Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-06-19

at heart. For what man is there who does
not prize that gift most rare and beautiful,
that one perfect thing which no gold can
buy-a woman's unfeigned love7
81 thank thee that thou didst not an
swer," she said; "for the bitter words which
thou didst pour upon me in those days that
long are dead, and far away in Tarsus, have
not lost their poisonous sting, and in my
hearts, NO more place for the arrows Of thy
scorn, new venomed through thy solitary
years. So let it be. Behold! I put it from
me. that wild passion Of my SOUL" and she
looked up and stretched out her hands as
though to press some unseen presence back.
81 put it from me-though forget it may
not! There, tits done, Harmachis; no more
shall my love trouble thee. Enough for me
that once more my eyes behold thee, before
sleep seals thee from their sight Dost re-
member how when would have died by thy
dear hand, thou wouldst not STAY, but didst
bid me live to pluck the bitter fruit of
crime, and be accursed by visions of the
evil had wrought and memories of thee
whom had ruinedl''
Say, Charmion, well do remember"
s'Surely hath the cup of punishment been
filled. Oh! couldst thou see into the record
of my heart and read thereon the suffering
that have borne-borne with smiling
face-thy justice would be satisfied indeed ~
''And yet, if report betrue, Charmion, thou
art the first of all the Court, and therein the
most powerful and beloved. Doth not
Octavianus give it forth that he makes war
not on Antony. nor even on his mistress,
Cleopatra; but on Charmion and Iras!"
"Yea, and think what it has been to me
thus, even of my cath to thee, to be forced
to eat the bread and do the biddings of one
whom so bitterly I hate!-one who has
robbed me of thee, and who, through the
workings of my jealousy, brought me to
that which am, brought thee to shame, and
all Egypt to its ruin! Can jewels and riches
and the flattery of princes and mobiles bring
happiness to such a one as I, who am more
wretched than the meanest scullion wench?
Oh, often have wept till was blind; and
then, when the hour came, must arise and
tire me, and, with a smile, go do the
bidding of the Queen and that heavy
Antony. May the Gods grant me to see
them dead-ay, the twain of themi-then
myself shall be content to diet Hard hath
been thy lot, Harmachis; but at least thou
hast been free, and many is the time that
have envied thee the quiet of thy haunted
cave"
81 do perceive, o Charmion. that thou art
mindful of thy oaths; and it IS well, for
mathinks the hour Of vengeance is at hand"
81 am mindful, and in all things have
worked for thee in Secretion thee, and for
the utter ruin of Cleopatra and the Roman
have famed his passion and her jealousy,
have egged her on to wickedness and him
to folly, and of all have caused report to be
brought to Caesar. Listen! thus stands the
matter. Thou knowest how went the fight
at Actium. Thither with her feet went
Cleopatra, sorely against the will of Antony.
But, as thou sendest me word, I entreated
him for the Queen, vowing to him, with
tears, that, did he leave her, she would die
of grief; and he, poor slave, believed me.
And SO she went, and in the thick of the
fight, for what cause I know not, she made
signal to her squadron, and, putting about,
fed from the battle, sailing for Pelopon-
nesus. Ard now mark the end. When
Antony saw that she was gone, he. in his
madness, took a galley, and, deserving all,
followed hard after her, leaving his feet to
be shattered and sunk, and his great army
in Greece of twenty legions and twelve
thousand horses without leader. And all
this would no man believe, that Antony,
the smitten of the gods, had fallen so deep
in shame. Therefore for awhile the army
tarried, and but now tonight comes news
brought by Canidius, the General, that
worn with doubt and being at length sure
that Antony had deserted them, the whole
Of that great force hath yielded to Caesar. :"
"And where, then, is Antony!'
''On little isle in the Great Harbor hath
he built him habitation and named it
Timonium; because, forsooth, like Timon,
he cries out of the ingratitude of mankind
that hath fOrsaken him. And there he lies
smitten by fever of the mind, and thither
must thou go at dawn, so wills the Queen,
to cure him Of his ills and draw him to her
arms; for her he will not see, nor knows he
yet the full measure of his woe. But first
my bidding is to lead thee instantly to Cleo
patra, who fain would ask thy COUNSEL
81 come," I answered, rising. LEAD thou
on.'
And SO we passed the palace gates and
along the Alabaster Hall, and presently
once again 1 stood before the door of Cleo
patra's chamber, and once again Charmion
left me to warn her of my coming.
Presently she came back and beckoned to
me. snake strong thy heart" she whis-
pered, ''and see that thou dost not betray
thysef, for still are the eyes of Cleopatra
keen. Enter"
machis in the learned Olympus! Had not
willed it, myself thou hadst not known me,
Charmion," made answer.
Then I entered that remembered place
and listened once more to the splash OF the
fountain, the song of the nightingale, and
the murmur of the summer sea. With
bowed head and hating gait came, till at
length stood before the couch of Cleopatra
that same golden couch whereon she had
gathered my strength and looked up.
There before me was Cleopatra, glorious as
of old, but, oh! how changed since that
night when I saw Antony clasp her in his
arms at Tarsusl Her beauty still clothed
her like a garment; the eyes were yet deer
and unfathomable as the blue sea. The face
still splendid in it's great loneliness. And
yet all was changed. Time, that could no,
II IN. L~.kAMIr