The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-15

come on mere ana observe him you would
be almost stunned as am, by his rapid
and yet radical change. =
Fate, for all they may claim who insist
on the detached and zigzag modes of her
workings, nowsand then helps to construct
what we call drama with terrible skill.
Clyde's letter. which in ordinary circum-
stances would have summoned Thorndyke
promptly to New York, reached him but
single day before the breaking-out Of that
flung in ruin almost all there was OF
Chicago except her matchless fortitude and
thrift.
Naturally Thorndyke did not come on to
New York. Gerald, as We know, remained
for several days in mental turmoil. At
last he went to see his brother, but went
with the fixed determination to keep 81
lence regarding all that lately had passed.
Had he not deemed it far more prudent to
tell Sylvan nothing with respect to his
chemical efforts? The elixir had surely
wrought pain enough with his brother as
affairs now stood. And to inform him Of
these recent almost lurid happenings!-
wound that was already fraught with
ache?
s.If ever make Perdita my wife" Ger
aid meditated, just before he rang the bell
at his brothers door, II will Of course let
him know my intent. But more than this
he need never learn. He would hold it
gross impiety, no doubt, for me to have
thwarted what he deems the sacred laws
Of death. If Perdita never recalls her
name and her past, shall invent both for
her (why not u when she becomes actually
All of which interpretive mood plainly
betokened just that curious madness which
Clyde had endcavored to portray in the
letter he had sent Thorndyke. Poor Ger
oil II had ban ,f nj wi
that which he believed himself miracu-
lousy to have composed had proved a true
love potion, forceful as any which legend
would have us accept in its records Of the
classic or medieval philters. There are
many kinds of sane madness under the
visiting moon. His tinted the autumn air
with Elusive rose and charged his young
spirit with divine sort of inebriety that
was, after all, slight matter for surprise.
His fathers bequest had in the first place
addressed Imagination like voice at once
clarion and persuasive. Then had come
the intensity and severity Of effort and
search. Afterward, to soul fired by err
thusiasm and hope, had dawned, in fair,
palpable, feminine shape, that victory
which at times had seemed remote from his
reach as its outmost planet from the sun.
The grace and beauty of her whom he had
chosen fancifully to call Perdita were spon-
sors of passion whose birth environment
richly aided. They were like just that
needfnl stage Of twilight which lures the
inevitable star.
No sooner had Gerald met his brother
than the air grew ungenial and harsh.
Sylvan looked ill but had the manner of
one who will play insdlid no longer, cost
what it may.
II do SO hope you'll pardon my staying
away from you all this time" said Gerald.
"But the truth is have had dreadful
~<>lJ vs..x IL - Ill FL
wondered II he were not blushing at his
own desperate lie as he spoke it, land SO
have been - ~ pre-
vented from coming. But I'm glad enough
to lind you up m about. You've not left
the house since, l suppose
"Yes,p replied Sylvan, shortly, "I've
been out several times. A grim smile
i've had something to take me out /
was right as to that dAvilish Calderly
woman" And then he went on to recount
just what had been disclosed by Lucia's
aunt.
Its most unhappy thing" said
Gerald. Guiltily conscious of the GOODNESS
with which he had istened-of the alb
sorption which vetoed and blighted his
proper sympathy "And SO at last you
havA sought the aid of detectives?"
Eyes. And in way these tidings have
done me good. mean physically and
mentally both. The mind has definite
purpose to carry out, the body is spurred
into aiding it. | realize now that the
accursed manuscript our father willed to
me drove poor Lucia insane. I've no
longer shadow of ill-feeling against him.
I've nothing but pity toward her, blent
with an enormous desire to discover the
poor child's whereabouts"
II can understand that" said Gerald.
81 can understand it only too well!"
And I've one other DESIRE" pursued
Sylvan, with knit brows and almost
savage accent: ITO destroy both the
manuscript and letter"
destroy them!" exclaimed Gerald.
Eyes. Call it superstition if you will.
No doubt it is. But / want to see the
devilish papers really burned, as / once
pretended to burn them before my wife's
eyes; Then they can breed no further
trouble. Give them to me. / should have
sent to you for them this very day if you
hadn't come here. dream of them in
what sleep l am able to get-of them and
of her. Give them to me-"
He held out one hand, rising and ap-
preaching his brother. Gerald, still
seated, stared up at him for few seconds.
Then, while swiftly rejecting that he
could not remember by any possibility
the complicated and abstruse formula If
the sheets which contained it were lost,
he let nervous laugh leave his lips and
answered:
81 haven't them here. 1 don't carry
them about with me. Why should ~"
"But you'll get them-send them-bring
them perhaps; asd at once?"
Gerald bit his lip. "Not long ago." he
said, you thought it would be desecra-
ton, a blasphemy, to destroy them"
II did-yes. But think this no longer.
/ want the whole testimony of our parents
foolish endeavor swept into nothingness."
'You call it foolish endeavorl" broke
from Gerald, as he in turn rose. "You're
wrong in Enthusiastically wrong!" He
spoke with heat. though not yet in anger.
1t was in anger, however, that Sylvan
replied: Come now, Gerald. do as or
der. Get those papers immediately--be-
fore you have time to copy them, mean.
If you have them not with you, procure
them"
: This is plain speaking, upon my word,
81 mean it to be. The manuscript is
NINE"
You gave it to me" affirmed Gerald.
For o time"
sFor all time-if chose to consider it in
that light. You said nothing about my re-
turning you the envelope. You simply
placed it in my hands, and"
''Tush" broke in Sylvan. 81 was
half out of my head when l took that
course. | am sane enough now to recon-
slider it,"
pardon me, said Gerald, in his throat.
"You are not sane at all to think of de-
stroying it, and refuse to give it YOU back
for such purpose"
Sylvan scowled and clenched his hands.
Bah! you must! You must and you
shalt"
81 refuse
"Then you commit an outraged cried
f,,ll yfv II