Show A WONDERFUL WOMAN BY M nfl MAY Y AGNES FLEMING J And Captain ODonnell O'Donnell Is one of tho those o few But then If Ml Miss s ben an extraordinary woman woman wo wo- man Captain ODonnell O'Donnell Is a still stillmore stillmore stillmore more extraordinary man extraordinary extraordinary nary for his hardness and coldness coldness cold cold- ness and Impenetrability If for nothing el else e. e The spell of tho the enchantress enchant enchant- ress has at least been powerless for him Quito Quilo right Lad Lady Cecil It has been powerless perhaps as you say because I am naturally flint flinty or because because be be- cause I have lain for years under another another another an an- other spell equally fatal and the one has counteracted the other She Sho laughed laughed satirically and began playing a v itz The beau heau chasseur under a spell Impossible to imagine such a n. timing thins Who ho is the sorceress Some Somo Diamond of the Desert tomo some Pearl of or th the tho Plains Plains some lovely Araby's s daugh daugh- daughter ter tel Who ho 1 e Shall I really tell lell you OU Lady Cecil Cecil Cecil Ce Ce- cil 1 Just as you OU please the white hands h still sUIl played nimbly on Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps Per haps you ou had had better not though Love stories arc are a trite so subject so old so stupidly commonplace they bore boio me melo meto meto to lo death either cither In books bools or real life liCe And I dont don't think It Is In him your OUr nature nature na na- ture turo to have tho the disease ver very badly I hope you rou admire m my waltz waltz waltz-it it is of or orm m my own composing I call it the Rose hose waltz walt and dedicate II it to lo Miss Rose ODonnell I like it it but I liked the song I heard you ou singing as 1 I came in bet bet- ler ter ter-my my song Lady Cecil Do you OU remember the Iho last Insl time bite I sang It standing beside you ou in tho mho lit little tic parlor at al Torr glen as I stand now You pla playing and your father asleep In hl hl his chair arm arm or or was he only pretending sleep and watching us Tho Iho last time line Lady Cecil thOugh I did not nol know It She made no reply She still played play play- ed cd on the Rose waltz but bul she sho struck the Iho chords al at random I remember it il so well You were dressed In im white as you OU are now White Is your fitting filling color Lady Cecil You had wild roses In your our hair an and we wo sang together all evening and scarce scarcely spoke e a word ord You have changed since then then grown grown taller more moro womanly more amore beautiful and antI yet yet-will yet will you 1 0 be bo offended I think I liked the tho Queenie of Torr glen better better bet bet- ter ler than the Iho La Reino Blanche ol ot Captain Caplain O'Donnell's memory is good she the answered as he paused not nol looking at al him better than I ever over gave him credit for I 1 remember the evening ho he alludes to lo very well the last though I did not nol know It 11 eith- eith er cr And will he be offended If Ir I tell lell him I liked the Redmond ODonnell O'Donnell who saved sa m my life who san sang songs and who was neither blase nor cynical much better than the dashing Chasseur Chasseur Chas Chas- of sl six years ears later I fear time Improves neither of ot us I have grown Iown worldly you a cynic What will we wc be bc ten years ears hence I Iwonder I Iwonder wonder 1 I think I can er ans answer ver You will willbe willbo willbo bo be Lady Cecil TI tho st t the loveliest U the o gentlest t o of t England's o n stately matrons the time most loving of ot wives tho the most tender of or friends a pa a perfect woman perfect woman nobly planned I shall well bG-well perhaps a n Colonel of or Chas Chas- sours the highest promotion I can hope Jot for with a complexion of burnt sienna or sienna or or else occupying six feet feel of Algerian soil In either event I 1 Iam Iam am most unlikely ever to meet you again and so tonight ht before we say our final farewell I think In spite spile of or your dislike to lo love lo storIes I must tell lell you OU one Not m my own you OU think me too loo hard for an any such tenderness and anal perhaps you arc are right Let ussa us sa say a friend of mine mine mine-an an Irishman too too now now an Algerian soldier like 1110 my nn myself I self gelf Will VIII It 11 bore bOlC you OU very much lo to to listen Lad Lady Cecil I II I Go on she said faintly i I It II was wa well was well well a n. number of or years I ago when ago when m my friend was little better bet bet- ter than a hobbledehoy of or two twenty and with a head full tull of or romance and chivalry an Inflammable heart and an empty empt purse He lie had hada a long lineage an old name a ruined homestead a p. suit of ot peasants peasant's clothes and nothing else olse He lived alone alone alone-a. a dreamers dreamer's life lite full Cull of ot vague splendid hopes for the and troubled with Cr very little of ot that useful com com- common common sen sense e Ono One stormy stotmy autumn evening the Iho romance of hits his life began beJan An En English lIsh peer peel and his on only daughter au came callio to lo his neighborhood to lo reside for Cor a time lime and it chanced that thai his goo good fortune enabled him to do tho the p peers peer's ers er's daughter a service rhe They were very gracious very and showed It in many kindly ways They overlooked the time peasants peasant's dress the stupid bashfulness of or my young friend and Invited him to lo house houe to lo their table table-he he became became became be be- came the Iho English girls girl's dally daily companion compan compan- ion and friend And his brain was turned I told you oU he was a dreamer dream dream- leam er er he he knew nothing of the world and andUs Its Us cod codes s was d destitute of or c commonsense common commonsense sense and he fell madly In love with the earls earl's daughter I 1 shall not tell you how lovely ely she was at sixteen sixteen on one l lady d tho they ea say eay does doe not care to hear another praised In those days das I my I-my my fi friend lend I mean was mean poetic and two Iwo lines from ono one of or his poets pacts describes her A lovely being scarcely formed or mol molded ed A roso rose with all Its Us sweetest leaves yet et folded A oA rose with all Its sweetest leaves yet Cold folded d a pretty Idea and a correct correct cor- cor one He fell In love lo with her her I I have said she was sweet and gracious gentle and kind as kind as a fair young oun queen might bo be to lo a peasant who had done her a service ser too service too loo great not to lo lobe tobe be grateful And he he-he he he w was was- wasu as a u fool he he mistook il mistook it-mistook mistook her Will you believe it It Lad Lady Cecil CedI when I tell you ou this enthusiastic young Irish Idiot believed his hi passion returnee returned and actually deemed that for love lo of or a n raw mountain lad without a farthing in his purse she would wait until ho had won worm name and fame and fortune and become hl his wife He smiles and wonders lS at al his own Inconceivable Im- Im Imbecility when he thinks of It il now I have one thing to lo say 1 In his fa favor fa- fa vor vor-he vor he didn't tell her When hen this foolish passion of his grew too loo great for tor ono one heart to bear ho went to her lather father and made his confession conCession to him himI I 1 can cm Imagine Mow how this worldly wise peer peer this this ambitious English nobleman nobleman nobleman noble noble- man laughed In his sleeve slee an as he listened list list- ened It ened-It It wasn't worth growing serious over and In him his hig way he rather liked the lad He lie was wa wj wise c enough nough not to laugh aloud however however lf If the young Irishman had beeh a n duke duko he could not nol hava havo entertained his ma mad proposal with more gravity and courtesy courtes His daughter had been en engaged a ed from her fourteenth year ear to lo a Cornish baronet of or fabulous wealth and was to lo marr marry 4 him In a year car or two at al the most Was as It possible she had not told toh him No o that thai was strange certainly c However however How How- ever evel her wr father could speak to her herIt her her- If It her nor heart inclined her to lo Irish loIn lo love loveIn In a cottage Instead of Cornish splendor splendor splendor dor why why far far be It from him him to go between two Iwo souls with but hUl a a. single lc thought two Iwo hearts that beat beal as l. l one etc He Ile was to go tonight to tonight to come tomorrow and receive his am answer er from herself Only In the meantime this meantime this last evening he was not to broach directly or In indirectly the ten tender er subject subject sub sub- to her and tomorrow ho was religiously re- re to absent himself from their collage cottage all da day In short hort the English peer Icel dealt deall with a fool Cool according to lo hl his folly roIly My ly friend has told lold me as we lay and smoked Lady Lally Cecil with the Iho stars of or Africa shining on our bivouac bivouac- that that evening c stands out distinct from all other othel evenings s In his life liCe and will until his dying dying day Every detail etall of the picture the tho quiet wax- wax lit room room the Iho earl carl feigning sleep the better to lo watch them In his chair chair chair- the candles burning on the piano and ami illuminating her fair Cail Madonna face face face- the tho cold autumnal sleeping sleeping- on mho Iho brown broom banks of or heather heathel without with with- out the out the white dress she wore wore the the roses In her hair gathered b by his hand the the son songs s she sho sang sang time Iho sweet tremulous tender light all over the lie love lovely face It will remain with him haunt him until his heart cen ceases es to beat They have met mcl since then but hut never again like thai that that- young that young oung fresh Cresh trusting and unspotted unspoiled from the worl world Next day came They had parted without a word ho word ho had passed a sleepless nl night ht and at daybreak had ridden away true away true to lo his promise Inspirit in inspirit spirit as In letter Evening came and b ought brought i him him for for the an answer he ho hoped hoped hoped hop hop- ed he believed would bo be yes es He lie had worked himself up fever of ot loving lov lov- loIng loving ing and longing lie he flew down the thc valley to lo the casket that held his pearl of oC price What hat do you think he lie found A de descried house house house-an an empty ca cage cage cage- c- c the birds flown Tn Two 0 notes wore wOle placed ed cd In his hand by hy a servant ant who sneered at him as he gave ave them two them Iwo brief cold collI hard notes of ot that thai struck him more mote brutally than blows ono blows ono from her was lice was n en engaged ed lo to to another another It 11 was boiler batter she should go and she was always nh his friend e et cetera ce It was written In lice her handwriting handwriting hand hand- writing and signed with her hel name name- name her hel fathers father's indorsed It IL It was only what he richly deserved e ed you ed-you ou you and I can see thai that for for hi his I presumption his madness the madness the only answer that could be he given but Lad Lady Indy I Cecil men have gone mad or 01 flied died for or less In one night from an enI en en- I boy trusting boy all men men Ire h became what you OU call me me-a me a hard cold skeptic with no trust in man manno no faith In ht woman a cynic duie and a scoffer scoffer scoffer fer In a night He lIe learnt his lesson well years have gone they have nave cured him him of his folly hut but it il is a folly Colly that has never ne been repeated repealed and never neve will to lo hits his dying day lay Only when Only they meet in after afler days tie you OU thInk she sho of or all the tho women on earth should be tho the first to lo him with wilh hi his hardness his coldness his unbelief She taught him his lesson should lesson should she mind find fault If JC f he Is an apt pupil Ho paused His Isis voice had not nol risen In in tho ho low Jow servo o tone lone she sho know knew BO so BOwell soWell well h hip had hil told lila his story an nn undertone undertone un un- of or sadness and c cynicism running run- run un-I un nine ning through all aU Thera wan n n. half smile on his face faco as ns ho looked nt atimer and walt waited d for his answer Sho She started to her feet the feet the angry flush had hind long since left her face face ucc stood before him pale palo to tho line lips lipsher lipsher lips lips- her brown eyes met his full Captain ODonnell O'Donnell what stor story i is this Is il it It-is is il it- it My 1 own Lady Cecil Yes you yot OU hardly need ask the question I think Need I 1 not nol Yours And what wha letter leller is this you ou talk tall of or written by my hand and signed by my name I dont don't understand You dont don't understand A few minutes minutes min min- utes nb you ou accused me of a defective de dc- de- de memory memon But I suppose a u matter matter mat mat- ter tet of at such uch trilling Import could no not bo be expected to remain In your mem mem- or ory I r mean the letter you OU wrote wrol me rime rejecting m my presumptuous suit sul telling me of or your en engagement a ement to lo Sil SI Arthur Tregenna the night before you ou left I never wrote any such letter letters Lad Lady Cecil I never wrote an any such such such- She paused sud suddenly enl Over her face there thero rose rose n n. flush her hands clasped to together she she looked ed at him hima a sudden light breaking upon herThe herThe herThe her The note papa dictated and which he made mado me mo write she he said in a sort of or whisper per Redmond I see seo 1 It all The old name the thrill his heart gave ns as he ho heard It In Jim the tho Ih days s 's that thai were were gone gone It il had had been Hedmond Redmond Red Hed edmond ed- ed mond and always alway It It Is Js my turn lurn not nol to lo understand Will you ou explain Lad Lady Cecil I een ce certainly read mho Iho note not written and signed signed sign sign- ed eti by you I know Inow I l know now She sank ank back Into her seat seal and shaded her e eyes es mIth Ith her hand I 1 see all now Papa deceived us both bolh In Lm a broken voice In brief brier words she slue told lold him the star story of that thai role note Papa told lold mo me nothing nothing nothing Idid J I JI I did not nol know I never dreamed It 11 was wal I for rot you yo o 1 And Amid ho he hurried me away awa without a U word wOId of ot explanation or warning I 1 sec c it il all now And the Iho hard s I have been thinking of or you all these years C time the hard d things you OU must have thought of me You who saved aved my life Captain ODonnell O'Donnell ODonnell O'Donnell ODonnell ODon nell wHIr sudden en passion what whal trust must you jou have thought of me He lie smiled ag again ln Very Cly bitter bIttel timings things In lam the past Que ln ln in the tho lon long Pil past t. t Of or late lato years ears as I grew in wisdom and in grace I 1 began besan to see sec your our father Cather acted as most fathers would have acted acted acted act act- ed and anti acted right I dont don't mean to defend lie duplicity of part purl of oC it H hut at al Ica least t he avoided a scene scene scene-no no In Inconsiderable Inconsiderable inconsiderable In- In considerable gain All 11 the wl wisdom dom of or ofa ora a Solomon and all the eloquence of or a n. Demosthenes could not nol have made mo me mol l see ce m my folly ally In Iho tho proper thu Iho utter uller Impossibility of m my being ever everan an any other othet than a u fr friend lend to lo Lord nUland's nU- nU lands land's daughter I would have persIsted persIst persIst- ed cd In falling failing al at your OUI feet I In n pouring Ilo ing forth the tale of ot my madness s and |