Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-23

Il
upon the silken fringes of her garIuentsi
How dare you show your paltry face above
the waters that have overwhelmed hers?
The least you could have done were to have
gone to your doom beside her. 1t was the
last act of service you could render to your
mistress. Shame upon you, that you did it
notl A curse upon the miserable crew of
you that had the impertinence to live when
death selected Zshsral"
"Father," said a rich, deep voice from
the shadow of the garden, "do not scold
poor little Rebecca. 1t was no fault of
hers; and am quite SAFE"
Zahars stepped forward in her stately
way; she stood as calmly as Greek statue
in heather temple, and with very SINH
lar grace. In the outcry and confusion that
followed her sudden appearance Zahara
maintained a supreme quiet, which acted
powerfully upon the excited scene.
In point of fact she was elevated above it
by excitement beside which this looked
small to her. The experience of the last
hour seemed to the girl to belittle all 9TH
ers. What was this fret and chatter about
human life compared to the existence of
such a love as she and he who loved her
knew?
The pure face of Zahara, pale with emo
tion, shone brilliantly; her dripping white
robes caught the glare of the torches and
flung it back. She seemed to scintillate, as
she stood there, like a great gem, many
faceted, and nobly set. A weaker woman,
or less royalty builded one would have
sunk with exhaustion by this time, tainted
in her fathers arms or sobbed-like Re
becca the slave.
Zahara had never felt so strong in her
lifa The kisses of her lover burned yet
upon her rich lips. Her chilled blood
Ii. L 1-zA
perious hand had but just new released her
own, as he helped her forward boldly
into the group, and stood reverently but in
sistently beside her, that he might lead her
to her fathers breast. His presence was
fire, light, warmth, food, strength, life.
Zahara felt lifted above everything. She
feared no one. The High Priest was no
more formidable than any common father.
She ran into his arms like any plebeian
daughter and fondled him girlishly, and
Annas, like any unimportant parent, broke
down and wept, and clasped the girl and
blessed her, and blessed the God of his
Priesthood and of his people for her dear
life.
.tAnd behold" cried zahara, shin who
did save the life of thy daughter, o my
fatherl"
Lazarus uttered an involuntary protest.
This movement of Zahara's was totally un-
expected to him. Who could count upon
Zahara? What was Lazarus to do? Words
sprang to his lips, he knew not what; honest,
manly, mad denial. But Zahara turned
her high head and gave him one look. That
look sealed his liDs, II said more than man
could battle against; or more than he could
fight against at that exhausted moment. OF
the two, the young man seemed more eX-
hausted than the woman.
The lady doth overestimate my slight
assistance, - murmured Lazarus, bowling be-
fore the High Priest, "bnt was so fortunate
as to be able to help her across difficult
portion of the shore, which did to the best
of my poor ability"
At this instant something tingled at the
young mans feet. Stupidly he stood staring
down. A brilliant bauble shone on the wet
pavement; his foot all but crushed it as he
moved to examine the thing.
"Pray, SIR" said Zahara imperIously, "be
so courteous as to pick up for me the brace
let which has fallen from my arm."
As Lazarus stopped to do this the lady
bent a little above him or toward him that
she mighs receive the trinket-a glittering
band of emerald and jacinth-from his hand.
In doing so she contrived to breathe few
words, inaudible to any ear but that of the
maddest love or the widest jealousy, but
picked young man.
Contradict me not. Who saveth the
daughter, serveth the father. For loves sake,
leave the matter to me-"
s'Father," added Zahara, 81 have been
thanking the young man for nv own part,
for my debt to him is mighty. See thou to
it for thine own part now, that his high
deed is well regarded, for 1 am wet and
weary, and would get me among my maidens
and seek rest. Thy daughter would have
been tossing wonder in the lake with thy
doomed slaves, o my father, but for his
valor and his strength who has returned me
to thine arms. 1 know not how he did the
deed" added Zahara with an apparent SIM
plicity which was none the less effective be-
cause it happened to be the truest thing she
said. "I cannot tell thee how am saved;
but saved am, and by his hand whom do
honor for the doing of it, I am restored to
thee. If he swan for me-" concluded
Zahara prettily, ''he is mighty man. At
all events, do know him for brave one
aud an honorable, and do bless him in thy
hearing and that of all thy household, and
now farewell, good sir A woman's graft
tude 60 with you'll Ny father, sir, will
entertain you for my sake and for that of
the service you have done to the house of
the High Priest in the salvation of my poor
life.''
With these words Zahara departed very
gracefully and sweetly, with her maidens;
leaving the astounded Lazarus to his con-
science and his perplexity-and the High
Priest.
Annas advanced to him with outstretched
arms. His venerable eountenance stirred
with powerful emotions; these contradicted
each other and made battle-ground of bis
eyes and lips. The two men regarded each
other with the mingled impressions usual to
their meetings. Each attracted to each,
midway of his attraction met repulsion; or
perhaps it were truer to call it distrust or re-
coil. Annas could not explain why he held
such reserved opinions of the young man to
whom he felt consciously drawn. But Laz-
arus knew quite we'll why he shrank from
the High Priest, the powerful enemy of the
religious movement dear to so many of the
middle and lower classes of Jewish society;
and yet, why he could have loved Annas,
the father OF Zahara. On that night the two
came together, swiftly and heartily. The
tide of the occasion swept distrust away.
Father-love and lovers love united them in
stinctively. The High Priest overwhelmed
| the young man with expressions of gratitude
for the rescue of his daughter.
may, but deserve not such tribute of
the High Priest" protested Lazarus in en-
barrassment. "What have done was but
a trife. You do overrate my share in the
salvation of the lady,"
You speak courteously, sir" replied the
High Priest, waving the protest away with
a magnificent hand, "but the word of my
daughter sufices. 1 recognize in you the
savior OF her life, and pray you to allow
me to regard you in accordance with the
facts"
Lazarus was silent from sheer perplexity.
How should he contradict the testimony OF