The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-08-16

hung with black. The physician was
by a window, looking out upon the
court; it was full of people-poor and
many weeping. He stretched out his
hand and smiled. CT have sent for
you, madame, to say farewell, and to
ask your husband to procure passports
for my servant-he is to take me home"
"Not now," cried, "you are i'll.
Ono, not now," he said, "to-mor-
row.
had flowers for him-roses, delicate
fuchsias, and pure white lilies. He
took them eagerly, inhaled their per-
fume, fondled them, and told me the
legends of their birth
"This is my flower, he said lifting a
lily from the rest ct has returned
to u.s." He held it close against his
heart, saying softly, els it an omen of
good ~ He sat musing long time,
gazing up at the blue sky.
"Au reUOir," said, as / bent over
him, He looked up brightly:
ono; odieu."
At the door [ turned again he
waved his hand, then raised the lily to
his lips and smiled. In the morning
his servant came and gave me a packet;
it contained the manuscript l inclose.
| On the outside was written:
"Thls is the story of my life. No
one will know it but you. Adieu."
The man was weeping. His master
died in the night"
unrolled the yellow sheets. There
was no heading to the story they con-
tanned. l looked at the end: there
l q
/ come of doomed race. A curse
hung over me at my birth In conse-
quence of horrible crime committed
by one of my ancestors, the good gen
Jus of our race deserted us, and a
demon, fierce and cruel, Swallowed us
with his black wings.
The first-born child of every genera
ton was doomed, if boy, to an early
and violent death if girl, to life of
misery, Generation after generation
the curse had fallen. By water, by
fire, by the sword, the first born son
had persisted and mother wept bit
ter tears when girl was placed in her
arms. There was legend that the
curse would cease when one was found
bold enough to foil the demon then,
and then only, would the guardian OF
our race return.
There is Moorish blood in our veins.
In the third generation our remote
ancestry shows itself. Men call me
1.-the Moorish physician" True to my
instincts, l have devoted myself to the
study of eastern life. The volume of
the heavens has long been open to my
gaze. Earth's deepest mysteries have
yielded to my touch. The voices of
the deep breathe mighty secrets to my
ear, and III the war of the elements.
the flash of the lightning, the roar and
thunder of the waves, when man
shrinks back appalled,, my spirit finds
its wings.
! | was the second son. My brother
Twas assassinated by an unseen hand.
Returned to my home aud plunged
deeper and deeper into the abstruse
studies l delighted in. Why could
they not suffice Alas, Iloved. All,
fatal power. When we willed it, our
love must be returned As / knelt be-
lore the altar, / looked upon the fair
creature who had yielded her pure
heart to nae, as the priest may look on
the victim at whose throat he holds
the knife. l was pressing the cup of
anguish to those ruby lips; those
sweet eyes would soon overflow with
bitter tears. And vet, mailman, as [
was, with eager haste L clasped the
fair blossom closes to my heart, know
ing that my fatal grasp must blight its
bloom forever.
For one short year, earth's fairest
hues spread out before me and then.
IN darkness and in tempest, our child
was born. There were vague mutter-
lngs In the air as [ took my infant
daughter in my arms. Do you wonder
that l could not answer back her moth
er's happy smile? Ny rose and its
sweet bud grew day by day in lowell
ness. | suffered tortures. Oh, that
she might be taken before her gentle
heart should bleed for the sufferings of
her child
Years passed. She began to fade
my beautiful flower. / watched her
aDxiously. The wind and the wave
saw my sorrow; they reveal no secrets.
Her sweet life ebbed so slowly-would
it be too late2 With a sigh of thank
fulness / closed her beautiful eyes.
| wandered from land to land, taking
my child with me. L watched her
every step. In agony | waited the
time when the doom of our dark race
should fall on her innocent heart In
Madrid Spanish nobleman saw her.
Her beauty charmed him. Rumors of
my wealth had reached his ears Art.
fully, selfishly, he wove his chains
around her. How l hated him From
the first l knew him. The woe was
ever worked by human hand and as
[ watched the baleful light in his hard
eyes-the close pressure of his thin,
cruel hps-I CRASHED my teeth in i'm
potent fury. My darling can you not
see how that strong, fierce hand will
crush all the sweetness out of your
fresh, young life2 And she loved him.
He would turn to me with a smile of
scornful triumph when her innocent
eyes told him this. Madly jealous, if
she displeased him he would cast cold,
hard look upon her, whispering harsh,
cutting words of anger, till she paled
and trembled, lifting pleading eyes to
his. And / was powerless .
/ took her home. The Spaniard fol-
lowed us. Our German winter chilled
him, but he persevered. The spring
came. Step by step he was forcing
me back. In vain | nightly lifted de-
spairing eyes to the proud stars they
smiled down coldly on me, but no voice
came.
Again l read the molderine parch-
ment which recorded the dire curse,
and the mysterious words of prophecy
regarding it's fulfillment. BY fasting
and watching [ strove to read their