The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-07-17

and his brother relapSed. Pros
trate under this load of knowledge.
the young man turned dumbly back
to sin. They were one; they were
bound by some hideous union. To
use the good of that common spirit
was to suck the spirits life from
| Aquiles. But salvation-the life to
come? Must he lose himself-must
he brand himself with the curse ever
lasting?
| He must. He was, at least, unset
fish, and he understood, whereas
Aquiles was blind. God had given to
Bias not only the eye to see, but the
power to shift the lever. Aquiles was
but the sport of Bias will. As Bias
decreed, so would he rise, or sink
| forever.
On n day in June the younger
brother babe Adelaide good-by.
Guadalaiara saw him no more for
two years. He was seeking out sin,
and taking it to himself in many
parts of Mexico. The details of that
life are too dread to picture. Vice
was his first field of self degradation.
Meanwhile Aquiles was his old self
again. He progressed; he was the
pride, the hope of Guadalaiara. His
wealth was called a benefit to man
kind. He was striding on to high
honors; and, most significant, he
turned again to Adelaide. She, who
had bled at the tearing away of Bias,
became now confused, soothed. as
though an opiate lent her quietude.
brought up the past in the form of
affection rejuvenescent. For she be-
gan to love Aquiles. She knew not
what sorcery it was that cast its
charm on her, but sometimes in day.
dreams she seemed to see that Aqui-
les was Blas-that out of those eyes
looked the beloved soul of Bias.
Two years went by. The bodily
Bias was a faded memory; she mar
ried Aquiles. They lived in that house
of the tiled walls; and there it was
that the monstrous selfishness which
began to distigure the life of Aquiles
first showed itself. 1t grew, ate into
his being; it consumed her tears.
He had once progressed for the great
principle of his country's progress
the principle that created Diaz, and
was re-created a hundred times by
him, but now he progressed for him
self. That change at last scorched
down her love. Aquiles Pagaza had
become a wonder of selfiShness.
Bias, in his black depths, heard that
they were honored. He strove to
drown or drug that love of his which
rose up, triumphant forever. Raging
he tore his breast. How, o God, may
man destroy his soul. Little did
he dream that he had stolen the
Professionalism left his
brother its most damning opposite.
In that alone was the mighty fail
ure.
He knew that, the bottom once
reached, he would rebound. Fearing
the reaction. which he felt already
i'll him (his love was the power that
voa!d cause it) he resolved, panic
stricken, on the last step. He must
die-that, at least, would free them
both. Die to what? To eternal tor
ment. For he was stepped in sin.
Grinding his heart, accepting that
fate, he made his plans. No shriv-
ing for him. No repentance. A
death blasphemous. This would be
tc leave all to Aquiles and the wo-
man. He came back to San Pedro, a
wreck. She had once written him a
letter, saying that they kept a room
for him, ready-would he never re-
turn? She had sent him a key. One
midnight he crept into the room,
and stood staring about. Here would
he die.
But Adelaide did not sleep. Her
life was become a barren, hungry
thing. She had looked on her hus-
bands face, grown sordid, self-sure,
and known that she did not love him
scarce dared to whisper to herself
that she had never loved him. This
night she heard Bias enter-had lis
tened for him for a year. She dressed
in dark blue robe and came to offer
him conventional welcome. He was
staring at the light.
He saw her, and could Withstand no
more, but took her and kissed her
That, too, was sin; with that would
he die. He broke away and fed. She
saw him go, and the night became
very still; minutes passed, minutes
lifeless to her. She heard at length
cry from her husbands chamber,
and. terrified. ran thither. She threw
open the door, hearing strange
sounds within. A light was turned
high, smoking, flaming. She caught
at the wall and stood. There by the
bed, torn with torture, was Aquiles. |
He had arisen from his sleep. She
could not move, but watched him as
he writhed. Some monstrous fit of
dissolution was on him. Soul-sicken- |
ing groans were wrenched from him. |
a spasm hurled him forward and he |
fell.
Her brain was now numbed and |
deadened. Like mad woman, she |
walked away, some purpose of bring |
ing help half-formed in her thoughts. |