Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-01-26
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not affect me in the least. And you
are merely one more victim of con-
vention--like those old women in
New YORK. 1t never has been,
therefore 1t never can be. Many
women are not able to bear chill.
dren, even IN youth"
ut is your turn to bubble. Tell
me: until you were attracted to
This young man-attracted, no
Goubt, because he was so unlike
the European Of your long expert
ence-had Won deviated from the
conclusion, arrived at many years
before, that you had had enough of
love-of sex-to satisfy any wo
man? You implied as much to me
few moments since. l know the
mental part Of you so well that
| am positive the mere thought
would have Disguised you. II you
had been starved all your life it
q would be understandable, but you
had experimental and deluded
Yourself again and again-and you
were burnt out when you came
20 Vienna to live-burnt out, not
7nly physically but spiritually.
Your imagination was as arid as a
desert without an oasis. If any
nan had made love to you then,
you would have merely turned on
him your weary disillusioned eyes,
or laughed cynically at him and
Yourself. Your keen aesthetic
sense would have been shockt d.
You were playing then an i'm.
portant and ambitious role. you
had the greatest political salon n
Nienna-in Europe-and you went
away to rest that you might con
time to play it, not that you
might feel fresh enough once more
to have liaisons like other foolish
old women. But the part you
played then was bagatele to the
one awaiting you now. With your
splendid mental gifts. your politi-
cal genius, your acquired state-
craft, your wealth, and your re-
Stored beauty, you could become
The most powerful woman in Eu-
rope. But only as my wife. Even
you are not strong enough to play
he part alone. There is too much
prejudice against women to per-
NIT you to pull more than hidden
strings. Masculine jealousy Of
Women is far more irritable in a
democracy than in a monarchy,
where women OF rank are expected
10 play a t.@c0rative-and tactful
part in policies. But if they step
Town and come into conflict with
abitious men OF the people. class
jealousy aggravates sex jealousy.
You might have a salon again and
become a power somewhat in the
old fashion, but you never would
be permitted to play great pub
lie role But as the consort CT
think the word will pass) Of the
President - or Chancellor you
could WELD almost sensational
power"
Il should probably be quite
overshadowed by YOU" she MUIR
INJURED; but she was hardly con-
scious Of speaking Her brain was
whirling
Your position would be too emf
uent for that, even if | wished it,
whicha assuredly should not. 1
value you too highly. Perhaps
am one of the few men in Europe
who admit-and believe-that, a
woman may have as powerful and
accomplished an intellect as any
man. did not appreciate your
mind as you deserved when l loved
you, but | did during those subse-
quent years in Vienna"
"ToU I!d not ask me to marry
you then-when you appreciated
me so highly You never seemed
to know whether you were talk
ing to a man or a woman when
YOU were with me. And yet l was,
POSSIBLY. more interesting psyche
logically than / had ever been"
"No man is interested in an old
woman's psychology. am not
interested in your psychology to-
day. And I did not ask you to
marry me then for a great many
reasons. I was too handicapped to
play a great role myself, you will
remember. Nor could you have
been of the same service to me
Even if your fatigued mind had
been refreshed, by yourl stay in
Hungary, you had lost the beauty
and the energy, the power Of
ardent interest in the affairs OF
state, which have now been re-
stored to you. With your rare
gifts and your renewed youth, l
repeat you have 1t in your power
to be the most famous woman in
Europe. and perhaps the most use
full. But not with a young alien
husband. Not only would you au-
tomatically revert to the status Of
an American, but the dignity
which, unlike so many women Of
your age who had been danes
galantes, you took care to impress
on the world, would be hopelessly
sacrificed. Incredible. To spend
yourself on a love affair, wantonly
to throw away an historic career,
merely because a young man has
hypnotized you into the delusion
that you may once more enjoy
the passions of youth"
"Stnnl Won chill nntIn Chn