Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-01

Joshua and Ephraim on one side, for they
could not be separated By reason OF the
chains that bound them together by the
ankles. They were soon hidden from the
Others behind the little temple, and then
the driver sank down on bench at little
distance, having first, with a significant
gesture, shown the two Hebrews the
bludgeon in his right hand, and pointed to
the dogs who were rubbing against his feet.
He kept his eyes open, too, during the
conversation that followed. They might say
what thev pleased; he knew his duty, and
though he understood how to shut one eve
on parting in return for good gold, for
guile 20 years, in spite of many attempts to
escape among his moles-ss he called those
condemned to the mines-not one had ever
succeeded in getting away.
This lovely woman was perhaps this fine
fellows betrothed, for he had been told that
Joshua had been commander. But he had
already called many noble birds "moles, I"
and If this veiled woman should contrive to
slip files or gold into the prisoners hands so
much the better; this evening nothing on
these two should be left unsearched. not
even the youths black hair, which had been
left unshorn in the confusion that had taken
place at the start of the prisoners, for they
had been sent off just before the departure
of Pharsoh's army.
negotiations with the fallen captain re-
mained unknown to the driver, but from her
sorrowlul face and manner he inferred that
she had caused the ruin of this noble man.
Obi woman, womsnl and that lad in chainsl
The glances be cast at the slender creature
were so ardent that she had to draw her veil
closer. But patience! Great Father Anon!
His moles were going to good school for
modesty.
l.
was beautiful! 1t must be hard to part with
such lovely creature; and now she cried so
bitterly.
The rough guards heart was touched as
much as his position would allow, and he
could have struck the elder prisoner with
his whip, for was it not an outrage, having
such lover, to stand like stone? At first
the wretch did not even stretch out a hand
to the woman, who certainly loved him;
while he, the guard, would have been glad
to see the two kiss and embrace.
Or was this beauty perhaps the warriors
wife, who had deceived him? But no, no,
how kindly he approached her now. A
father speaks like that to his child, but his
''mole" was much too young to have so old
q daughter. A riddlel However, he did
not care about the answer, since it was in
his power during the march to make the
most taciturn convict as frank as an open
book.
And not alone the simple driver of the
gang, but everyone might have wondered
WHY this beautiful woman had come out into
the highway at early dawn to see an un-
fortunate man weighed down with chains.
Nothing but tormenting anxiety for the
man she loved could have impelled Kasana
to take this journey and expose herself to
scorn as a woman of no reputation. A ter
rible fate awaited him; her lively imagina-
tion had pictured Joshua in the mines
languishing, broken down, pining away,
and at last dying with a curse on her upon
his lips.
On the evening of the day on which
Ephraim, shivering with high fever and
half choked with dust, was carried into
their house, her father had informed her
that in the person of the young Hebrew she
held hostage which would force Joshua
to return to Tanis and yield to the wishes of
the Prophet Bale, with whom she knew her
father to be allied in a secret plot. He like
wise confided to her that not only were
great distinctions and high honors to be Of
fered 20 Hosea, but also marriage with her
self, to secure his fidelity to Egypt and to a
cause from which he, Hornecht, looked for
great benefits to the country and to his own
kindred. This had filled her with high
hopes of attaining long-wished-for joys;
pie, she now confessed this to the prisoner
with dropping head and low sobs; for he
was now forever lost to her, and even if he
could rot return the love she had felt for
him since her childhood, he at any rate
would not hate her and condemn her un-
heard.
Joshua, indeed, listened to her willingly
and assured her that nothing would gladden.
his heart more than that she should clear
Il Al L - IL
able for the terrible fate awaiting himself
and the youth by his side.
At this she sobbed aloud, and had to strug-
gle to compose herself before she could
succeed in telling her story with any degree
of calmness.
Shortly after Joshua's departure the high
priest had died. and Bale, the second prophet
of Anon, had succeeded him. Things were
then greatly altered; this man, the most
powerful in the land, stirred up Pharaoh to
hatred against the Hebrews and their leader,
Moses, whom, till then, the King and Queen
had protected and feared. He had also per-
sUaded the King to pursue the fugitive
Hebrews, and the army was at once ordered
to 20 forth and compel them to return. Sbe
Immediately feared that Joshua would eers
tainly refuse to fight against those who were
OF his own blood, and that it must anger
him to be sent forth to sign a contract which
the Egyptians would begin to break be-
fore they could know whether it had been
accepted. Then, when he had returned
home, he himself knew, only too we'll, how
Pharaoh had treated him like prisoner and
had refused 10 admit him to his presence
until he had sworn to continue to lead the
Egyptian troops, and remain a faithful SER
want to the King. Still, Bale, the High
Priest had not forgotten that he had saved
his Lie, and was we'll disposed toward him
and grateful; and she knew that he had
hoped to entangle Joshua in the secret con-
spiracy in which her father also was impli-
Gated. 1t was Bale, too, who had caused
Pharaoh to release him from fighting against
his own nation on condition of his renewing
his oath of fidelity, to place him in command
OF the foreign mercenaries, and to raise him
TO the high rank of Friend of the King
but of course he must know all this already,
for the new High Priest had with his own
hand set the tempting prospect before Joshua,
who had rejected it with firm and manly
decision. Her father had in the first in
stance been on his side, and for the first
time had entirely refrained from speaking
with reproach of his Hebrew origin.
On the third day after JOshua's return the
Captain of the Archers had gone out to
speak with him, and since then everything
had gone wrong. He therefore must know
what it was that had turned the man of
whom she dared think no evil, since she
was his daughter, from being friend into
mortal enemy. She looked inquiringly into
Joshua's face and he was ready with his an
swer. The Captain had told him that he
would be q welcome son-in-law.
Sand you?" asked Kasana, looking anx-
iouslv at the speaker.
81 !" replied the prisoner, could only say
hat had from youF childhood haar