The Washington herald., 1915-01-31

rnzile and sUhispered again. But she had
given her highest.
LoVs turned aIvay; tUhle they IUaited
together in the twilight he turned GIVGy.
And though he s0as Leaving her only desc
lation and bitter memories, the SVomdn
sratched him Nth shining eyes.
AID she the right2
Fl Had Mrs. Ida Sniffen Wal
ters the right to believe her.
self the wife of Lorlys Elton
Rogers without beneft of clergy, with
no sanction Of law?
What is marriage?
Is it made Of words said by man? Or
by forces of Nature that harmonic?
Why was the price Of her happiness
disgraces, disaster, death? Why are
her babies dead; why Is her husband"
suddenly a weary, broken old man?
Is it possible that Nature requires
the words that man says to seal its
work?
A house party held seven years ago
at an old-fashioned country house in
the New York Ramapo Hills, between
Suffern and Spring Valley-with June
roses in the garden and lights and
music and the tinkle Of wine glasses and
laughter gayer than the tinkle-was the
first chapter in the psycho-sentimenta
romance that has ended in hideous trag-
edy.
LorIys Elton Rogers, lawyer. actor,
clubman, and his charming wife, Anna
Dupree Roquemore Rogers, entertained.
Members of the Players and Arts clubs
were the guests, and Arthur M. Walters,
a young Southerner, and his beautiful
wife.
Mrs. Ida sniffen Walters was the
daughter Of ''Sammie'' Sniffen, old-time
race track man. She was the striking,
exotic product of luxurious home, su-
per-education, and much travel; a soft
voiced girl with blue-black hair and
sapphire eyes. She was a bit of an ar
tist, too; her studio teas were talked Of
in the city's Bohemia.
Rogers inherited dramatic instinct
from his mother. She was Charlotte
Thompson, creator of the leading role
of East Lynne" His was the typical
stage presence; he was tall and fine;
iron gray of hair; cameo-lined OF face,
hypnotic of voice.
Before the party had progressed two
days, he and the young Mrs. Walters
were fascinated with each other. The
visit was prolonged. They read togeth-
er played Mozart and Liszt; strolled in
the moonlight, late at night. The
world seemed to fade from their vision;
they walked in a never-never land, in
the light that shone from each others
eyes.
The wife denounced them finally and
ordered Mrs Walters away. Then, to
her grief, she found that the friendship
was more than a Irritation.
"She means all of life to me-" her
husband declared.
And because Mrs. Anna Roquemore
Rogers loved him enough to wish him
happiness, she journeyed to Reno with
her little son, to ask a divorce that he
might be free.
After she had gone. Rogers was con-
stantly with Mr.. and Mrs. Walters. They
visited at his country place and attended
his entertainments in the city; Rogers
accompanied the young matron to the
theater and other places, while her hus-
band remained at home, absorbed in his
library. Their fascination for each
other grew more marked.
When Rogers Unexpectedly announced
that he was to marry Miss Caroline Gid
dings, sister of Professor Franklin Gid
dings, sociologist of Columbia Univer-
sity, and niece of Oliver Franklin Fuller,
Of Chicago, Mrs. Walters helped him Sc
lect an apartment on Riverside drive and
furnish it. The marriage took place in
October, 1909.
It made no difference in the friendship
pf Rogers and Mrs. Walters. But there
came a day, finally, when Walters said
that she must choose between him and
the other man. She looked at her hus-
band, the quiet, studious, lovable man
who had been kind to her, and thought
Of the brilliant, consuming personality
o. the other.
She chose Rogers.
Had she the right?