New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-08-02

took it up and saw that it was a lotus flower. He
pressed 1t vaguely to his lips, and as me did so
seemed to float in upon his mind, and lnlled him
into sweet and dreamy. fancies. But the boat
ssfs esT w s OF Ia. sna ss
temples and buildings and the shadowy images OF
awful gods The light still glowed ahead with IN;
diminished briiancy, growing larger and larger TILL
it seemed to burn like some great sum- and ITS re-
Elected light crept down along the ripping waters
always just in front of his boats Prov. He was
light. but he had time to wonder what 1t was the
boat grated against the edges of marble quay.
Jack, in obedience to an underlined impulse, Mt
and stepped on shore. Far ahead he saw
the light. grown to greater size and 1t seemed
to him that it blazed from the summit OF some
mighty building. In front of him he perceived a
long avenue. each side of which rose stately
sphinxes and the effigies OF departed monarchs UP
this he made his way, his footballs echo,ng
behind him in the sullen stiffness ne seemed t 10
open space and therc In front OF him stood .alr
palace with pillars and portcos and strange statues
Inside the place seemed alive with light, lie wer rs
soldiers on guard. He knew them quite well bv
sight He had often their fellows on rag
mentary frescoes in the British Museum. But they
betrayed recognition of him. and seemed pneon,
scions of his presence. He passed them by and
entered the great building. Rooms upon rooms
opened themselves out before him IN Q bewilderlhg
succession, but he seemed to know his way by IN
stinct for he trOd with firm stems through the lady
rinth of gorgeous chambers and along dark oooi
corridors. until at last he came into great open
hall in the middle of which was raised throne
On the throne woman was sitting. clad In the
garb OF an Egyptian Irncess Inc sacre ro a1r beS
neck was fashioned from the forms of the Egyptian
gods But the face was that OF no Egyptian; ~
was purely Greek. and the golden halr when
that its owner had no conpanionship with the
swarthy children of the East; As Jack entered she
meet him. holding out both her hands, and greeting
him with the welcome, ." have waited long Tor
you' which startled him by the liquid beauty OF
its tones 1t was Grccian speech Jack was tar
Greek scholar and he had not time lust then TO DO
surprised at finding that the fair strangers pronun-
cat,on was perfectly intelligible to hun. he an
swered her-and he was surprised 70 ma now
readily his ideas ran into GIeek-that he was sorry
he had kept her waiting He was about to say some
thing about the boat being so late but iant sense
of the incongruity of the remark prevented him
from uttering it. Before he had time to say any,
thing further the woman took him by the hand and
the warm pressure Of her fingers caused his blood
to beat quickly. She led him TO the throne. and
they sat down together. Jack felt vaguely emoar-
rassed He had never converscd with an Egyptian
princess before and he was MT quite aware VT Inc
topics which would be likely to interest her Whlie
he was debating within himself how ne should
heuin the conversation the princess. looking sadly
into his eyes, said. "Wll you not set me free. my
master"
Jack was startled. As far as he could SEQ the
ouestion of setting free lay with her rather than
with him. Was he not in her palace, surrounded
by her s.ad bs IN SsT for she
on' DO You not know me And yet became
yours only last night. Thank yoI. oh. thank you
tSs ;st haa a. ale' lt WIN viii
mnch more x Won will only accomplish the purpose
which forbids me to fall asleep,
plexty. q that have had the honor OF meeting you
befGEsr ,,,.,, m. o0,v last evening" she replied
and am now your property. Strange rate Tor the
beloved of an Egyptian king to pass from hand to
hand like merchandizep
great surprise q that you arc the mummy bought
Il am. indeed" she answered. sand so long as
SSIore Won to fulfil my request to set me froe, and
perhaps you shall not repent II,
sBut who and what are you SAID JACK. ms s sur
prise retting the better of his poiteness and tled
too with q faint desire to improve the occasion by
Informing his mind by conversation with revived
Egyptian. . ho,,na 10, ho,d
weariiy. aud looked out from the open pillars to
where the desert stretched far away. and tho moon
light fell cleaning on sns rsd be oy s eae me-
"a What" said Jack eagerly. arcyon tho lannon's
Grecian who was loved by Psammetichus. and by
the brother of sappho; and was the pyramid built
AZ q Hush ~ SIZE said. ayou shall hear all"
He Law at her feet and looked up at her and she
sat with her hands listessly folded. and her wide
eyes gazing dimly into tho cast
IT have long forgotten the Thracian meadows"
she said and the mountains. and the ripple OF the
chilly streams between tho fir trees. sometimes in
after DAYS there came me the memory OF our
childish sports. / and my brothers and sisters.
among the gens and grasses, ana tue l9ng evenings
tale of the before Troy or OF the wanderngs OF
Odysseus as he bent over his work and IN the leap
knG flames | seemed to see the figures OF the gods
and heroes of whom he spoke in his strange northern
speech Too soon came the day when the men came
trampling across the meadows ana struck nm down
before his own door, and bore children weeping
away All 1t hard to bear; but harder stnl
the hour when first stood in that Athenian slave
market offered to :he man who would pay the most
4or mo They ask~ two thousand pieces of gold.
Ii was great price. but my beauty was rare indeed
MANY a wise Athenian stopped and stared and swote
was well worth the sum but few seemed ready TO
nav H. even for the pleasure of owning tho fair
haired Thracian slave. at last there cane by Il
young man who stopped and looked at me- and then
asked my owner the price, He seemed unlnovcd
when they told him of the two thousand pieces Of
gold. He only turned and called TO one who was
following him. and commanded him to go to ms
and 7 passed into the hands OF this unknown
Athenian youth. and a servant led me through the
streets to his dwelling. The white pillars were
hing with curtains of flowers and behind iair
Garden stretched away in rosy paths and myrtle
alleys where tho marble figures OF the creek gods
cleaned the arG and cY od e i he m
n chant the richest oil all VINO came ana went
from the Pir9us.
9That evening was summoned to my masters
nrcsence TO and hun with a roll OF parchment in
his hand on which were written verses which nc
was reading slowly to himself. As ! came IN he
raised his hand and bcckOned me in frDDt of him.
and looked long at me with his grave. earnest eyes,
and then he asked my mime: told him that mon
called me Rhodopis Then he said again, have
never seen any one so beautiful not even IN sncrcd
M,tylcne. not even of all the women my sister loves
not Atthis not Erotion, not Anactoria.' Then ne
told me how. for my beauty's sake, he had bought
me how was his own TO do as he pleased with and
he told mo that he loved well. and he babe me
choose whether would stay with him ana love MN
ar rather take my freedom and go az pleased into
the world. Something IN bis eyes and tho Stiffness
of his voice and the ripple of his hair moved me- and
T knew not the worth of freedom. and 80 / chose
Tn stav Those we're golden, those Athcnian hours.
and went by 30 quickly. for he loved me as only n
Greek can love. and We were glad as only Athenans
can he glad But the gods did not give an en- during