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

6 WHO IS THIS MAN WHO COMES TO GAZE ON
FALLEN ANTONY?'
then, submit myself to Caesar, and I, Tri-
umvir, twice Consul, and aforetime abso-
lutte Monarch of all the East, endure to
follow in his triumph along those Roman
ways where myself have passed in tri-
umph!"
''Nay, Sire,"I answered. ''If thou dost
yield, then art thou doomed. All last night
I questioned of the Fates concerning thee,
and this I saw: When thy star draws near
to Caesars it pales and is swallowed up;
but when it passes from his radiance, then
bright and big it shines, equal in glory to
his own. All is not lost, and while some
part remains, every thing may be regained.
Egypt can yet be held, armies can still be
raised. Caesar hath withdrawn himself;
he is not yet at the gates of Alexandria, and
perchance may be appeased. Thy mind In
it's fever hath fired thy body; thou art sick
and canst not judge Alright. See here, 1
have potion that shall make thee whole,
for we'll skilled am I in the art of medicine"
and I held out the phial.
ga potion, thou sayest, man?' he cried.
ssMore like it is a poison, and thou MUIR
derer, sent by false Egypt. who would fain
be rid of me now that may no more be OF
service to her. The head of Antony is the
peace offering she would send to Cesar
she for whom have lost all! Give me thy
draught. By Bacchus! I will drink 1t,
though it be the very elixir of Deaths"
may, noble Antony; it is no poison, and
no murderer am 1. See, will taste it, if
thou wilt" and held forth the subtitle po-
ton that has power to fire the veins of men.
''Give it me, Physician. Desperate men
are brave men. There!- Why, what is this /!
Yours is q magic draught! Ny sorrows
Ill l@~ ,lc I>,
fore the southern gale, and the spring of
Hope blooms fresh upon the desert of my
heart. Once more am Antony, and once
again see my legions' spears a-sparkle in
the sun, and hear the thunderous shouts of
welcome as Antony-betoved Antony
rides in his pomp of war along his deep
formed linesl There's hope! there's hopel
Yet may see the cold brows of Cesar
that Caesar who never errs except from
policy-robbed of their victor bays, and
crowned with shameful dust?"
"Ay," cried Charmion, there is yet hope,
if thou wilt but play the mani Omy Lord!
come back with US; come back to the loving
arms of Cleopatra! ALI night she lies upon
her golden bed, and fills the hollow dark
ness with her groans for 'Antonyp who, en-
amored now of Grief, forgets his duty and
his lover'
81 comet I comet Shame upon me, that
dared to doubt heri Slave, bring water,
and a purple robe; not thus can be seen
of Cleopatra. Even now l come"
In this fashion, then, did we draw Antony
| back to Cleopatra, that the ruin of the
twain might be made sure.
We led him up the Alabaster Hall and
| into Cleopatra's chamber, where she lay, her
cloudy hair about her face and breast, and
| tears flowing from her deep eyes.
so Egyptr' he cried, "behold me at thy
| feetr'
She sprang from the couch. 'sAnd art
| thou here, my love!' she murmured; sthen
once again are all things well. Come near,
and in these arms forget thy sorrows and
turn my grief to joy. Oh. Antony, while
| love is left to US, still have we allp'
| And she fell upon his breast and wildly
| kissed him.
| That same day Charmion came to me and
| babe me prepare poison of the most dead
| ly power. And this at first would not do,
fearing that Cleopatra would Herewith
make an end of Antony before the time.
But Charmion showed me that this was not
/ so, and showed to me also for what pur-
pose was the poison. Therefore 1 sum
| moned Atoua, the skilled in simples, and
all that afternoon we labored at the deadly
work. And when it was done, Charmion
came once more, bearing with her a chaplet
of fresh roses that she bade me steep in the
poison.
This then did.
That night at the great feast of Cleo
patra sat nigh to Antony, who was at her
| side, and wore the poisoned wreath. Now,
as the feast went on, fast flowed the wine,
| till Antony and the Queen grew merry.
| And she told him of her plans, and of how
| even now her galleys were being drawn by
| the canal that leads from Bubastis on the
I Pelusiac branch of the Nile, to Clysma at
the head of the Bay of Hieraopolis. For il
was her design, should Caesar prove stub.
born, to fly with Antony and her treasure
down the Arabian Gulf, where Cesar had
no feet, and seek some new home in India,
| whittier her foes might not follow. But
| indeed, this plan came to nothing, for the
Arabs of Petra burnt the galleys, melted
| thereto by message sent by the Jews OF
Alexandria, who hated Cleopatra and were
| hated of her.
Now, when she had made an end of telling
him, the Queen called on him to drink a cur
| with her to the success of this new scheme
bidding him, as she did so, steep his wreath
of roses IL the wine, and make the draugh1
more sweet. This, then, he did, and it be
ing done, she pledged him. But when he
| was about to pledge her back. she caught
his hand, crying s'Hold!' whereat he paused
| wondering.
Now, among the servants Of Cleopatra was
one Eudosius, a steward; and this Eudosius
seeing that the fortunes of Cleopatra were
at an end, had laid a plan to fly that very
night to Caesar, as had done many Of his bet
tiers, taking with him all the treasures in
the palace that he could steal But this de
sign being discovered to Cleopatra, she de
termined to be avenged upon Eudosius.
ssEudosius,'' she cried, for the man stood
near, s'come hither, thou faithful servant
Seest thou this man, most noble Antony
through all our troubles he hath chung to u
and been of comfort to US. Now, therefore
he shall be rewarded according to his de
serts and the measure OF his faithfulness
and that from thine own hand. Give hin