Omaha daily bee., 1919-07-16
THE
WOMAN IN BLACK
By EDMUND CLERIHEW BENTLEY

- He could see through any
thing, | think, once his attention
was turned to it, He had always
been able to see that | was not full
filling his idea of me as a figure in
the social world, and | suppose he
thought it was my misfortune rather
than my fault. But the moment he
began to see, in spite of my pre-
tending, that l wasn't playing my
part with any spirit, he knew the
whole story; he OWNED how |
loathed and was weary of the luxury
and the brilliancy and the masses
of money just because of the people
who lived among then1-who were
made so by them, suppose.
1t happaned last year. l
don't know just how or when. 1t
may have been suggester to him
by some woman-for they all under
stood, of course. He said nothing
to me, and | think he tried not to
change in his manner to me at first;
but such things hurt-and it was
working in both of us. | knew that
he knew. After time we were just
being polite and considerate to each
other. Before he found me out we
had been on footing of-how can
| express it to you?-of intelligent
companionship, might say. We
talked without restraint of many
things of the kind we could agree or
disagree about without its going
very deep if you under
stand. And then that came to an
end. l felt that the only possible
basis of our living in each others
company was going under my teet.
And at last it was gone.
at had been like that" she ended
simply, for months before he died"
She sank into the corner of sofa
by the window, as though relaxing
her body after an effort. For few
minutes both were silent. Trent was
hastily sorting out tangle OF i'm
pressions. He was amazed at the
frankness of Mrs. Manderson's story.
He was amazed at the vigorous ex-
pressiveness in her telling of it. In
this vivid being, carried away by an
impulse to speak, talking with her
whole personality, he had seen the
real woman in temper Of activity.
as he had already seen the real
woman by chance in a temper of
reverie and unguarded emotion. In
both she was very unlike the pale,
self-disciplined creature of majesty
that she had been to the world.
NI,th +t,ot nf hic u,ant
something like terror of her dark
beauty, with excitement kindled into
an appearance scarcely mortal in
his eyes. anonymously there rush
ed into his mind, occupied as it was
with the affair of the moment, a lit
tie knot of ideas she was
unique not because of her beauty
but because Of its being united with
intensity of nature; in England all
the verv beautiful women were
placid, all the fiery women seemed
to have burnt up the best of their
beauty; that was why no beautiful
woman had ever cast this sort OF
spell on him\before; when it was
question of wit in women he had
preferred the brighter flame to the
duller, without much regarding the
lamp. "All this is very disputable,"
said his reason; and instinct an
swered, "Yes-except that | am un-
der spell"; and deeper instinct
cried out, away with it'll! He
forced his mind back to her story,
and found growing swiftly in him
an irrepressible conviction. 1t was all
very fire; but it would not do.
81 feel as if I had led you into
saying more than you meant to say,
or than l wanted to learn" he said
slowly. "But there is one brutal
question which is the whole point
of my inquiry He braced his
frame like on preparing for plunge
into cold waters. Mrs. Henderson,
will you assure me that your hus-
bands change toward you had moth
ing to do with John Narrower"
And what he had dreaded came.
"Ohr she cried with sound of
anguish, her face thrown up and
open hands stretched out as if for
pity; and then the hands covered the
burning face, and she flung herself
aside among the cushions at her