The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-12-25

N2lVNsSSF speak. But Char
KAR,S%'N' mion came and stood
y l1k over me, and felt .
SI6, N CKfF great tear fall from
her dark eyes upon
HE n my face, as the first
HE "a heavy drop Of rain falls
Ez737 M from stormy cloud.
EW y 'srhou goest,n she whis-
zfW pered-"thou goest fast whith-
- er / may not follow! OHarmachis,
how gladly would give my life
- for thinel"
Then at length opened my eyes, and as
best could ] spoke:
''Restrain thy grief, dear friend" said,
81 live yet; and, in truth, feel as though
new life did gather in my breastr'
She gave little cry Of joy, and never
saw aught more beautiful than the change
that came upon her weeping face 1t was
as when the first lights Of the day run up
the ashen pallor Of that sad sky which walls
the night from dawn. All rosy grew her
lovely countenance; her dim eyes shone out
like stars; and smile Of wonderment,
more sweet than the sudden smile Of the
sea as its ripples wake 10 brightness be-
meath the kiss OF the risen moon, broke
through her rain OF tears.
'SThou nvestl'' she cried, throwing her
self upon her knees beside my couch.
"Thou nvest--and / thought thee gonel
Thou art come back TO mel OH what say
II How foolish is woman's heartl 'Tis
this long watchingi Nay; sleep and rest
thee, Harmachis l-why dost thou talkl
Not one more word, / command thee,
straightlyi Oh, where Is the draught left
by that long bearded fooll Nay, thou shalt
have no draughtl There, sleep Harmachis; !;
sleepl" and she crouched down at my side
and laid her cold hand upon my brow, muir
muring: "Sleep, sleep, sleep"
And when woke up there still she was,
but the lights OF dawn were peeping through
the easement There still she knelt, ono
hand upon my forehead, and her head, in
all its disarray Of curls, resting upon her
outstretched arm. "Charmion," l whis-
pered, shave slept"
instantly she was wide awake and gaz-
ing on me with tender eyes. "Yea, thou
mast slept, Harmachis." ~o
"How long, then, have sleptp
"Nine hours"
Sand thou hast held thy place there, at
my side, for nine long hoursin
"Yea, II Is naught; ! also have slept--l
feared to waken thee II stirred"
s'Go rest thee,m said SIT shames me 70
think OF this thing. Go rest thee, Char
mionl'
"vex not thyself," she answered-''see,
will bid q slave watch thee and 10 wake
me IL thou needst aught; sleep there, In
the outer chamber. Peace-I gow and she
strove 10 rise, but, so cramped was she, fell
straightway on the floor.
Scarce can tell the sense Of shame that
filed me when saw her fall Alas could
not stir to help her.
"It is naught" she said; "move not, did
but catch my foot Thercl" and she rose,
again TO fall--"a pest upon my awkward,
nessl why-I must be sleeping gl-'tis well
now. Ill send the slave" and she stag
gered thence like one o'ercome with wine.
And after that once more I slept, for
was very weak. When l woke II was al.
ternoon, and craved for food, which Char.
mion brought me.
/ atel serhen / die mott" / said.
"Nay,n she answered, with toss Of her
head, "thou wilt live In truth, did waste
my pity on thee.n
"And thy pity did save my life" l said
wcarily, for now l remembered.
sIt is naught,n she answered, carelessly.
"After all, thou art my cousin; also, / love
nursing; tits woman's trade. Likt
enough had done as much for any slave
Now, too, that the danger is past, leav'
thee.n
"Better hadst thou done TO let me die
Charmion,n said after awhile, "for life u
me can now be nsught but one long shame
Tell me, then, when sails Cleopatra fol
Ciliciap
ain twenty days she sails, and with sucl
pomp and glory as Egypt hath never seen
of truth, can not guess where she hai
found the gold 10 gather In this store o
splendor, as husbandman gathers his ricl
fruits.n ~
But /, knowing whence came the wealth
groaned in bitterness OF spirit and mads
no answer.
"Goest thou also, Charmioni" / asked
presently.
"Ay, / and all the Court Thou, tOo-thOt
goest" tt
81 goi Nay, why Is thisi"
because thou art her slave, and mus
march In gilded chains behind her chariot
because she fears 10 leave thee here Il
Khem; because IL Is her win, and there !
an end.n
aCharmion, can not escapein
''Escape, thou poor sick mani Nay, HOY
canst thou escapei Fen now most strictl
art thou guarded. And II thou didst et
cape, whittier wouldst thou fiyi There's nc
an honest man in Egypt but would spit o
thee In scornw
! Once more groaned in spirit and bein
80 weak felt the tears roll a-down m
check Nt4H
"Weep notlr she said, hastily, and turn
fng her face aside "Be man, and bray
these troubles out. Thou hast sown, mo-
must thou reap; but after harvest th
winters rise and wash away the roots, an
then once more comes seed time. Pc
chance. yonder In Cilicia, way may
found when once more thou art stron
whereby thou mayst hy-if In truth tho
canst bear thy life apart from Cleopatra
smile, then In some far land must tho
dwell tn these things are forgotten. An
now my task IL done, 20 fare thee well. A
times will II como and sec that thou needles
naughtp
80 she went, and thenceforward was
nursed, and that sl<illfully, By the physicia
and two women slaves; and ~ my woun
siealed 20 my strength came back 70 M
-,cwIy at first, fhon nnoss swiftly. In fot
! from that Tine rieft ny couch, and