The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-10-30

yE>il{ESB lifted my eyes they
HI RESNS fell upon the form Of
ID EySs5SS Charmion, whom, indeed,
iEo& M had altogether forgot
EVW/fHN ten. And though at the
NM'IV moment / thought but
WlN' little Of IL, / noted vaguely that
IL she was flushed as though with
anger, and that she beat her foot upon the
floor.
"Oh, is II thou, Charmion," >" l said. "Wha.
ais theel Art thou cramped with standing
80 long within thy hiding placei Why didst
thou not slip hence when Cleopatra led me
10 the balconyl"
"where is my kerchiefl" she asked, shoot
ing an angry glance at me. ~ let fall my
broidered kerchief"
"The kerchiefi Why, didst thou not seel
Cleopatra twltted me about 1t, and flung 1t
from the balcony"
"Yea, saw" answered the girl, ~ saw
but too well Thou didst fling away my
kerchief, but the wreath OF roses-that
thou wouldst not fling away. 1t was "a
Queens gift forsooth, and therefore, the
Royal Harmachis, the Priest Of Isis, the
chosen Of the Gods, the crowned Pharaoh
wed TO the veal Of Khem, cherished it and
saved 1t. But my kerchief, stung by the
laughter Of that light Queen, he cast
awaypr
'sWhat meanest thoui" asked, aston
ished at her bitter tone. ~ read not thy
riddles"
"What mean I!n she answered, tossing
up her head, and showing the white curves
OF her throat NAY, mean naught or all,
take It as thou wilt Wouldst know what
I mean, Harmachis, my cousin and my
Lordp' she went on in hard, low voice
"Behold, will tell thee-thou art in danger
Of the great offense. This Cleopatra hath
cast her fatal wiles about thee and thou
goest near 10 loving her, Harmachis-to
loving her whom tomorrow thou must
slayl Ay, stand and stare at that wreath
within thy hand-the wreath thou couldst
not send 10 join my kerchief-sure Cleo
patra wore II but tonight The perfume
Of the hair OF Cesar's mlstress-Cesar's
and others'-yet mingles with the odor Of
It's rosesl Now, prithee, Harmachis, how
far didst thou carry the matter on yonder
balconyl-for In that hole where lay hid
could not hear or see. IT'S a sweet spot
for lovers, 10 II noti--ay, and sweet
night, tool Venus Is surely in the right
Ascensionn
And all OF this she said so quietly and in
so soft and modest n way, though her words
were not modest, and yet so bitterly, that
every syllable cut me TO the heart, and an
gered me till could find no speech.
"0f q truth thou hast wise economy
she went on, seeing her advantage; ITO
night thou dost kiss the lips that tomorrow
thou shalt still forever 'Tis frugal dealing
with the occasion OF the moment; aye, wor-
thy and honorable dealingp
Then at last l broke forth. "Girlp /
cried, show darest thou speak thus 70 mel
Mindest thou who and what am that thou
looseth thy peevish gibes upon met"
~ mind what II behooves thee TO be-" she
answered quick. "What thou art, that /
mind not now. Surely thou knowest alone
thou and Cleopatraw
"What meanest thoun said. "Am 10
blame n the Queen"
"The Queeni What have we herei Phar-
aoh owns Queenw
''If Cleopatra wills TO come hither Of q
night and talk"
"0f stars, Harmachis-surely OF stars
and roses, and naught besidew
After that / know not what said; for,
troubled as was, the girls bitter tongue
and quiet way drove me well-nigh 10 mad
ness. But this know: spoke so fercely
that she covered before me as she had
covered before my uncle Sepa, when Ae
rated her because Of her Grecian Karb
And rs she wept then, 80 she wept now,
only more passionately and with sobs.
At length ] ceased, half ashamed, but
still angry and smarting sorely. For even
while she wept she could find tongue 10
answer wth-and O wonan's shafts are
sharp.
''Thou shouldst not speak 10 me thusln
she sobbed; 'it's cruel-it is unmanlyl But
Iforgot thou art priest, not a man-ex-
cept, mayhap, for Cleopatrap'
"What right hast thoui" said. "What
canst thou meant"
"what right have II" she asked, looking
up, her dark eyes all ahood with tears that
ran down her sweet face like the dew OF
morning down lilyAs hoart. "What right
have II o Harmachis art thou blindi
Dost thou not know by what right speak
thus 10 theei Then must tell theei Well,
tits the fashion In Alexandrial BY that
first and holy right OF woman-by the right
Of the great love bear thee, and which, II
seems, thou hast nc eyes 10 see--by the
right Of my glory and my shame. o, be not
wroth with me, Harmachis, nor set me
down as light, because the truth has at last
burst from me; for / am not So lam what
thou wilt make me- I am the wax within
the molder's hands, and as thou dost
fashion me so shall be. There breathes
within me now breath Of glory blowing
across the waters Of my soul that can wait
me 10 ends more noble than ever have
dreamed afore, II thou wilt be my pilot and
my guide. But II lose thee, thon lose all
that holds me from my worse solf-and let
Bhipwreck comei Thou knowest me not,
Harmachisi thou canst not see how big q
spirit struggles within this frail form Of
minel To thee am girl, clever, way.
ward, shallow. But am moreI Show me
thy loftiest thought and will match IL, the
deepest puzzle Of thy mind and will make
70 clear. OF one blood are we, and 70 can
ravel up our little difference and make US
grow one indeed. Ono end we have, one
land We love, one vow binds us both. Take
me 70 thy beart Harmaohis, and set me By
thce on the rDpublc Throne, and swear
that | viii Nv fhes higher than ever man
has climbed, Reject ne, and beware lest
: pull thee down. And now, puttisT aside
1881 iR.te' ~ ,falgf}