The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-04-18

ere Il burst Khem u lost, and lost forever
for her last hope II gonei No longer MAY
she struRgle-now for all time must she
bow her neck to the yoke, and her back r.
the rod Of the oppressorW
| groaned aloud. "Alas, I waa be
trayedl'' said; '.Paulus betrayed us"
Thou vast betrayed Nay, thou thyseli
| vast the betraycri How camalt that thou
didst not slay Cleopatra when thou was,
alone with heri Answer, thou for.
swornw
''She drugged me-" said again.
| so Harmachisw answered the pitiless
| girl, show low art thou fallen from tina,
Prince whom once knewi thou who dost
not scorn to be . liar! Yea, thou vast
drugged-drugged with love philtrel
Yea, thou didst sell Egypt and thy cause
| for the price Of . wanton's kiss! Thou Sor-
| row and thou Shame !" she went on, point
| ing her finger at me and lifting her eyes to
my face, ''thou Scorn Thou Outcast!-
and thou Contempt! Deny it IL thou canst.
| Ay, shrink from me-knowipg what thou
| art, well mayst thou shrinki Shrink and
crawl to Cleopatra's feet, and kiss her
sandals till such time as it pleases her
| to trample thee in thy kindred dirt; but
| from all honest folk shrink,-shrinkr'
My soul quivered beneath the lash of
her bitter hate, but had no words to an
swer.
"How comes it, ~ said at last in heavy
voice, 'that thou, too, art not betrayed, but
| art here to taunt me, thou who once didst
| swear that thou dldst love mel Being q
| woman, hast thou no pity for the frailty
Of manP'
my name was not on the lists" she said,
dropping her dark eyes. "Herein Is an
opportunity betray me also, o Harmachis
| Ay, tits because once did love thee-dost
| thou, indeed, remember itl-that feel thy
fall the more. The shame of one whom we
once have loved must in some sort become
our shame, and must ever cling to us in
that we blindly held thing SO base close to
ourinmost heart. Art thou also, then, q fool .
Wouidst thou, fresh from thy royal wan
toms arms, come to me for comfort-to me
of all the worldf"
SHOW know l." I said, SHAT It was not
thou who, in thy jealous anger, didst betray
our plans! Charmion, long ago Sepa warned
me against thee, and Of truth now that /
recall"
"'Tis like traitor" she broke in, red
dening to her brow, ''to think that all are
Of his family and hold o common mind
Nay, betrayed thee not; twas that poor
knave Paulus, whose heart failed him at
the last, and who is rightly served. Nor
will stay to hear thoughts 50 base. Har-
machis-Royal no more!-Cleopatra, Queen
of Egypt, bids me say that thou art free,
and that she waits thee in the Alabaster
Hail"
And shooting one swift glance through
her long lashes, she curtsied and was gone.
Soonce more came and went about the
Court, though but sparingly, for my heart
was full of shame and terror, and on every
face feared to see the scorn of those who
knew me for what was. But naughtI saw,
for all those who had knowledge of the plot
had fed, and for her own sake no word had
Charmon spoken. Also Cleopatra had put
it about that was innocent. But my guilt
lay heavy on me, and made me thin and
wore away the beauty of my countenance.
And though was free in name, yet was l
ever watched; nor might stir beyond the
palace grounds.
And at length came the day that brought
with il Qulntus Dellius, that false Roman
knight who ever served the rising star. He
bore letters to Cleopatra from Marcus
Antonius the Triumvir. who, fresh from the