A Duologue

This is uot a "problom story." Neither does it discuss the advantages j or disadvautages oí haviiig "uow womea" in our midst. It is a true tale. And it coucerns a good man and a bad womaii. They would never have met if the Loudou county council had come into existeiice a lew years earlier than it did, because ho saw her at the Empire. The exact date was Aug. 25, aud it was a very bot nisht. The curtain had fallen on the last soene of tha ballet. The man rose from bis seat and walked across the promenade toward the bar. He passed suveral wornen, but he did not pass her. He had no intention of stopping, still less of speaking. Yet, when he saw her, ho stopped, and when she stopped he spoke. I do not remeiuber what he said. They sat down together at a little table. A waiter brought them a cup oi blaok coffee and a whisky and soda. Ho drauk the coffee. They talked, btit again I oannot remember what they said. A inan on the stage sang a comic soug. A wotuan 011 the promenade fainted and was carried away. Then she said, "Well, are yon coming?" "No, " he replied. "I don 't know why I stopped or why I spoke to yon. I am not 'one of the crowd' here. I am not a performer in tb a 'Comedy oi Life.' I am only an onlooker. " She stared at him. "Then why" "I have told you I do not know. Perhaps I thought you looked ont oi place - here. ' ' "I have been here every evening foi 1 3 months. I ought not to look 'out oi place.' " "Why did yon come?" "Do yon expect me to answer that qnestion in this building, surroundad by these people?" "I am sorry. Of conrsenot. It would resem ble a performance by 'The Independent Theater society, ' I suppose?" "I had better go, then, if you de not"- "No; stay and talk. Are yon happy?" "Hardly. " "Are yon miserable?" "I am not sure. " "Did you ever love anything?" "Yes." "What?" "Life- the trees and fields; the wild moorlands; the sea; the birds that sing in tlio lieiigerows; tiio cattle in the fields; the borses and rlogs at the farms Ves, I loved life. I loved to feel tho wind blowing in my face; I loved to emell the scent of the heater; I loved to hear the song of the niountain streams. Ha, ha! I'm almost poetic! I'm" - "Go on. " "Tbat is all. Did you ev"er love anything?" "Yes." wnor "No one - I mean ouly a dog " "Oh!" , "Bnt he is dead. " "Of course. " "Why 'of conrse?' " "Because you loved him. " The man lit acigarette. "Do yon be lieve íd heaven?" "No; ii 1 did, I should have been dead long ago. I am afraid to die be cause I doa't know what comes afte death. I so long tor- for peace- fo sometliing else- something beautiful- something to love. Do uot laugh. " "You are not a bad woinan " "Yes, Iam." "Then you ought not to have been one. ' ' "True. That is the crnel part of it. ' They watched the men and women promenading before thena. Then the woruan said, "It is a strauge world. " The man did not auswer. He was thinking. She continned: "You are a strange person. Where do you live? What do you do? How do you amuse yourself?" "Oh, I live alone, quite alone, now iny dog is daad. I watch people. I listen to what they say, and- I think. " "What do yon think?" "I thmk tiiat when he - whoever 'he' is - created men and women he ought to have mado thein altogether gods or altogüther animáis. No one in the world is liappy, beeausa no oue is ever certain whother he- or she- shonld live for the 'real' or for the 'ideal.' And therefore men deoided to seek for both, to be sometimos good and sometinjes bad, to play at being gods once a week and be;ists twice a week - in fact, to live for the 'real' Qy2 days out of the 7. And someofns, yon know, oannot, asthesaying goes, 'do things by halves. ' We raust be wholly one thing or the other. There is only the 'good' or 'bad. ' There Í3 no 'mediocre' for some of us. So we leave tbe choioe to fate, and when fate has chosen for us tbe world rises and either crowns nswith the laurel wreat' or paints us with colors from the devil' palate. The world is so blind it canuot isee that really we had no choice in the matter. I thiuk soruetinies fate niakes a mistake. She grows weary sometimes and gives the 'good' where she ought to have givon the 'bad.' " "She made a mistake whea she chose for me. Say she made a mistake- please. " "She made a mistake. I knew it the moment I saw your face. Yon were iutended to show men the path to heaven. " "And I have only shown them the road to" - "Hush. Come with me. Come home with me and rest. I live alone. I have never dono any good in the world. 1 have nover loved any one or helped any one. I ata 'a good man. ' It is not my fault. I was meant for 'a bad. ' But as fate made a mistake yon can trust ine. I will try to help you. I will try to make life beantiful for you. I will take you where the sea muruiurs among the rocks, where the wind blows the scent of heather across the great wild moors. Come with me" - The wornan rose and gazed at the man with large, dreamy eves. "What do yon mean?" 'I an going to make life beantiful and peaceíul and pure - for yon. " "Leave off dreaming, " she whispered sharpJy. "Awake! Do yon know where yon aro? Do you see the sort of peoplo who surround us? This is no place for drearus! It is time to go good night. See here- yon have spoken stranfjeiy to me - you nannot uuderstand wbat it me.ms for a woman - like me to hear a man - li!;ii you - speak as yon have spoken. MyGod! Why didn't I meet yon before?" He laughed. "Because fate made a mistake. " "Listen! You are a good man. Per haps you veon't be one always - never mind the music - listen! Wben I'm dead, tel] the world what you have told me. Yes, I know- it's nothing. That may be so, but teil them what happen ed tonight and what I said. You aro a good man, and yon will do some good in the world, because good men are rare. Do as I've said, and yon'21 help us women. Goodby. You don 't know what yon've done forme tonicht. what I faal - goodby! Wben I'rn dead- -don't forget. Oh, lama fooi to"- The orchestra was playing "God Save the Queen, " and the woman disappeared into the crowd. The man watched the electric lights go out. He lit a cigarette. Then some one told him it was time to leave the building. He ran out qnickly into the street and searohed for her, but she oould not be found. And all this happenod some time ago, as I have said, and it is all quite true. And the man has not forgotten his proimse. -