Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-10-28

head, and faint tint OF rose blended with
the clear copper hue of her cheek
As To her costume Il was most strange,
simply Of bandages covered
with red and black hieroglyphics and
heavy with hitumen, By one of those
strange intellectual gymnastics so fire.
quent in dieams, heard the hOarse, sharp
voice Of tue old bric-a-brac merchant,
repeating, like a mon J0unus refrain, the
same words which he had used with SO
marked and mysterious an emphasis:
Pharaoh viii bc displeased. lie loved
his daughter devo,edly, the ear old man -
Strangely enough, tue apparition had
but one foot tEa other leg being broken
at the ankle: and this discovery was not
altogether reasSuriug TO me
She moved toward the table, where the
little foot was Quiyering and trembling
with ever increasing restlcssness. As
she stood leaning ON the edge, | saw tears
drop from her eyes. Although silent,
could see her thoughts in her face She
stood looking at her toOt-for il was in
fact hers-wiIh charming expression,
full OF sadness and at the same time of 81
certain coquettish grace, But the little
foot continued to run about from one side
of the table to the other. as if impelled
by steel springs. Two or three times She
put out her hand toward il, as if to seize
it, but II always eluded her
Then began, between the Princess Her
mouthes aud her foot. which seemed en-
dowei with individual life, most re.
markable dialogue in the Coptic language,
in use thousands of years ago, happily,
at that precise time | was perfectly tamil-
lar with the COptic.
The Princess HermOuthes said, in a
voice clear and vibrating as a crystal bell
"Ah! my dear little foot, why do you
flee from me, when | always lavished
upon you the tenderest carer ! bathed
you in pertumed water, in an alabaster
basin; | polished your little heel with
pumice stone dippgi in palm oil; your
nails were trimmed with golden piucers,
and polished with the tooth of hippo
pOtamus; | always chose Cor you the
most beautiful of embroidered and paint.
ed sandals, which were the envy of all the
girls in Egypt; yonr large toe was always
ornamented with rings representing the
sacred scarabpus, anu YOU carried the
lightest possible weight that lazy littlc
foot could desire"
The foot answered in a sullly, veXcd
tone:
"You know perfectly well that no
longer belong to myself; ! have been
bought and paid for; the old merchant
knew very well what mischief he was
making; he has always owed you u
grudge because you would not marry
him; it is a malicious trick he is playing
you. The Arab who forced open your
royal coffin, lying in The subterranear
well in the Metropolis of Thcbes, was
employed by him to prevent your joining
your royal torefathers. Have you five
louis dor to pay for me?"
ALAS, no; have nothing, My Jewels
my rings, my purses Of gold and silver
are all gone. | have been robbed of all
| possess" answered the Princess, sigh
ing.
Then | cried aloud, unable to keeI
silence; Princess, | have never in M
life taken dishonesty the foot of any
living person; although you have not tn,
five louis dor which it cost me- | will
lngly return il TO you. should be in
despair if through me so charl ,ag per
son as the Princess Hermouthes should
be lame"
| delivered this little Grafton with the
air of troubadour, feeling that the beau
tiful Egyptian must be impressed by it.
She turued toward me, her face beaming
with gratitude, her eyes glitteIing with I
blush light
She took up her foot on this occasion
Offering no objection, and as a woman
slips on her shoe, she skilfully and easily
fastened her foot to her ankle.
This operation finished, she took two
or three steps as If 10 assure herself tina
she was no longer lame.
"Ah how pleased my father will be
he who grieved so deeply over this mutt
lation, lie who from the moment Of my
birth placed an entire people upon the
labor of eXcayaling for me a burial'placC
so deep that | could be preserved intact
until that supreme moment when all soul:
shall be weighed in the balance, Come
with me, come home with me to my
father; you will be warmly welcomed by
him, for You have restored my foot "
This proposition appearing perfectly
natural, | rose, wrapped myself in rob'
de chambre covered with large figures
which | tlattered myself was quite Phsr
aohesque; and, slipping my feet into 9
PAIR OF lurkIsh babOuchss, | slgnlllcd 10
the Princes HermoGthes that | was quite
ready to accompany her
Hormouthes before leaving took from
her neck the little porcelain idol and
placed it on the disordered papers lying
on the table.
at is but right" she said, with smile,
81 should replace your paper-weight.'
She gave me her hand, soft AID cold as
an adder, and we started on our journey.
Only a moment and we saw nothing
save the sky and the ocean, Very shortly
"helisks began to appear; then long
flights Of steps, with the Sphinx on either
side, and distinctly relieved against the
horizon. We had arrived.