The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-20
DAVID DOWNING,
BY PHILIP BoURKE MARsToN.

on winch ne had not eXperlmented. he
had constructed not few for himself
The two instruments which finally van.
quished all others in his regard were the
organ and the violin. His father was 6
country clergyman, and the lad was
never so happy as when in the organ-loft
listening to the long-swelling bass note,
or the tender pleading of the fute-like
stops. Of course he was happiest when
making the music come himself. Often,
in the soft summer twilight, he would
sit there in the church playing and dream
ing. Who shall say of what his dreams
were, and who shall say how much the
mystery of love may be felt from afar. as
by the change in the air one journeying
knows himself to be in the seas neigh
borhood, though not as yet within sight
or sound of it?
There are two powers from which no
man shall escape, and they are love and
death. David was twenty-five when he
fell desperately in love with the slender.
exquisite shape, the proud, animated
face, the eyes like some blue mountain
stream which mind and sunlight surprise
together-fell in love with the beautiful
hair which sTinburne well describes
,-%heu be writes: e.;
:and her hair Lad the seas wave and the
seas gold IN It."
Fell IN love with the voice, with its sub
. tie urgency of music; fell in love with
the bright spirit, the fervent heart, which
with all the other charms have touched
on, made up the whole of Rose Cameron.
They loved in June, and felt the
witchery of long, lingering twilights,
when grass and flowers get so glad of
the dew and the moonlight. All these
were part of their love, and added to its
romance, surely.
In October they married, and they had
not been married long when troubles
came. Rose had been spoilt child. and
would brook no restraint; and her inde-
pendent ways troubled David for her
safety. He had often to 60 to town on
business, and he had objected to grow
ing intimacy between heAslf and a Ger
tain Captain Selden, whose reputation
was not of too clean nature. 1t ended
by his forbidding Selden the house. This
led to violent alteration; but worse
scene came later, when David discovered
that his young wife had been audacions-
~ taking walks with the forbidden cap
tain. Then he did lose his temper, and
spoke as if he had worse to complain of
than merely her self-will in going con-
trary to his wishes, and choosing friend
for. herself in spite of jealousy she
Mrc f,1rp RI
very white, and left the room. A trap
was at the door to take her husband to
the station. He sprang up, struck the
horse sharply, and ratified away Just in
time to catch his train.
He was unhappy all day in London.
He would have given much that Rose
had not deceived him, but he would have
given more still not so to have lost his
temper. 1t was April then, and they
had been married just half year. 1t
was cold night when he got back to
Dover, where they lived, he officiating as
organist to one of the chief churches
Throughout the day it had thurderetl
and lightened at intervals, but an easter
.ly wind had sprung up and swept the
sky clear, in which a moon, bright and
sharp-looking as scimiter, seemed to
divide the windy darkness. He heard
the roll and boom of the large spring
waves as he skirted the beach over which
he could hear some one trampling heavi-
ly. The light in his dining-room shone
cheerfully from behind closely drawn
red curtains. Rose was not in the dining
room, but on the table, addressed to him
self, lay note, in her well-known hand
writing. He broke the seal and read:
"You have insulted me so grossly that
will live with YOU no more. l have
taken with me what l need. shall 20
to friends out of England. where any at
tempt on your part to find me would be
worse than useless. You have made Inc
feel, David Downing, that I hate YOU
was your wife, but never your slave.
He read the letter over two or three
times; then he questioned the servants
but they could give him little informa-
tion. except that their mistress had gone
out with her maid in the afternoon, the
maid carrying good-sized bag and Mrs.
Downing one of the smallest dimensions.
The lady was thickly yelled, and wore a
dark-violet waterproof. The boat had
left for France about an hour ago.
Daniel Downing went down and
questioned people on the pier, but nc
one answering to the description of Mrs.
Downing had been seen. He went to
the station, but could hear nothing OF
her there. He wandered, for some time,
aimlessly about the windy streets, per.
vaded at that time by briny smell
There was sense upon him as If he had
lost her in the wind, somehow.
Then he came back and shut himself
up alone. with his fancy and his memory
of her. That chair in which she used t.
sit, was it quite-quite emptys Listen
was not that her light football on th'
floor? Was not that the soft stir of hel
dress? He was dazcd; yet in time h'
rose and went upstairs to her bedroom t.
see just what she had taken. He opened
the wardrobe. There was hanging tn
dress she had WORE only the day before
and, see, the violets she had pinned int
the bosom of it were there still. He pu
his lips to the gown which had once beer
informed with the beauty of her shape
1t broke him down. and he wcpt as onl,
strong men sore stricken can weep; bu
the tears did not avert brain fever, whicl
<,nc,,oI tho peyt f1av