Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1891-01-09


place Of faded hangings, old
fashioned and tasteless bric-a-brac,
paintings insipid in their furnished
frames and books that ech .ed the
fancy ana opinion of dead genera
tion-i'avorless as Yesterdays news.
He has reached his uncle's door.
There nc produces a dark lantern from
under his cloak. Drawing up the
slide fora moment he flashes the cone
OF ligh' over the hall aud up the stair
case II lights up for a moment
oaken Walnseoting, crowded hat-rack,
the antlers overhead, and the statue
Of Cupid pallid as ghost, and then
falls on the staircase. As it does so
he snaps down the slide and all is dark
again.
Yes, all is dark and quiet. There
is no witness to his crime.
What would she say or think if she
saw him covering and crouching at
his unele's door? The thought of her
rises like phantom in his mind, she
is all IN white, yet calm, resolute and
beautiful-an angel in contrast with
the Inferno Of his own troubled
Thoughts, and yet it deepens his reso-
luton. lie is the martyr seeing the
martyrs crown, the soldier with the
reward of his valor before his- eyes.
In her purity, her strength, her peace,
1t seems to him he would find an es-
cape even from the torture and shame
of his guilty mind. lie would battle
himself in her presence as in a food of
cleansing water, a second baptism.
Her smile, her trustfulness, the music
of he's voice would be heaven in
which be might bask and rest, and
forget his fraud-yes, even his blood
outlines.
He turns the handle of the doc,
quietly gradually, and enters. A del
icate scent as from the folds of silker
garments strikes his senses. But h,
does not hear single rustic from hi.
unclc's bed, Tie. old man sleep.
indeed
Thep he draws up the Slide Of hif
lanterl.
So Violently, with such trcmblins
agitatik does he close it again, th'
instanf after, that the wholsn ntling
falls gathering to the ground, aut
Paul turns and rushes through lh'
rooms
WIN las lie seen 70 overcome M
K wsklaii, Tai1 al aI1s suppTs Is
Greek, stern-eycd as Clytemnestra an
twenty times as fair, with black hal
and marble arms, eyes of fringe
violct--how often had he dotted o
theml How often had he felt hi
heart swell with pity, with admire
ton, with unspeakable love, as tn
soft voice tremulously demonstrate
with him.
"We must be patient, Paul. :
And now this saint of his life, thi
virgin flower of women, this one VIII
was to be the salt aud salve TO his sac
wounded, outraged and rebellion
heart-thcre she stands, her righ
hand under the pillow of the uneor
scious sleeper, her left armed to strik
him down. if he awake.
Paul passed stealthily into the gan
den again. lie went with bound
across the parterrc, fiercelv tramplin
the flowers and borders; cursin
meanwhile, in his heart, with bite
rage and execration the angel, To-
sooth! who was thief aud murdcres'
Then he laughed wild tremblin
laugh such as only grief that border
on frenzy finds utterance in.
That night as he sat till dawn undo
the moaning poplars, and over an
over again repeated to his mind Il
hideous incidents that he half believe
to be dream, love turned to hate,
fuel to ashes, as flower TO the bloot
red poison.
at was for love of me- he mu
INJURED ''for love of me-ah. tn t
the blow that cuts the deepest; Il
why? that love of hers is loathson
to me-"