The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1880-06-30

] Il
nothing beside Eikasia2 She seems to
overshadow me with her commanding
presence"
And yet" said Justus, passionately,
" one hair from that golden braid ex-
ceeds her charms"
Nonsense, Justusl Do you think
me SO vain as TO be caught by such
rhapsodies, my good cousin2 Keep your
fine speeches for finer ladies than -
- When Justus and Theodore entered
the reception chamber of the Empress.
Elkasia was already there. She was
dressed magnifcently in a rich green
robe, embroidered with gold stars. On
her head she wore coronet composed
/ OF gold and emeralds. Her train was
three yards in length, and was of white
Persian silk, bordered with gold stars on
a green ground. A broad girdle, in
which gold was curiously interwoven,
! confined her loose robe in folds around
herwaist and chain Of emeralds dropped
from her white throat, setting off its ex-
| quisite fairness. A pale, olive hue was
family lighted up with a struggling
crimson, but it was the eyes that lighted
up the wondrous-the deen, passionate
! eyes, whose glances seemed absolutely to
burn with the fires of the spirit within.
| The long Iashes that shaded them rested
on the cheek; and the dark eyebrows
were penciled 50 evenly that every hair
/ tsy in It's own place, and seemed as if It
| could not be spared from the general
effect
Eikasla's hair was OF that peculiar tint
! Of purplIsh black that is at once so rare
/ and beautifuli and, unlike Theodore S,
she were it in long curls. that fell over
| her face, partially cOncealing the pas
sionate look that sometimes WeRed out
/ from the very soul in moments of her
intensest enthusiasm.
| Won by that lo0k-for she wore it
now a person, entering the room,
walked slowly past the Others who were
standing in groups, or reclining on seats
about the apartments, and stayed his
/ footsteps only when he reached the spot
| where she was standing.
Addressing her in the grave and SEN
tentious tone of the period, he said,
| "WOmen is the source of evil"
! Her quickeye caught sight of the gold
/ en- apple. She OWNED Immediately the
! cause of this. aud the use to which he
was to apply it, and her dark eyes giis-
tened with proud yet happy expires
sion as she quickly answered, "But
woman is also the source of much goOd.
She turned aside to speak to Theodore,
but her words We're bitter and sarcastic
nUW-fOr there was an air of sweetness
and purity in. TheOdora's face, thai coz
trasted with her own passionate nature.
The Emperor, who saw it, too, was olsen
chanted in moment. All her beauty
faded from before his sight, and he
turned away disenthralled.
What was it! Did her tones Jar upon
his nerves? or was he attracted to the
other maiden. whose blushing cheek at
tested hsr modesty, and whose sp .rkling
eyes proclaimed her intellectually?
Who knows, save by wha+ followed?
The apple quivered in his band. He adj
vanced-stopped went on, in Corporal
Trims own fashion, hundreds of years
afterward, and placed the bright, shin
ing fruit in the hand of the fair IleQ-
dOrai
Never before had such blow fallen
on the self-complacency of Eikasia. The
words died on her lips and the tears
forced themselves into those large, black
orbs that burned 50 brightly a few
minutes before 1t was like rain after
lightning, She had not counted upon
this. When the Emperor had entered
she looked proudly around, and the
memory of that last glance lin the great
steel mirror was still vivid enough to
assure her that she would bear off the
palm of beauty. Now, the veil had
fallen from her eyes, and she saw another
preferred before her
A few moments of that forced gayety
which disappointed pride puts on, at
first, to hide the keen pangs that are
crushing it, and then Eikasia was gone;
and the party, following her lead, as
usual, broke up. At the door, Justus
stood ready with mantle of fine wool
to guard Theodore from the night air.
She was trembling all over with the
strong excitement of the evening. JUS
tus thought she was shivering and he
wrapped her up still closer. Could he
have known that she was dead to him
from that moment, the poor youths con-
slant heart would nave bled deeply.
In the monastery of Santa Maria
Fikasia secluded herself from every eye
save those of the good sisters and her
confessOr She had felt the throb of
ambition-she now wore the garb of
humility. The brief day dream had
faded, but its going down had left none
of those bright hues that the sun leaves
at parting. Henceforth, life was painted
for her in those sombre shades Of gray
that are too dull already to subside into
any other tint. And while Eikasia COM
posed and sang psalms, to cure the fever
of soul yu,>ting for the gift of love
Theodore was preparing to ascend the
throne beside him who, had he not been
Emperor. would have equally shared her
heart.
The Empress Euphr0syne, after he
sons marriage, retired to a monastery
pass the remainder of her days; one sigh
to the memory Of Michael, and she was
lost to the outer world.
Theodore accompanied the Emperor on
one of his@visits to the neighboring con-
vents. A nun attracted her notice by
the height and beauty of her figure
Her face was almost entirely concealed
by the broad bands which she, more
than the others, had drawn closely
around ii. But the fall red lips, un-
faded and blooming still, and guarding
n row of pearls of unexampled beauty,
brought to her memory the proud
Eikasia, as she stood, waiting in the
palace hall, for the distinction she was
50 sure would come to her.
Eikasia's ey betrayed her emotion
The Emperor spoke to her eourteously
without remembering her, and the I" last
straw was laid on the pride that had
been her ruling passion. She answered
him in low murmur that sounded little
like the tone that so Jared upon his
nerves when, years ago, the golded
apple seemed so nearly within her
reach. T
Thus we struggle-ahl how ceten -
like wounded birds, against the destiny
that seems so cruel-yet how recklessly
we fling away the golden fruit that
might be ours; and somewhere away
among dim cloisters in which we have
hidden our grief. we sometimes catch a