THE COURIER
ation as common as daylight; and jet it looks curious in cold type
Without reflection, you will condemn the picture as d.storted and
untrue; but thinking it over, comparing evperiences, investigating
a little, you will c una to a realiz ition of its truth.
This is the CHiinnttim: In business matters. Mr. tlydo could
be trusted without limit. Mr. Wheeling, his employer, with whom
ho stod ii. the most confidential relations, considered him as his
i right hand, and treated him always with the utmost consideration
: and respect. He paid him a large salary, with a yearly vacation,
and took Mr. Hyde's opinion into account in making every move.
And yet, he knew his confidential clerk's escapades, and while he
did not approvo of them, really considered them as mere trifling
episodes in life, not worthy of the most serious contemplation. Mr.
Wheeling was a good man, with sons and daughters, a conscien
tious man, who would not wrong his neighbor, a cultured man,
with high ideals; he would have cut oft" his right hand if it offend
ed him. He most thoroughly dissapproved of Hyde's immoralities,
and still, thero is the wonder of it, he did not regard them as any
thing more than tritling'inaccuracies. Of cource, to do him justice,
ho did not know details, but ho did know enough bestial generali
ties to have put him on his guard, and to have awakened his inter
est in the subject to a reforming purpose.
But Mr. Wheeling did not interfere, save weakly, and his business
representative went on in his dissolute way.
This was the man sitting on the bench with Mrs. Chapman.
There was an intimacy between them, which had grown from the
day of the introduction in the hotel. Not a usual intimacy. An
idea of wrong doing had never crossed Mrs. Chapmans mind. She
Mad been accustomed to contact with the world. And she permitted
,o undue familiarity as she regarded undue familiarity. Of a cer
tain kind, she had wisdom, and she matched her wit against the
wit of a man with a confidence that is sometimes a safeguard, and
sometimes a help to destruction.
The conversation may bo interesting; hero is a sample of it; the
Italy speaking:
"I do not see what life is worth if one is to vegetate in a single
lace, with a single set of companions forever. There ought to be
"happiness for everybody; but there is none for me in the existence I
? -am now leading."
f "It is as you say, Mrs. Chapman, there is nothing worth having in
a life without variety. Women don't get a fair share of it, I must
confess. They are bound down by rules, by Mrs. Grundy, and I
dont know what besides. I am coins to take a trio to the sea-
' Ashore in a few days, I don't need an escort or a chaperone; the idea
.. of my proposing such a thing would bo extremely funny. I will go
Jf to Long Branch, to Atlantic City, and wherevor I like. I will stop
at strange hotels and meet strange people. There is no harm in it,
! but a woman couldn't do that.'
" "Xo," said Mrs. Chapman, energetically. "She could not, and
that is what I object to. You and I, for instance, couldn't make the
4 trip together, no matter how proper we were. It would make a
scandal. Why should it be fo? why shouldn't I be your comrade
on a journey, just as properly, as if I were a man?"
"I am sure," said the man, "that I would be glad to chance the
ezandal for the sake of the pleasure it would give me to have such
an agreeable companion."
J Mrs. Chapman faced him, aud for a moment he thought he had
i made a false move; but he did not know the woman well. There
i was much scorn in her answer.
"You would risk the scandal? You? You would give one of jour
1 ears to have such a scandal, and jou know it. Bis? What do you
risk? It would help your reputation such a thing. While I am in
danger, sitting Leie calmly, in a public place and talking to jou
though I might really be teachiug you your prajerrs. I; would be
a choice morsel of gossip, even to eee us sitting here."
Mr. Hyde took c mrae from this ri 1 went ano'her step.
"Y)U dispm the .; -, I !i l v Yttti'n i wrn .iii h thorn
Why not a weik or si of pur. fu 1? Why not go with mo:i tho
trip? T pledge jou my honor "
The lady interrupted: "Never mind jour honor and jour n.ths
basen tlieron. I do care f.r the gip. I um eomp died to. T'ley
will l)o inj death s mn d i Tu y vill tell iur hii'li ml a s'orv that
ho will believe, anil there m.ij b minder come from it, whde alt tin
while I am simply trying to find som amusement some relief f inn
tho treadmill grind of life."
Mr. Hyde leaned toward her, and attempted tu take her hand,
Ijing i lly in her lap. She put him aside, without surprise, without
emotion, saying bitterly:
"Honor! It isn't a part of jou. It has no plaeo in your make up
and I verilj believe no man iH)ssesses it. I have been a chum with
you for weeks. Havo been meeting you and going to places with
joy. My husband is away most of the time. I was foolish enough
to think that you would be a good fellow, and treat mo as a good
fellow. But, bah you are like the rest of that sensual, selfish, mass
called men." The last word, delivered with especial scorn, aud with
the most contemptuous emphasis.
"You must not feel that you are called upon to make an excuso
for an apologj-. I do not feel indignant toward you, especiallj'. I
feel like a woman who has found a diamond; has carried it around,
elated at being its possessor; has gloated over it in secret; has
thought herself rich with a famous jowol, and at last found that her
vaunted treasuro was cheap, cheap, valueless pasto."
"Whj Mrs. Chapman, I beg that you will not think " ho be
gan. She interrupted him.
"What I think, or what I did not think will cut no figure with
jou. You will not care, and I shall not caro that you do not caro
You imagined, perhaps, that I was in lovo with you. You are mis
taken. I have had a theory that I could bo a companion and friend,
I had allusion. You havo dispelled it, that is all. Come, it is got
ing late, let us got tho next car down town."
Mr. Hyde, crushed and crestfallen, followed her majestic lend:
"What does she mean, this woman?" ho thought.
The character of the man is plain. Tho motive of his companion
ship with the handsome wife of an absent husband does not need
elucidation.
The character of the womon seems not so easy to read. Why
should she havo had clandestine meetings with this half stranger?
She admitted to herself that gos3ip might have resulted from her
actions, and that worse than gossip might have finally befallen
Why did she tako these chances? This human comedy is in daily
representation. On a thousand stages aro the actors strutting,
only that the last 6cene is a little different, generally. At least as
men count and women write down. The number of women who
halt, and face about, having been unconventional, imprudent, fool
ish, whatever word you choose to use to describe such actions, bo
fore they fall over tho precipice, are not counted.
This woman had not entered uion a flirtation. Her innocence
and her honesty had never been in any balance. She hail no notion
for bartering them or exchanging them for anything. Toe desires
of her heart aro not tho things which are counted morally evil, but
they were for the forbidden fruit which society permits nol to be
plucked, except under conditions .idiich she had violated.
Why could she not do the thing- that men do? Why cmld she
not, gaily and ltinoc ntly, go witii me c anpanio.iship of .i truo m.i i,
not her husband, to 1j .ig Beach or elsowhere? Why tdiould she be
bound to a wheel oi o.nvntio lulity whtcu foru.ui her. an eooal
partner with he husband in a aiatiimo.iial veuture. to tin 'hr hings
which th.i" partner husoa.nl inh' d with impunity?
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