St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-02
The PULSE OF A PASSION,
BY MARTHA EILEEN HoLAHAN.

morally ignored his existence DIS tlliliS
OF no consequence to him; yet Cart
sherrie was a brilliant mana shining
light of the bar. and authority on most
subjects requiring brain to unravel.
Not a handsome man in general
parlance, but man with that nameless
superior something we call "distlngue"
in his every easy move, III the very
gloomy silence upon him now.
His keen, dark eyes were bent upon
the glowing CRATE; his penthouse
brows met in one line above their SOM
Der light. Against one skiilfully mani
cured hand rested his Spartan head;
and his mouth-the most pronouncedly
pleasing feature of pleaSngly pro-
nounced face. was firmly grooyed in
thought.
A man of magnifi cent physique, whose
brain had not been developed at the eX-
pense of his muscle, or vice versa-One
would hesitate to encounter him In
mental or physical warfare. And
wisely, for his contemporaries generally
went to the wall.
Without, the night dropped its raven
wing, and worried out the day: the
wind walled its devilish, lulling dirge
and Knocked at the gamboling trees;
the snow fell keenly, cOldly aslant.
and people scurried away beneath its
bitter, battering pellets.
Home indeed seemed a pleasant place,
such home as this in particular. Inc
curtains had not been drawn. and the
gas had not been lit. SO in the daring
Shadows stalked.
Cracking with mirth, the fire CLEAN
threw out it's warm, lasciviOus arms,
aud leaped TO their gaunt embrace.
Closely locked, they circled around the
sumptuous room ad libitum-now dane
ing a mad tarantula over the velvet
lilied carpet-now lying spent in each
others arms upon a crimson couch
row rising before polished mirror
now kissing the feet of marble Venus
in gloating way to tickle the senses OF
a Sybarite.
Sybarite, sinew and soul though he
was. however, in certain ways,
Gartsherre saw them not now. The
dream in his mind grew warmer far
than this Oriental splendor. 1t quick
ened his pulse with furtive madness,
and brought to the eagle eye his adver-
saries so much feared basiliSk, will
o'-wisp glow, dangerous to its cause.
bah! what a cursed thing life is if one
cannot ever snatch its pleasures to luil
its painsH' he said aloud and scornfully.
''No, she must not CO." flinging back
his leonine head as it daring visible
demurrer. II have eaten enough Of
honor's wormwood to make my soul re-
volt against heaven won at such a cost.
Now, for veal or woe, right or wrong.
not all the seraphS OF Paradise. not all
the demons of Hades shall snatch from
my lips taste of loving's nectar!"
Uttering the blasphemy, he shrugged
doubt. That settled it. The moment
arv battle was over, and a woman's
doom forever sealed by the wax of mans
desire.
A step came lightly down the hall,
and iron-wllled though Gartsherrie was,
he started with nervous sort of dread.
.She is coming to tell what Floss al
ready has-her desire to leave,' he
thought, bitterness in his soul. "God !!
| should die without her now! And
why. We fiends of fate, should not have
her and my birthright-love? She loves
me, poor chiId-villain that | am. [
can see it proudly, though she tries to
screen her poor, dark secret. Married
for my wealth, my position. But! is
it any wonder"
There the train was broken, for the
door opened, and framed within its cary
en- oak young girl, not more than
twenty-five, with a slight form, and
beautiful, irregular riante Irish-Ameri-
can face. A face finely, but strongly,
chiseled, the sting of the night-wind
on its cheek; the flash of the night-star
II its eyes; and like the swan, the music
of death in her throat, although abe
dreamt it not.
"a moment she hesitated ON the
threshold, peering in; then-.
.Gartsherrie, cynic of all cyniclsm,
dreaming mid blent shades and shines ;
We gods!" she laughed buovantly.
s.Sans ocular proof would not have be-
lieved it. Ugh!"
With a shivering little gesture she
glided in and stood beside him, slender,
Straight and desirable, in the genial
warmth. Silent, he drew up yaWning
easy chair, but she shook her red-gold
head.
81 cannot tarry. I have been down
| to the drue store for opium. l dare
trust no one else," she said. "Mrs.
| Gartsherrie is in pain tonight" and
| still in her sealSkin coat and Gotham
cap--his Christmas gifts-she quietly
| turned to leave the room.
But she came back again, a curious
look in her eyes.
"Pardon me, but don't you think
Won are i'll and feverish-you talk sc
very much!" she said mockingly. 81
am a capital physician. let me see youl
| tonguep'
You would probably snip it off to
hang with scalp trophies i'll your wig
wan when you go West again for 'eX-
| ff-iI1 into ri I'M
sketcnes.'" he returned, with some
latent bitterness. SIS this thingI heal
true, Dulcinea%'
She tried to parry his grave question
with flimsy mocking over her emotion.
".This thing you hear'-the wind:
Bon ami. how can you ask? 1t is 6
| tickle thing. The ficklest of all tickle
things-light as"
1.-The fancy of woman" completed he
"His majesty the devil is never sc
| black as painted, however. Who knows:
| The wind might be only mourning some
| vanished might have been.'"
And he shrugged his shoulders with
that scornful trick of habit.
but you understand me?" he added
ssFloss told me Flafle had spoken very
insolently to you to-day. only wait tc
| hear from your lips that it is true tc
| discharge her instanter!"
| A crimson flush dyed the girls fail
/! face. With shame she remembered the
| substance of that 'insolence.' Heaven
| could she ever forget it? But he would
never know all the awful things she had
| Said from her!
| "Why not discharge me?" she asked,
| avoiding his piercing eyes. Her OWL
were heavy with tears. perhaps was
| - h1or,o piftop frutLc ora not q Iva y
/! insolence, and Mrs. Flaile-"
A frown not good to see beetied his
| heavy brow. Swiftly he turned, and
| would have rung the bell, but that the
| girl detained him.
"What would you do? No, no; wait. y
| she said, firmly. "There will be nc
| &c anrrit,r for ,,nrtinn r,itE Mrs EIaiip