Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1890-01-02

''Or. perchsuce, each others woe" I
answered, looking up; for her sweet
speeches stung ray ears, and brought moro
color TO my face than I loved that abe
should see therein.
''Nay, never tall Of woe Be seated here
by me, Har1lachis, aud let US talk. not "a
Queen and subject. bit q friend TO friend.
Thou vast angcred with me at the feast to-
niSht-was it not so!-in that Knocked
thee with yondcr wreath, Nay, twas but
jest. DIdst thou know how heavy is the
task Of monarchs, and how wearisome are
their hours, thou wouldst not be wroth be-
cause lit my dullness with Jest. Oh,
they weary me, those princes and those
mobiles, AID those s;if-necked, pompous
Romans. To my face they VOW themselves
ny slaves, and behind my back they moc.,
me and proclaim mo the servant of their
triumvira:c, or their empire, or their re-
pualic, as the wheel Of fortune turns. and
each rises Oh is roundi There is never q
MN among ihcI-no:hiny but fools. Para.
sites and puppets never Il nan since with
their cowardly dargcrs they slew that
Cesar whom al the world in arms was no.
strong enough to tame. And I must PLAY
OF one against the other. if. may be. by 81
oO!ng 1 can Keep Egypt from their grip.
And for reward, what! Why, this is nv
reward; hat ali men speak i'll of me and-I
know tiny subjects hate NE! Yea, l be-
lIcve TINT woman though be, they would
murder mo could they End q mea1s" AID
she paused, covering her eyes with her
hand. and twas we !. for her words pierced
ne SO that shrank there upon the seat be-
side her
'Thcy think i'll of me, know it; and call
nc waaton, who have never stepped aside
save once, when loved tie creates. man
of all the world, and ut the touch of love nv
passion famed iadccd, but burnt with a
hallowed flame. These ribaId Alexandrians
do swear that I poisoned Ptolemy, my
brother-whom, most unnatur.,lly, the Ro-
man Senate would have forced on me, his
sister, as a husband! but it is false; he
slckencd and died of fever. And even SO
they sly that would slay Arsinoe, my SIS
ter-who indeed. would Stay mc!-but that,
too, is falscl Though she will have none of
me, love my sister. Yea, they all think
i'll of me without a cause; even thou dost
think i'll of Inc, UaruGcb.s. Oh, Harmachis,
before thou jauGest, think what i thing is
envy.-that foul Sickness of the mind which
makes the jaundiced eye OF pett,ness to see
al things distraught-to read evil written
on the open face of good, and find impurity
in the whi;cst virgil 8 soul Think what q
thing it is, .Harmachis, 10 be set on high
above the gaping crowd of knaves VINO hate
Tn Q for thy fortune and tay wit; who gnash
their teeth aud shoot the arrows of their
lies from the cover of their own obscure
ness. whence they have no wings TO soar {;
boo, tcf Il a..
thy no5i.iiy to the level Of the grounding
and the fool!
lie MOI, then, ready 20 think evil of the
great, whose every word aiId act is searched
for error by a million angry eyes, and
whose most tiny fault Is trumpeted by a
Thousand Threats, till the world shakes
with the echoes of their sin! Say not: "Tis
thus, IT'S certainly thus'-say. rather: Nay.
may it not be otherwise! Have we heard
Alright, Did she this thing of her twn
willr Judge gently. o Harmachis, as vert
thou me thou W uidst be judged. Remem-
Der that q QIecn is never free Sho is, in
decd. bat the point and instrument Of no o
forces polite, wherewith are craven the
iron books of history. O, Harmach: S BE-
thou my friend-my friend and counsellor!
my friend whom can trust inlee i-for
terry alone than any soul that breath y
about the corridors But tiee trust; there
is iii written in those quiet eyes, and
am minded to lift thee high Harmachs,
can no lngcr bear my solitude of mind /
must find one with w.,m mas commune
and speak that which lies within my heart
Il.ve full S, l know j. but am not "a
unworthy of thy faith, for there is good
z ain among the evil seed. Say, Harma-
CHS, wilt thou take pity on my loneliness
and befr;end me who have lovers, courtiers,
slaves, dependents, more thick than eau
count, but never one single friend" and
she leaned toward me, touching me lightly,
and gaZed on me with her wonderful blue
eyes.
was overcome; thinking of the morrow
night, shame a.d sorrow smote me. I, her
friand!-L whose assassin dagger lay
against my breast! bent my head, and Il
500 or a groan, l know not which, burst
from the agony OF my heart.
But Cleopatra, thinking only that l was
NOV, beyond myself by the surprise of her
graciousness, smiled sweetly, and said:
ut grows late. Tomorrow night, when
thou bringest the auCur'es, will we spr X
again, . my friend Harr,achis, ami thou
sialt ans yer me. And she gave me hel
hand to kiss. Scarce knowing W lat d d,
kissed it, and in another moment she was
gone.
Eilt stool in the chamber, gazing after
her like one Us ec.,.
CHAPTER XII.
49,