The sun., 1915-05-29

terized Johns invitation AZ "a rip
ping idea" keturah had what may
he called a mellow beauty. The story
says that though she had lost the
shapeliness OF youth. yet strength Of
muscle. well nourished skin. snappy
bright eyes and lovely. generous lips
made her appear younger than her
years. Also she had strong and capa-
Bile and faultlessly manicured hands.
as could be seen whom she grasped
her expensive and capacious pigskin
bag" Admiring whispers rewarded
the handsome appearance of John as
he followed the ladies' into the tea
room: he heard them and was pleased.
Keturah looked az him with apprecia-
ton when he was giving his order TO
the waiter. Also it may he read OF
John a little further along that he
threw back his head with a low.
vibrant laugh that attracted the ad-
miratlon OF a group OF society women
at a neighboring tea table"
This was after Keturah had told
the story of Joe and the engagement
ring. The ring was tighter on Ketu-
rah's finger now than II was when
Joe had given It to her twenty years
before. Joe and l were engaged,
Mr.. Allison, but he died before we
were married. This is my engagement
ring" The ring was made in the
semblance OF rose; Joe had called
Keturah his white rose. After the
death Of Joe. Keturah had left home.
She did this in spite OF conventional
~ do
IT, Now, in the Plaza Hotel tea room
she said: MY dear Sarah. the world
has shrieked don't since the begin
ming of time. and answer back do
We lived very negative lives as girls.
/ couldn't have stood the repression
and monotony after Joe's death.
had to break away to save myself from
going under. Had ] stayed I'd have
gone insane" Keturah also said that
no bond on earth should be so strong
as 10 rob us Of our ego.
John Allison was deeply interested:
40 deeply that something happened
that must be held 20 be quite remarka-
bic. Johns eyes sought Keturah's;
the tea room faded our OF his con-
sciousness; he forgot Sarah and the
society ladies at the other table. His
soul sent a silent message to the COM
peling woman who had loved Joe.
The message said in part: Having
looked into your eyes | shall never
be tho same being was before. l
have found you. have found you a.
last. oh. my other body, my other
SOUL como to me-" Keturah asked
a question:: Are you married."
John bowed his guilty head. Keturah's
return message was also conveyed In
a glance. II was compassionate and
tender. but John was torn by Il. ut
broke down the rusty hinges OF long
locked doors in secret chambers OF
his brain. 1t searched every crevice
and Granny, shrieking q roll call Of
forgotten names. pointing accusing
fingers at this one and this one and
that. ripping up records of shame
until John Allison. begging for mercy.
mentally threw himself on his knees
before Keturah to kiss ohe hem of her
gown" The whole matter was purely
psychic: It transacted itself in
glance and in an instant: Sarah, who
was attending 10 her tea, never
noticed II.
Sarah described her friend Agnes
Jannicky as an ego submerged in mar
riage. The story says OF Sarah that
the desire OF her soul TO be itself. re-
awakened by Allison. fought against
a lifetime OF ego suppression until
tho ego, suddenly liberated by break
ing tissue" rioted and fiayed her mer-
cilessly. The madness and death of
Sarah are pathetically described. She
left her journal to Allison, who on his
way back 10 his family in England
read II through once. again and again
to stamp memory indelibly. then
weighted It reverently. wrapped 1t
carefully and after midnight stole out
unseen 10 lower Il into fathomless
waters that would wash away the
blurs made by his tears on pages writ
ten in blood" John thought OF this
tragedy as Victor Hugo did OF certain
other piuful cases: he considered it
tho work Of society. He was with the
feminists in their nght against ira
dition.