Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-22
CHAPTER XIII.

TG.S'S gray clouds, and a
strong wind still blew from the southwest
disturbing the lake, and shaking and rock
ing the crowns of palms which stood by the
wells.
The rescued people had extolled the
Most High, and even the coldest and most
perverse had Joined in Miriam's hymn of
praise, but, as the procession of dancers ap-
preached the sea, many would have gladly
left the ranks and have hastened to the
strand where many things attracted them.
Hundreds had now betaken themselves to
the shore, where the waves like generous
robbers disgorged and washed up on to the
sand that which they had engulfed during
the night.
Nor did the women even allow the wind
to hinder them, for covetousness and re-
venge, the most powerful instincts in the
human breast, drew them to the shore.
Howls of rage and cries of joy went up
together, obviously caused by the fact that
the sea had thrown up something particu-
larly valuable on land. Curiosity attracted
Ephraim and Miriam, who was now the
wife of Hur. to the spot; and as Miriam's
proud dignity caused the people to stand
aside, she soon caught sight of the body of
travelling chariot which had lost its wheels,
and of its pitiable contents. The linen can
opy which had screened it was torn away,
and lying on its floor were two elderly
Egyptian women; a third, much Younger,
lay against the back seat of this singular
vehicle, which had thus become boat. The
first two lay dead in the water that covered
the bottom of the carriage, and several He
brew women were in the act of tearing off
the costly ornaments from the throat and
arms of one of them. The younger woman
had escaped death BY a wonderful chance,
and now she was offering her very precious
jewels to the Hebrew women. At the same
time, with pale, quivering lips and slender,
halfbenumbed hands, she was promising
the robbers, in a soft harmonious voice. to
give them all she had, and handsome re-
ward in money as well, if they would spare
her life. She was still so young, and she
had been kind, very kind, to a Hebrew. If
they would but hear her. This petition
sounded affecting, though it was interrupted
sofrequently with curses and groans that little
of it was audible. just as Miriam and
Ephraim reached the shore she screamed
aloud, for a brutal woman tore the gold
snake from her ear. The Egyptian girls
cry of anguish struck the youth like sword
thrust, and the color LETT his face as he
recognized Kasana's voice.
The corpses by her were those of her
nurse and Bales wife.
Ephraim, almost beside himself, thrust
aside the men who separated him from the
victim on one side and hastened toward the
remains Of the chariot; sprang into the sand
bank at the foot of which the vehicle was
stranded, and cried, with burning cheeks
and impetuous passion:
Back; Woe to those who touch her!''
But Hebrew woman, the wife of a brick |
maker, whose child had died in irightful
convulsions on the journey through the
sea, had already snatched the dagger
from Kasana's girdle and had
stabbed her in the back, with
the cry: "That's for my little Ruth! |
WretchP'
ond blow; but before she could strike her |
enemy again Ephraim rushed between them |
and wrenched away the knife. Then, stand |
ing in front Of the hapless creature, he |
shouted in loud menace: "Murderers and |
thievesl If one of YOU dares To touch her, /
his blood shall nlngle with that of this |
wOmanr' With these words he fell on his |
knees by the side of the bleeding victim, |
and, finding that she had lost consciousness
he lifted her in his arms and carried her to |
Miriam, who was in Nuns tent -
To find his favorite again in so pitable a |
plight was so great grief to the old man |
thar the tears ran down on his snowy beard,
and his voice shook when he saw the blood |
stained bandage about ner shoulder. When |
she was laid on his couch, and Nun had |
placed his medicine chest at the prophecies |
service, Miriam desired the men to leave her |
alone with the sufferer; and when she called |
them back into the tent, she had revived |
Kassna with some drug and bound her |
wound with greater care. With her hair |
smoothly arranged and the blood all washed |
away, she lay between fresh linen sheets like |
a sleeping child, hardly looking as if she |
had attained woman's estate And she still |
breathed. though the blood had notreturned |
to her lips or cheeks, and 1T was not till she |
had again swallowed the mixture which |
Miriam had prepared for her that she opened J
her eyes.
At the foot Of the bed stood the old man |
and his grandson, and each would fain have |
asked of the other how it came to pass that |
he could not refrain his tears as he looked /
into the face of this stranger.
Old Nun had never ceased to think of her |
as the sweet child he had known so well, the |
apple Of his eye and joy of his heart. He |
looked down on the quivering features with |
tender pity, and when at length she opened |
her eyes he smiled at her with fatherly affec- |
tion. The light in her eyes showed that she, !!
too, at once recognized him and Ephraim, |
but when she tried TO nod her head to them |
she was too weak. Still, her expressive face |
confessed her surprise and pleasure; aud |
when Miriam, for the third time, offered her |
the draught, and moistened her brow with |
some strong essence, she looked from one TO |
another with her large eyes, and seeing their |
curious gaze she was able to say IN low |
voice: "These wounds ache so, and death |
Shall die?" They glanced lnquiringly at |
each other, and the men would very gladly |
have concealed the dreadful truth, but she |
went on: 'fOb, let me know; tell me the |
truth, pray your
And Miriam, who was kneeling on the |
ground by her side, found courage to reply: |
''Yes, poor, young thing, the wound is deep; |
but all my art may do to save you shall be |
done, to preserve your life as long as posi-
ble."
The words were spoken kindly and COM
psssionstely, and yet the prophecies deep |
voice seemed to jar on Kasana's ear; her |
lips curled pitifully while Miriam spoke, |
and when she ceased the sufferer closed her |
eyes and large tears flowed down her cheeks. |
Deep and anxious silence reigned till she |
opened her eyes once more and fixing them !
sadly on Miriam'E face, asked, as if in |
amusement at something strange, ''You, a |
woman, are learned in the leech's art?"
To which Miriam replied: "My God hath /
hidden me to care for the sufferers among
vheople."
his the dying woman's eyes sparkled
', and she exclaimed in a stronger
deed with Yigor which surprised
5: 'You are Miriam, the woman
for Joshua to 60 to herr" and
am replied unhesitatingly and
you say" Kasana went Y
are, indeed, of great shd
and must be capable OF
6eyed your call, and you