Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-08-13
"pRoUD AS LUCITER."
BY MARTHA EILEEN uoLAHAN,

sea, Australia, Africa, yea, even Ireland
old boy-any place is safer than Sea Edg,
for you Just now. I've seen the spell
work before. The bushes of Australia
the moor Of Africa, hold no more poteni
powers to obliterate man-to the world
than The light of Sylphe Darlington
eyes. Take FOOLS advice, aud flee."
And as fitting finale to his philoso,
ply, Jack Dane ignites a fresh Hayana,
Tits back bis willow loungipg-chair to !
dangerous degree, and surveys the dark
handsome face of his companion, Wayne
Mac Kenneth, through lazy, halfs6ut,
half-smiling eyes.
But hackenneth does not smile. AT
least, not just at first. His thoughts
have been too dangerously, darkly deep
TO be put by In moment with q light
spun jest.
Flinging away his cigar, he walked to
the edge OF the rose hidden hotel balcony.
Up f1om the golden sands came the ring
OF merry mirth, the wash of the incoming
tide; but needless of 1t all, Wayne Mac.
kenneth's inverted eyes saw only tho
brooding, budding purpose in his heart,
and lest IL creep to display itself in his
gloomy eyes. he shuddered, and dared not
face hts friend.
''Of course" drawled the latter from
his tilted perch, you will stay, poor
moth; l know you will hover around the
light until By Jovep'-suddenly and
pulling his long, tawny mustache In a
curious, amused way, ''yonder comes the
light herseH."
She glided up the long, shallow eteps
"A beautiful woman with slender.
form, and an aureole of golden
hair that might well have crowned a
taint.
With kind of lazy grace, which might
nave meant Indifference, or might have
meant sarcasm, Jack Dane managed to
gain his feet and offer his chair with
low bow OF mock homage.
since, oh, queen, you have taken my
subject with a wave of his white hand
In the direction of Ma:Kenueth, take
all that is leit-my throne, and let me be
your subject too.
and passed on, trailing her black riding.
habit somewhat YEARLY up the hall. and
into her own apartments-elegant apart
ments, for Miss Darlington was not only
a great beauty. but also great heiress.
Once alone, her calm, beautiful face
became passionate and pain-wrung.
tlinglng aside her riding whip with a
moan, she locked her wee. gauntletted
hands together, and pressed them over
her throbbiug heart.
~ hardly know whether love or hate
him most" she whispered, hoarsely. al
only know that loathe myself Tint
I'm the most miserable creature alive,
lespite all the homage my filthy lucre,'
lot myself, may win. he mocks me.
lie gives me adulation with his lips. and |
ven while he speaks his eyes laugh
low meaningless they are-how utterly |
lightly he regards me. BAIL Fool, fool |
hat | am; | shall crush this out of nv |
eartl 1 must at any price, else 70
nadr
The very midst of a gay coterle down
N the beach an hour later, jack Dane
TODD silent moment, gazing out across
he RESTLESS, white-winged yachts, and
eeing only woman's face-a fair, proud
ace, with sweet, defiant lips, great
luminous gray eyes, and sun kisses upon
he velvet checks he would give the
'orld to simply touch with that tawny
1ustache he so feroaiously jerked In
bought.
lie who runs away may fight again,
w hich he may never do that's slain,' %
e quoted inaudibly. 81 shall myself
Axe a FOOLS advice aud feel There
lust be somewhere on earth where a
elbow can escape even the memory of
UGH lightp'
With which, and shrug of his broad
he turned again TO join In the
on camaraderie OF which he was the
right, particular star.
a struggling artist with fame and for
lne all in the future possIbly-it SEEM
! the irony of fate that he, who cared so
tile for women generally, should care
much f,r woman he never could
ave-to possess whom he would not
zen aspire, so he yelled his heart with
ircasm, and no ore, not even his best
lend, Wayne MacKenueth, dreamt.
hen he suddenly left Sea Edge, and
'ent back to the heat and dust of city
III, that 1t was for woman's cake.
The season was over, tho crimson,
reen and gold OF September on the void
hen he permitted himself to lay aside
5 brush, pack up his easel, and think of
painting tour through the glorious out.
lie world.
All the old scenes, since his heart had
zen scared, seemed obnoxious to him.
lie sought change and found TIA
lid, rocky, lovely spot-a spot which
ust look weird, uncanny, and grew
me few months hence, but which now,
the greenncss of the sea, the rugged I
DRY of the coast, suited him exactly.
Hero he cast his easel and painted
tinted as he had never painted before,
r the boon of forgetfulness, the occu.
tion of toll. d
He had been on the coast two weeks, I
d was beginning to think of chang ing {
enc when one day, at high noon, a ter Q
ic wind-storm set In, lashing the bay o
ry, bending the trees TO the ground and
nding the gulls wildly screaming aud
cling high o'erhead.
Snatching up his easel, Dane scram- L
I'D up the ellis, prepared TO immor-
lie the grand fury visible on every
nd. X
But, just as he had placed his easel the 4
and OF voices approaching smote his 81
r. He turned, ant-
"Hellol If that isn't MacKenneth's
Ice, I'll eat every piece paint here
err he muttered, waiting until the @
eakers, wherever they were, should
ne into view around the powders.
But within earshot they paused, as II In al
ited argument.
4 woman's understanding, rebellious
broke in across the lower one OF her A
sculine companions: NJ