Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-10-01
concluded from first page. !,

lin. ere she was lost in slumber. Aylucr
sat by her side watching her aspect with
theemotion proper TO man the whole
value of whose existence was involved in
the process now TO be tested. Mingled
with this nns,d. G,uweycr, was the phlio'
sophie investigation characteristic OF TIE
man OF sciesice. Not the minutest symp
tom escaped him. A heightened Hush OF
the cheek. slight IRE guiarity OF brealn.a
culver OF The eyrlid. a hardly perceptioie
{ tremor through the frame--such were the
details which, az the moments passed, ne
wrete down In his folio volume. Intense
thought had set It's stamp upon every pre-
yious page oil that volume; but the thought
of wears were AL concentrated upon the
last
While thus employed he failed not to
gaze often at the fatal hand andnot with
out a shudders Yet once, by strange
and unaccountable impulse, he pressed it
with his lips His spirit recoiled. however,
in the very act and Georgiana, out of the
midst OF her deep sleep, moved uneasily
and murmured as If in remons!rance.
Again Aylmer resumed his watch. Nor
was it without avail. The crimson hand.
which at first had been strongly visible
upon the marble paleness of Georgiana S
cheek, now grew more family outlined.
She remained not less pale than ever;
but the birthmark. with every breath that
came and went, lost somewhat OFF its form
er distinctness. Its presence had been
awful; its departure was more awful still.
Watch the stain of the rainbow fading out
of the sky; and You will know how that
mysterious symbol passed away.
by heaven it is well gone !" SAID
Ayliner To himself, in almost irrepressible
ectasy II can scarcely trace it now.
Success success and now it is like the
faintest rose color The slightest flush Of
blood across her cheek would overcome
ii. But she was so pale"
He drew aside the window curtain and
suffered the light OF natural day to fall in
to the room and rest upon her cheek. AL
the same time he heard a gross hoarse
chuckle. which he had long known as his
servant Aminadab's expression Ofdelight.
.'Ah, clod ah, earthly mass y cried
Aymer. laughing in a sort OF frenzy, "you
''you have served me WE'LL Matter and
spirit--earth and heaven have both done
their part in this Laugh, thing of the
sense! Yon have earned the right To
laugh
These Explanations broke Georgiana's
gazed into the mirror which her husband
had arranged for that purpose. A faint
smile fitted over her lips when she recog-
pized how barely perceptible was now
that crimson hand which had once b.azed
forth with such disastrous brilliancy as to
scare away all their happiness. But then
her eyes sought Aylmer's face with a
trouble and anxiety that he could by no
means account for.
my poor Aylmerr' murmured she.
'.PoorP Nay. richest, happicst. most
favored!" exclaimed he. my peerless
bride. it is successful! You are perfect !!
my poor Aylmer," she repeated, with
more than human tenderness, '.you have
aimed loftily; you have done nobly. Do
not repent that, with so high and pure "A
feeling, Yon have rejected the best the
earth could offer. Aymer, dearest Aylmer
! am dying!'
Alas! 1t was too true The fatal hand
had grappled with the mystery OF life. and
was the bond by which an angelic spirit
kept itself in union with a mortal frame.
As the last crimson tint of the birthmark
that sole token Of human imperfection
faded from her cheek, the parting breath
of the now perfect woman passed into the
atmosphere, and her soul. lingering mo-
ment near her husband, took its heaven
ward fight. Then hoarsc, chuckling
laugh was heard again Thus ever does
the gross fatality of earth exult in its in
variable triumph over the immortal es-
sence which. in this dim sphere of half de-
yelopment. demands the completeness OF
. higher state. Yet, had Aylmer reached
q prOfounder wisdom. he need not thus
have flung away the happiness which
would have woven his mortal life of the
self same texture with the celestial. The
momentary circumstance was too strong
Tor him he failed to look beyond the |
.hadowy scope OF time, and, living once
for all in eternity. to find the perfect fu-
ture in the present.-Liule Classics