The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-02-05

ing tno twain. XXX Att eN. tttAtAr
"If indeed thou art minded TO make an
end, o Queen" said, .,short Is the time,
for presentlywill Caesar send his servants
in answer to thy letter, n,and / drew forth
the phial Of white and deadly bane and set
II upon the board an Ia F%
tShe'toblti II 5nhor hand and gazed there
on. slow innocent It seems" she said;
"and yet therein lice my death. IT'S
strange" 4t
"Aye, Queen, and the death Of ten other
folk No need TO take so long draught "
~ fear" gshe gaspcdf show know !
that 1t viii slay, outrightl ] have seen 80
many die by poison aud scarce one hath
died outright And somei ah, ! can not
think on theniw Ats- sn ~, s~t u
"Fear not,s'I SAID, ~ am d master Of my
GRAFT Or, II thoud6st fear, cast this poison
forth and live. In Rome maycst thou still
nnd happiness; aye, In Rome, where thou
shalt walk In CRsar's triumph, while the
laughter Of the hard-eyed Latin women
shall chime down the MUSIC Of thy golden
chains.n, -
''Nay. win die. Oh, Il one would but
show The path" elp
Then did Iras loose her hand and step for
ward. ''Give me the drsught, Physician"
she said. II 70 % make ready for my
Queen" Y " 'pN3' Vt
,",Tis weli,"II i answered; ''on thy own
head be itp' and poured from the phial
into alittle golden goblet ,..t .,s'i
6he raised 1t and low she curtsied to
Cleopatra, then, coming forward, kissed
her on the brow, and Charmion she also
kissed. This done, tarryiug not and max
ing no prayer (for Iras was Creek, she
drank, and, putting her hand TO her head,
instantly fell down and died
''Thou seest,n said, breaking in upon
the silence, ''it II swift v, aar
"Aye, Olympus; thine Ia master drug
Come now, thirst; fll me the bowl, lest
Iras weary in waiting at the gatesp'
30 poured afresh into the goblet; but
this time, makingpretense TO rinse the cup,
mixed little water, for was not minded
that she should die before she knew me.
Then did the royal Cieopatra, taking the
goblet in her hand, turn her lovely eyes to
heaven and cry aloud; w.a
10 ye Gods Of Egypt who have deserted
me, TO you no longer win pray, for deaf
are your ears unto my crying, and blind
your eyes unto my griefsi Therefore I
make entreaty 10 that one friend whom the
Gods, departing, leave TO helpless man. o
Royal Deathl sweep hither on thy cloudy
pinions, whose shadow circles all the earth,
and give me earl Thou King Of Kingsl
who, with an equal hand, bringest the fort
unate head 10 one pillow with the slave, and
by thy 10y breath dost watt the bubble Of
our life far from these fields of Earth,
draw near and sayel Hide me where
winds blow not and waters cease To roll
Hide me where Cmsar's .legions can not
marchi Take me 10 new dominion and
crown me Queen Of Bleepi am In labor
Of q SOUL See, II stands newborn upon the
edge Of time Now, now. 70, BREATH Come,
DEATH Come, Antonyp' And, with one
glance to heaven, she drank and cast the
goblet to the ground.
Then at last came the moment OF my
pent-up vengeance, and Of the vengeance
Of Egypt's outraged Gods, and Of the fall
ing Of the curse Of Menka-ra.
"WhRt 10 thisf' she cried. II grow cold,
but I die not Thou dark physician, thou
hast betrayed mel"
"Peace, Cleopatral Presently shalt thou
die and know the fury Of the Godsi The
curse Of Mentd-rd hath Jallen II is fnishedl
Look upon me, woman Look upon this
marred face, this twisted form, this living
mass Of sorrowI LOoki look VINO am IP'
She stared upon me wildly.
"0hi ohp she shrieked, throwing up
her arms; Sat last know theei By the
Gods thou art Harmachisl Harmachis
risen from the deadp'
uorp,aohia xiaot, 4rn.,. ho daod %
drag thee down 10 death and agony eternall
See thou, Cleopatra: have ruined thee as
thou didst ruin mel /, workingin the dark,
and helped Of the angry Gods, have been
thy secret spring Of woel I filled thy heart
with fear at Actium, held the Egyptians
from thy aid, sapped the strength Of
Antony, showed the portent Of the Gods
unto thy captainsl By my hand at length
thou diest, for am the instrument Of
Vengeancel Rum do l pay thee back for
ruin, treachery for treachery, death for
DEATH Come hither, Charmion, partner of
my plots, who betrayed me, but, repenting,
art the sharer OF my triumph, come watch
this fallen wanton dieln
Cleopatra heard, and sank back upon the
golden bed, groaning: sand thou, too,
Charmlonln
A moment SO she sat, then her Imperial
spirit burnt up glorious before she died.
She staggered from the bed, and, with
arms outstretched, she cursed me.
"oh, for one hour Of hfel" she cried;
tone short hour, that therein might make
thee die In such fashion as thou canst not
dream, thou and that false paramour of,
thine, who betrayed both me and theei And'