The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-08-21

| of Alice-and of destlnyl
David stepped lightly and steadily to the
bedside. He raised his hands with down
ward palms and made certain passes. He
stroked the fair brow, and the great gray
eyes unveiled, but there was neither recog-
milton nor memory in their aspect; naught
save dull fascination. His own black
orbs glowed in intense contrast to the
moonlight as be concentrated his powers.
His hands moved more rapidly, from the
finger tips came sparks. The eyelids grew
heavy and dropped and fell. David bent
low and breathed into the nostrils.
He drew away slowly, weaving gradually
lessening spells, until as he stood upright
his hands formed an arch over her head.
Then he felt the virtue passing from him.
He knew that what he had willed had al
ready worked its mission on that uncon-
scious soul. His hands fell to his side. For
moment he waited and watched. Again
Alice was sleeping, lulled by the wings of
Truth. Pleasantly, too she was dreaming,
for she now smiles and murmurs as She
smiles. He listened, like one expeetant at
the cave of the sibyl, and an exultant joy
leaped within him. for from the sweet lips
came the words, David, dear Davidfp
And David, as proud rs Prometheus after
he had fllched tho fire from heaven. stole
through the moonlit corridors and up the
broad stairway to his room, and again
noiselessly paced the floor with slippered
feet. lie could not sleep; who could, in
deed, whose blood was aglow and flesh
a-tingle with supernatural ecstasyS He
longed for the morrow with an impatience
that seemed mighty enough to dismiss the
stars and irradiate the east. Yet WHY
should he be impatient when he could for.
see just what would happen2 He saw him
self entering the breakfast room. Even his
guardian and his dear old wife would start
in unconscious admiration of that majesty
which must surround one of the illumi-
mated.
He saw Paul eying him uneasily, as IL
recognizing change, yet unable to analyze
it. All, it takes knight to detect the gold
en- gleam of spurs hid within knightly
breastl lie saw Alice approach. Where
now was the frank, careless association of
yore? Gone with the laughter of childhood.
and in its stead ruled maidenly shyness
more potent than speech. He saw their in
evitable meeting alone-he brave, vet ten
der; she timid, yet tender too. lie heard
his impassioned speech, her faint but feryid
response. He felt the pressure of soft arms
around his neck, of lips clinging to his lfps.
Oh, vision of ever increasing bliss He was
beloved, he loved.
A cold tremor caught David as he real.
ments when he had paused by Alice,s bed.
side, abashed by the power of her lowell.
ness had availed more than his entire past.
His dreams of ambition, of conquest. of
success, conditioned on his union to her.
were now shrveled into nothingness by the
radiance of that revelation. All his faculties
seemed meager, all his spells Intellectual.
and he himself, who was to have been the
master, now appreciated that he would
willingly serve as slave. And he compre-
hended also the danger Of this new emotion
and strove to reinstate the sway of his in
tellect and to restore the bounds of his
Judgment. But in vain.
He could no longer reason. The memory
of that dainty room, with its silvery illumi-
nation, of that fair form begirt with pur.
ity like nimbus, enthralled him. He had
invaded heaven. What If the knowledge
of its glories should paralyze his strength?
What If in conquering he was vanquished9
Too well he remembered the remorseless,
absolute secret and condition of his power
self subsection. Was that self subjected,
when it now seemed n necessity of seeing
Alice, to fall down and to kiss her feetS
Alas for the attainments Of scientific
research, at touch of nature they re-
coiled in confusionl But few hours since
David had yaunted himself as more than a
man. He now tremblingly admitted he
was less than a boy. A false modestv
seized upon him, and the fluent words
which he had imagined he would utter
acquired the difficulties of an unknown
tongue. And So torn by passions alien to
his education and hence the more terrific.
he awaited the morning with far more OF
the uncertain dread of the condemned than
the confident bearing of the victor
1t was late when David entered the break.
fast room. The family had already gathered
around the board. He stammered Good
morning." which even to himself sounded
laughably different from his ordinary crisp
greeting.
why, David" cried dear old Mrs. Brown.
ing as she handed his coffee to him, ~ fear
you've had bad night, you look SO pale, so |
distressed -
From his entrance David's eyes had been
set on Alice, not with the fiery force of the |
night, but inquiringly, beseechingly She |
certainly had glanced for one thrilling in
stant shyly, curiously, unwontedly toward |
him, but evidently what she had seen was |
not what she vaguely anticipated and per-
haps feared, for after that instant she had
shrugged her pretty shoulders as If dis.
missing an idle thought, and aceosted
him with the calm familiarity OF their inti-
macy.
He felt his cheeks flush, strange phe-
nomenon which in his normal condition he
would have striven Immediately to dag
nose.
'Oh, IT'S nothing" he faltered, and
dropped the cup.
THAT cup is nothing, surely" said Amos
Browning jestingly.
"Palc" repeated Paul. "Yes, II the
jaundice is the scarlet fever" And then
he laughed, and Alice Joined with him, as
merrily as innocently as the bird had
chirped at the moonlight in her room.
''Never mind, David,n said the dear old
lady, and David felt that irritating, burn
ing self consciousness that overwhelms
those who are unfortunate enough to be
told mot TO mind"
Come, Alice" cried Paul, ''let us see !
how your roses are blooming and as tho
twain stepped into the garden the old cou-
pie exchanged significant glances
David dawded over his breakfast and
finally left it touched, but not tasted. He
was very miserable, so miserable, indeed,
that both flesh and spirit seemed to cry
aloud for extinction One thing alone had
be accomplished by his painful study, his
exhaustive research. In place of the longed
Tor supernatural power, he had gained a
capacity for suffering. Oh,
The pity of it, that he who knew his own
strength should have proved so impotentl
lie wandered aimlessly out into the gar
len, broad eXplnSe traversed by quaint
winding paths bordcred by thick shubbery
He sought secluded nook, and throwing
himself on rustic seat, yielded supinely
10 despair.
David had never comprehended his own
nature. On single line he had been en-
by successes and sustained by
iope, hence even to himself he had seemed
-es0lutc He had drawn the confines of
life so narrowly about him that he had be.
ieyed that they comprised its entirety
Now the line had faded, the goal had dis.
appeared, the confines had fallen and re.