Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-03-10

reject the prophets faith, he was LED
forth to die; but in passing through
the camp, the soubachis of the calipf
stopped the band, as he had been com
manded, and Demetrius was ushered
into the tent. where Abubeker, not yei
arisen, lay stretched on his sofa.
For awhile the captive remained re.
solute, preferring death the disgrace oi
turning a renegade but the willy caliph,
who had taken a deep and sudden in.
terest in the fortunes of the youth,
knew well the spring by the touch ol
which his heart was most likely to be
affected. He pointed out to Demetrius
prospects of preferment and grandeur
while he assured him that, In few
days Damascus must to q certainty sur.
render in which case his mistress must
fall into the power of the fierce soldiery,
and be left to fate full of dishonor,
and worse than death itself, but, if he
assumed the turban, he pledged his
royal word, that especial care should
be taken that no harm should alight on
her he loved.
Demetrius paused, and Abubeker
saw that the heart of his captive was
touched. He drew pictures of power
and afllaence and domestic love that
dazzled the imagination of his hearer
and while the prisoner thought of his
Isabelle, instead of rejecting the i'm
pious proposal, as at first he had done,
with disdaIn and horror, his soul bent
like iron to the breath of the furnace
flame, and be wavered and became ir-
resolute. The keen eye of the csliph
saw the working of his spirit within
him, and allowed him yet another day
to form his resolution. When the
second WAS expired, Demetrius craved
third and on the. fourth morning,
miserable man, he abjured the faith of
his fathers and became Mussulman.
Abubeker loved the youth, assigned
him post of dignity, and all the
mighty host honored him whom the
caliph delighted to honor. He was
clad in rich attire and magniicently at
tended; and to all eyes. Demetrius
seemed a person worthy of envy; yet
in the calm of thought, his conscience
upbraided him, and he was far less
happy than he seemed to be.
Ere yet the glow of novelty had en-
tirely ceased to bewilder the under
standing of the renegade, preparations
were made for the assault; and, after
fierce but Intellectual resistance, under
their gallant leaders, Thomas and
Herbs, the Damacenes were obliged
to submit to their imperious con-
queror, on condition of being allowed,
within three days, to leave the city un-
molested.
When the gates were opened, Deme-
trims, with a heart overfiowiDg with
love and delight, was among the first to
enter. He enquired of every one he
met of Isabelle: but all turned from
him with disgust. At length he found
her out, but what was the grief and
surprise-in nunnery Firm to the
tro;h she had SO solemnly plighted, she
had rejected the proposition of her
mercenary parent and, having no idea
but that her lover had shared the fate
of all Christian captives, she had shut
herself, from the world, and vowed to
live the life of vestal.
The surprise, the anguish. the horror
of Isabelle, when she beheld Demetrius
in his Moslem babiliments, cannot be
described. Her first impulse, on find
ing him yet alive, was to have fallen
into his arms but, instantly collecting
herself, she shrunk back from him with
losthing, as mean and paltry bastard.
"No. no." she cried, ''you are no
longer the man l loved; our vows of
fidelity were pledged over the Bible ;
that book you have renounced as
fable, and he who has proved himself
false to heaven can never be true to
me !"
Demetrius was conscience struck /;
too late he felt his crime and forsaw its
consequences. The very object for whom
he had dared to make the tremendous
sacrifice, had deserted him, and his own
soul told HIM with how much Justice !;
SO, without uttering a syllable, he
turned away, heart broken, from the
holy and beautiful being whose affec-
tions he had forfeited for ever.
When the patriots left Damascus Isa-
belle accompanied them. Retiring to
Antioch she lived with the sisterhood
for many years and, as her time was
passed between acts of charity and
devotion, her bier was watered with
many a tear, and the hands of the CRATE
ful duly strewed her grave with flowers.
To Demetrius was destined a briefer
career. All conscious of his miserable
degradation, loathing himself and life,
and mankind, he rushed back from the
city into the Mahometan camp and
entering, with hurried step, the tent
of the caliph, he tore .he turban from
his brow, and cried aloud
"Oh, Abubekerl behold a God-for-
saken wretch. Think not it was the
fear of death that led me to abjure my
religion-the religion of my fathers
the only true faith. No, it was the
idol of love that stood between my
heart and heaven, darkening the latter
with its shadow; and had remained
as trne to God, as l did to the maiden
of my love, | had not needed this.
So saying, and ere the hand of
Abubeker could arrest him, he drew
poniard from his embroidered vest, and
the heart blood of the renegade spouted
on the royal robes of the successor of
Mahomet.
An Unhappy Attachment.