The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-22


that it was inaudible even in the unbroker
stiIlDess of the room; his hands were
stretched out motionless and inert by hi
side; his eyes half closed, as if it were too
much Of an effort to raise the lids higher. An
insufferable lassitude brooded over his face and
form.
For more than a month Percival Warrnel
had been in this lifeless condition, almost
without motion and apparently without ths
will to move. 1t seemed if his power of wolf
ton was weakening day by day, and with it the
incentive to action. His alarmed mother had
called physician after physician, but each il
turn was compelled to confess his inability &c
diagnose this singular case The mechanism oil
the body was in perfect order but the vital fires
were gradually dying out What was extIn
yuishing them they could not tell.
The door opened softly and Mrs. Warmer
came in. followed by odd-looking. dark-faced
old man. She was about TO speak and present
him 20 her son, when the old gentleman caught
her by the arm and touched his lips warn
ing to be silent. Then he nodded to her to
leave the room, and stepping noiseless across
the floor eat down near the windows.
Percival Warmer opened his eyes feebly and
glanced at the stranger The sight was SO I'M
expected and remarkable that he looked again,
and then found he could scarcely takes his eyes
from that strange figure.
DIR. Pandu RamayaDa must have been per-
petually astounded at his own grotesqueness.
His sunburnt face, the color of old oak q
smoky portrait resembed a damp parchment
stretched on a deaths head, while above the
bald Uranium of bis enormous skull was polished
and white as ivory. This face, wrinkled with
age and worn with vieils, marked in lines more
closely pressed thar the pages Of book, was
Illuminated by two orbs of turquoise blue, in
conceivably limpid, fresh and youthful They
cleaned like two blue stars, and made one sus
poet that, aided by some Brahmanic sorcery, he
had stolen the eyes of a child and transplanted
them to his own cadaverous visage. His clothes
hung on him in perpendicular folds as if sus-
pended from peg, and when seated they were
broken into sharp angles by his limbs. The
scorching sun of India could not have been the
only cause of this phenomenal emaciation.
AS he sat with his back to the window the old
physicians face was in shadow but the top of
his head, round and polished as huge ostrich
egg, caught and reflected the Hight from behind
him, and Percival Warmer could discern the
scintillation of his singular blue eyes, endowed
with phosphorescent glimmer
''Well, SIR" said the old Hindoo. after few
minutes of silence and scrutiny, yours is not
case Of every day pathology. You have none
of the well-known symptoms of catalogued mala-
dies. 1 shall not writel you pre- scription
leave any medicines"
Percival smiled family as if to thank the ply
sician for sparing him useless and dsagreeable
remedies.
But resumed DR.. Ramayans, at does not
follow because you have neither consumption,
nor softening of the brain, nor other ordinary
human ailments, that you are in good health.
Give me your hand"
Into his yellow paw, OF which the bony fin
gers resembled the claws of a crab, DR.. Rama
yana took the moist vened hand of the young
man. but instead of feeling with his thumb for
that uneven pulsation which indicates that the
bodily machinery is out of order, he began TO
press and knead 1t. as If to put himself into
magnetic commu nication with his patient. For
, moment the blood receded from Percival's
temples. and it seemed as if the physicians
pressure was subtracting his very soul.
my dear sir" said DR.. Ramayans, as he
dropped the hand, your condition is graver
than you think. You have lost the will to live;
your soul is insensiblv slipping from your body.
1t is high time / was summoned, for your spirit
holds to your body merely by thread; we will
&c AXE good, strong knot of it, however" The
Doctor rubbed his hands blithesomely, with a
smile that sent the wrinkles eddying through
the thousand lines Of his weather beaten face
Then long silence ensued. Percival sank
back upon the pillows of the divan with a sigh
rs IL in despair that the doctor had told him
nothing but what he knew before AS he lay
there he felt the phosphorescent eyes of the old
upon him; they seemed to burn into his
passed. the clock on the mantel struck one low
melodious note for the half hour. The piercing
scorchIng glance of the physician grew more in
tense and torturing. AT last Percival turned
towards him with faint appealing gesture.
Yes" said DR.. Ramayana, before Warmer
could speak, IL have penetrated your secrets In
your dull eyes, in the listless attitude of your
body, in the Iifeless tones of your voice read,
IS plainly as if they were stamped in gold letters
on a morocco binding, the title of one of Shak-
5psare's plsys-Love's Labor Lost"
Percival did not answer but slight blush
redeemed his pale cheek, and he toyed nervously
with the tassel of the eirdle of his dressing coat.
The physician crossed his legs and gazed at him
With soft and at the same time imperioaS look
n his blue eyes
Come, come" said Ramayana, s'confde in
ne. would he the physician of your soul, but
must have a complete confession"
WELL" replied Warmer, at last, ''you have
guessed the main point. Do not expect anything
singular or romantic. Really, am ashamed to
who has lived in the most fabulous and chimeri-
al of countries"
"It is only the commonplace that is extraor-
linary to me" said the physician with a smile.
Yes, Doctor" said Warmer, after a pause,
love is killing me. / am losing my ego; it is
clipping away like iwater through a sieve. And
| care not
"Well, to come to the point. Several years ago
spent happy summer at Newport. One day
! magnificent open carriage made it's appearance |
or the first time on the avenue, and in it a |
womaD of incompatible beauty. She was dark, |
Southern. glorious. with lustrous black hair, |
md languorous. radiant eyes. This is |
description, but if L would, l could bring |
before your eyes every feature, every grace. |
very charming personal touch In drapery and |
costume. 1 learned that she was the wife of |
spanish gentleman of high rank, great wealth |
Hnr nj 1nna ruhsNh had ed chi
fter the restoration Of the monarchy in Spain. |
His name was Novarez. He had leased for the |
ummer a handsome cottage / thunder |
truck when ] found this beautiful woman was |
ready wife. But the passion that filed my |
seart urged me At last / made her ac- |
uaintance / found Signora Novarez as /
in conversation as she was |
q appearance. Her presence, too, seemed to
rouse aud enliven my own mental activity. / |
cit that was hardly myself when talking to
er was more ready, brilliant and witty than I
had dreamed / could be. This fact seemed TO |
ccount for the excellent impression made on
'ignora Novarez and her husband. soon be-