The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1870-06-25

uueHaineu ana the magneac c0nf2glon
OF evil had been communicated from her
leprous soul, to the hitherto untainted
heart of the young man, stained already
by her with sin, and now on the verge of
being blaekened by irremediablc crime
From the predestined victim he sud-
denly rose over her as the doomsman-
the avenger. And, with the lightning
like rapidity with which thought can
travel in moments of immediate peril and
impending death, the long catalogue of
her crimes rose like accusing angels be-
fore the mental vision of the wicked wo-
man, whose life had been a long defiance
to the laws of God and man--a warfare
against humanity.
For in the set and rigid face, with
eontracted brow and pitiless eye, that
bert above her, she saw no merey-no
hope and in his right hand was raised
the dagger, wrested from her, ready to
strike the moment he apprehend treaehery
in any call, or gesture, or effort to summon
aid
So stood those two beings, whose
criminal tie had been so suddenly and
SO violently severed-lovers, lisping en-
dearment to.eaeh other in softest whls-
pers but moment since-now foes,
whom the death of one, or both, could
only separate to all human seeming; one
bafled homicide in act, the other a
predestined murderer in intention with
the shadow of their mutual crime hanging
like pail over both.
Askaros spoke first, though the silence
seemingly SO long to both had been scarce
a minutes duration.
T., -, Iao L
into her ear. 'Is this wound of mine
depend upon the truth"
at is aott' she sullenly responded
ssthough [ wish it were. l had meant
my stroke to be too sure to need poison
else had supplied it, to make my ven
geance certain y
.Will you swear it? viii you-but
folly What oaths are not worthless to
you What in earth, or heaven, do you
hold sacred Will you hold out your arm
and let me scratch it, to prove the truth
of what you say p
With return of her former naughty
and defiant bearing, the princess silently
stretched out her right arm for the test;
slight, scornful contraction of her moath,
indicating her contempt for what she
considered the Copt's cowardice. But
the movement seemed to satisfy him
without further proof.
81 will not shed one drop of your
blood" he said, II arn satisfied there is
now no other poison running riot in my
veins, save what my unholy love for you
has left there No; the dagger was
not prepared with your usual forethought.
Had it been otherwise, two corpses In
stead of one would have been found in
this chamber ? which has doubtless heard
the death groan of many men better and
braver than l ! For now [ know that
Cairene gossip lied not, when it told those
tales of Nezle khanum, that disbelieved
until now. Princess, farewell! for never
will we look upon each others faces in
this world again."
'sYou speak confidently" replied the
Khanum, whose audacity rose as the i'm
mediate danger receded, s'you seem to
forget that egress from this palace is not
SO easy without my permission. AS well
might lost soul cross the Bridge of Al
Sirat over the fiery gulf, as any strange
step pass in safety through this palace,
or those gardens. to the outer world. You
may slay its mistress-a daring act for
brave man, opposed by an unarmed wo-
man but hence you cannot and you
shall. not pass by my free will, or or
dersv'
'.Trouble not yourself for my safety, o
charming hostess ~ answered the young
man calmly-cutting strip of linen from
his sleeve, and binding his bleeding arm
as he spoke "I know my password and
need no password from you. Nor fear I
any pearl from your armed mercenaries
to travel tiff not in safety, at least un-
molested by you or yours. Repent your
past life and strive to amend it, that the
rude lesson had to give you may not be
lost. Neither in love, nor in hate shall
you look upon the face of Askaros again
who now shakes from his feet the dust
of this palace of denominations, and bids it
and you farewell for ever p
AS he ceased, and the astonshed
woman stood spellbound and bewildered
by his words and meaning, he vaulted
lightly on the framework Of the open
lattice, stood for second, aud then
plunged headloBg into the raging and
rushing flood that howled beneath
Recovering from her stuper of aston
ishment at the suddenness of his disap-
pearance, the princess rushed to the
window, and by the uncertain light of the
early dawn, peered with mingled curiosi-
ty and anxiety on the food, into which
the daring youth had SO rashly precipita-
ted himself. She strained her vision to
discover ought beside the turbid surface
of the stream, whose current swept down
rapidly, with hoarse murmer, some few
floating pieces of drift wood but she did
not see anything resembling q human
head or human form, within the range
of her vision.
Wearied by the useless search, and
chilled by the raw morning air, with
shudder she turned from the window and
closed the lattice. as though to shut out
the memory as well as the sight that was
passing below. A softened sentiment,
almost of pity, blended with her exulta-
tion at her own escape from peril, and
the destruction of her old lover and new
foo M bo had fhus o eeI1fed her venpeanca