange fragrance of a
woman's hair. Detected dropping as
she sat, her hands clasped loosely in
her lap he could see the bent column
| of her beautiful white neck. the curve
OF her beautiful shoulders. white, flaw.
less.
The flower on her bosom rose and
fell in her emotion. She was wom-
an. She was beautiful. She was
young. Something subtle, powerful
mysterious, stole into the air.
She was woman.
Suddenly this thought came to John
Rawn like a sudden blow in the face
1t came in a sense hitherto unknown
to him in all his life. Now he under
| stood what life might be- saw what de-
light might be! He saw now that all
along lie had admired this girl and
only been unconscious OF his admira-
ton. God, what had he lost. all these
years He, John Rawn. had lived all
these years. and had not loved!
He reached out timidly and touched
her round. white arm, to attract her
attention She flinched from him a
trife and he also from her Fire ran
through her veins as from a cup of
wine heady and strong. He was a
boy. young man discovering life.
The glory of life. the reason, had been
here all this time and he had not sus-
pected it. What deed for pity had been
wrought! He, John Rawn. never be-
fore had known what love might be,
He was the last man on Manhattan to
20 mad over Virginia Delaware.
She drew back from him. seeing the
flush upon his face. color rising to her
own. Indeed the power of the man,
his sudden, vast passion, were not lost
upon her different as he was from the
idol of young girls dreams But Vir-
slnia Delaware saw more than the
physical image Of this man beside her
She knew what he had to share. what
power, what wealth, what station She
knew well enough what John Rawn
could do: and she gagged her own value
to him by the flush on his face, the
| glitter in his eye.
| For one moment she paused. For
one moment heredity. the way OF her
own people. had its way For one
moment she saw another face. differ
/ ent from this flushed and corded one
| bent near. 1t was for but moment:
| then ambition once more took charge
OF her soul and her body alike.