The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-05-31

| tONNcu HOH ueabA-lIk0 6WOOu. onC0 aCfoE<
Issachar's threshold, she was laid gently over
some cushions on the floor, in the room where
the family b ad just dined, and where female
slave had already lighted several little saucer.
like lamps of scented or sweet burning oil
The daylight had not quite gone, or these
lamps would hardly have enabled Esther, who
was compassionately bending over the young
girl, to recognize the wonderful likeness be.
tween her and the youth in command of the
party who had come, q few weeks before, to
Eleazars house in the Suburra for the military
| treasure
She hastily expressed her sense of this like
ness in q muttered exclamation, in which the
| name Of Paulus" occurred. At the sound of
that name. the damsel opened her eyes, and
feebly cried. "Where Is bef Where is my
brother Paulus y 80 feebiy, indeed, that none
save Esther distinguished the words; and even
she with difficulty.
Esther had the instructive good sense to
perceive that brutsl and lawless violence were
rulers of the present occurrence, and could
alone account for the situation of the young
lady before her, who was in the midst and in
the power of persons evidently not her friends
How could she have fallen into their handsi
Just then the woman who had accompanied
the young lady in the carriage pushed Esther
aside, and peered close into the pale, still face
of the former. I fancied she spoke. Did
che speak Is she again in o swoon 7" were her
words.
IL will get some wine," said Issachar. And
q servant who heard him brought ample store
of wine and drinkipg-vessels wbereupon the
leader of the travellers, who now entered the
room, glanced at the motionless figure of her
whom he was attending, and said to Issachar
"Msster, am in the service of potent persons,
and must request you to furnish me with
fresh horse will leave the lame one and a
sum of money with You till your own horse
shall be returned to you"
This poor damsel," replied Issachar, q" is
clearly in state to travel. If you take her
away now, you will carry her in to Rome dead
A horse can furnish for your necessity on the
terms you mention, although you state not
who the potent persons are whom you serve"
wonder at you, Lygdus," remarked the
woman. at matters not whom we serve,'
continued she, addressing Issachar a" we will
pay you for anything we need. Thanks for
the wine. Yes, we will take some wine; only
little, mind, Lygdus."
Lygdus having poured out some wine on the
.
cyathi in succession. He then smacked his
lips, poured out fourth measure from the
tesla, and, standing astride, waved his hand
to and fro, and said: " l am a man who knows
how to do what 1 say shall do, aud in fact
whatever am told to do; that is here he
drank off the wine, refiiled the goblet, planted
his free hand with the fingers clnched upon
his hip and swayed his head in a defiant man
ner, as he glanced at every person in the room
successively-''that is, lift be the right kind of
| person who tells me, and none else would dare.
l am afraid of nothing That is well UNDER
stood. Men whisper as 1 go by, There goes
Lygdus What a man that is He's afraid of
nothipgw
Here he frowned and drank off his wine.
And az he was now again stretching his hand
toward the amphora, or ampulla, or testa, the
woman said: -
Beware! you have taken much to-day /;
you took some at the sea-coast, you have taken
some since you won't reach Rome"
"Sea-coast!" cried he, with the same atti-
tude and gestures as before "this next COB
let is for the fainter, the fainting one the pale
damself Why does she faint 1 don't mind
stating here or elsewhere, that whatever do,
Cneius Piso-the great Cneius Piso-and Seja
nus-the still greater Sejanus-will say is well
DONE They will say, when I get back to them
EGge, Lygdus euge good Lygdus; you are the
man, because you are afraid of nothing"
Here the woman seated herself upon some
cushions, Struggling her shoulders, and the
other continued:
Fright; rest there. Let Refreshments be
brought; let the horses be fed outside. halt
here for half au hour, aud half that again
Let that fainting damsel have something to
| revive her Ho! Who has got hute7 1 can
play the flute as well as any of the strolline
female flute players"
Here Esther stole swiftly up to her father,
took him aside, and whispered to him that it
would be wise to humor this murderous. look
ing guest and asking Josiah Macoabeus whe
Their he did not remember the youth who had
come to Eleazar's house with Germanicus'.
ring for the public money, she bade her father
look closely at the features of the beautiful
and manifestly high-born damsel, who wa.
under the escort Of so rufiian1y a party 10