Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-11-04

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 s'se MY MESSENGER HAS FOUND Youa"
 'twere Paulus, he knew but little of those who canspired with me. But in my robe had been the secret lists. O Ameni they were gonei and the fate of Paulus would be the fate of all the patriots of Egypt. And at this thought my mind gave way. sank and swooned even where l stood.
 My sense came back to me and leugthep- ing shadows told me that it was afternoon, l staggered to my feet; there still was the corpse of Paulus, keeping it's awful watch above me. Desperately ran to the door. 'Twas barred, and without heard the tramp ofsentinels. As Istood, they challenged and grounded their spears. Then the bolts shot back, the door opened, and radiant, clad in Royal attire, came the conquering Cleo patra Alone she came, and the door was shut behind her. stood like one distraught; but she swept on till she was face to face with lne,
 :'Greeting, Harmachis," she said, smiling sweetly, tiSo my messenger has found theer and she pointed to the corpse of Paulus. "Pah! he has an ugly look. Hol guards !'
 The door was opened, and two armed Gauls stepped across the threshold
 s'Talko away this carrion," said Cleopatra, t'and fling i to the kites. Stay, draw that dagger from his traitor breast" The men H2G;el low, and the knife, rusted red with l,r1, Was dragged from the heart of Paulus anu la!d upon the table. Then they seized him by the head and body and staggered thence, and heard their heavy footballs as they bore him down the stairs.
 "lethini1s, Harmachls, thou art in an evil causoH' she said, whenithe sound of the footballs had died away. "How strangely doth tho wheel of Fortune turn! But for that traitor," and she nodded toward the door by which the corpse of Paulus had been carried, II should now be as i'll a thing to look on he is, and the red rust on yon- der knife would have been gathered from ny heart.n
 So it was f;sulus who had betrayed me.
 "Ay," she went on, land when thou earnest to me last night well kneW that thou earnest to slay. When, time upon time, thou didst place thy hand within thy robe, knew that 1t grasped dagger-hilt, and thou vast gathering thy courage to the deed which little thou didst love to do. Ohl it was q strange. wild hour we'll worth the living, and greatly, from moment to mo- ment, did I wonder which of us twain would conquer, we matched guile with guile and force to force.
 "Yea, Harmachis, the guards tramp be- fore thy door, but be not deceived. Knew not that do hold thee to me by bonds more strong than prison chains; knew not that ana hedeed from ill at thy hands by fence of honor more hard for thee to pass than all the spears of all my legions, thou hadst been dead ere now, Harmachis. See, here is thy knife" And she handed me the dagger. ''Now slay mo if thou canst" And she drew near and tore open the bosom of her robe, and stood waiting with Gala eyes.
 "Thou capst not say me-" she went on, tIoAn ht htyNrpo II lrv,n hot no man-no such man as thou art-may do and live; and this IS the chief of them-to slay the woman who is all his own. Nay, stay thy handl Turn not that dagger against thy breast; for if me thou mayst not slay, by how much the more mayst thou not slay thyself, O thou forsworn Priest of Isis Art thou. then, so eager to face that outraged Majesty in Amentia With what eyes, thipkest thou, will the Heavenly i, Mother look upon her son who, shamed in all things and false to his most sacred VOW, comes to greet Her, his ife-blood on his handsl Where, then, will be the space for thy atonement-if, indeed, thou mayst atone!"
 I Then l could bear no more, for my heart ,, was broken within me. Alasl it was too . true-I dared not die. To such 8 pass was I come that did not even dare to die! I flung myself upon the couch and wept- wept tears of blood and anguish.
 But Cleopatra came to ne, and, seating ! herself beside me, she strove to comfort . me, throwing her arms about my neck. , ''Nay, Love, look up," she said. "All is not lost for thee, nor am I angered against thee. We did play mighty game; but as !, warned thee, matcheS my womans , magic against thine, and Ehave conquered. , But l will be open with thee. Both as Queen and woman thou hast my pity-ay, I and more; nor do I love to see thee plunged [ in sorrow. Well was it and right that thou , shouldst strive to win back that throne my , father seized, and the ancient liberty of Egypt Myself as g lawful Queen had done , the sane, nor shrunk from the deed of i. darkness whereto 1 was sworn. Therein, then, thou hast my sympathy, that goes , ever out to what is great and bold: We'll ia it also that thou shouldst grieve over the greatness of thy fall. Therein, , then, as woman-as loving woman-thou hast my sympathy Nor is all lost The . plan was foolish-for as I hold, Egypt never might have stood alone; for though . thou hadst won the crown and country, as without a doubt thou must have done, yet l was there the Roman to be reckoned with. n And for thy hope learn this; Little am I known. There is no heart in this wide land , that beats with truer love for ancient a Khem than does this heart of mine; nay,
 To be continue.
 1T H' FT,O0n