Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-23

HIS heaVY neaQ SLlrreQ upon tne girl
breast; his hand sought hers; delicately he
lifted it to his cold lips and laid it down.
"ZahRra" he murmured, I'VE die to-
gether. Thou art q holy woman. Pray
thou for my spirit"
There was something in the reverence OF
these words, and of the unconscious mans
refined caress which impressed the High
Priest in spite of himself. Those were rude
times, and took rude forms among the
highest of men and women; the suspicious
OF the incensed father were iully justifable
but had he here the signs of coarse
amour? Annas hesitated with himself for a
perceptible instant, before he spoke again.
Zahara made the most of the instant; she
clasped his knees, and clung to him, and
made entreaty of him that would have
moved a worse father than the High Priest
to something like relent ng.
Let us from this ghastly place! cried
Zahara. "As thou art a man, and a priest,
and as thou art father-let us out into
Gods airl He dieth here within mine arms
Lazarus dieth in this dungeon. Let us
forth, my father, for L go not out without
him, though 1 perish"
"Girl, thou goest as 1 will" replied the
High Priest icily. Guards, take the lady,
thy mistress. Deal with her gently, but if
she follow not without force, force be it.
Return Zahara to the palace OF thy father"
Now, tor the first time in all the cruel
story of that night, Zahars shrieked; and
goodlv feminine shrek it was. The girl
clasped her two beautiful arms stoutly about
her lover and sat like sphinx, as If she
were caryen from the limestone vault. Cry
after crv rang from her lips like the appeals
of a diving woman. Rebecca, hearing pierre
ing sounds, started the rumor that her mis-
tress was being murdered, aud in a moment
half the slaves and officers of the palace
were rushing to the scene. The scandal was
becoming too public and too serious to be
Eubdued. Annas uttered holy oath, and
turned upon his heel.
"Out with the dog of Pharisee thenl
Throw him over the palace wall into the
highway, and leave him to his fate. Take
the lady Zahara to her own apartments, and
be done with the abominable business, and
hold We your tongues about it, or tear them
by the roots!'
This order was quickly and deftly obeyed,
Lazarus and Zahara were literally torn
apart, and thrust, the one unconscious into
the highway. the other, pleading and weep
ing, toward the palace. The slaves scattered,
terrified. The guards followed the mlser-
able Princess. The High Priest and the
young Levite were left alone.
''Thou hast been TO the temple and re-
the deed that 1 commander"
"The deed was done" replied the Levite.
"When 1 reached the Temple, 10, the waters
had been turned of from the hidden passage
into the pools before me. Likewise some
power had evidently opened the river con-
duit from the bottom of the passage into the
Tyropean sewer, for the food receded with
strange swiftness, even as / whirled my
torch and looked"
"Mysteriousp' muttered Annas, "I under
stand not the matter. No underling now
serving in the Temple knoweth the secret
of the conduits. Who had handled them?"
"There is tale that goeth among the
priests, suggested the Levite timidly. II
scarcely know whether to bear 1t unto thee.
But 1 did find curious rumor stirring in
the Temple"
81 demand the whole of itI'' cried Annas
impetuously. TELL me all they prated OF,
and Instantly
at was Sld,'' returned the Levite, hesi-
tating, that a stranger did appear in the
Temple. About the time of the turning of
tine waters, before 1 reached the Temple,
though ran all the way, as never have
run since 1 entered the holy service--a man
was observed to come forth from the under
ground passage, and to cross behind the
altar. One spoke to him, but he answered
not 1t was the dim hour of the night and
the lamps were low before him. No person
recognized the face of the Stranger. He
moved like a man having authority, and
did wave them away with a gesture of his
hand, so that they did take him to be
priest of great rank, and dared not meddle
with him."
"Where did he go? Who was hep" de-
manded Annas eagerly and angrily.
my lord" WHISPERED the Levite, "who
h., &l,Ns -
"Well. what then? Out with it! Who
was the lellow?"
He passed out of the Temple and into
the open street." said the Levite cautiously
HE did walk as a man vino feareth naught
A doorkeeper followed him, and regarded
him, and sweareth by the God of our Fathers
that il was the Nazarene."
but that we know, is impossible added
the Levite soothingly, "for the fellow is
travelling and preaching somewhere-yon-
der beyond the Jordan, have heard the
rabble say, At all events, he is not in
Jerusalem"
The High Priest made no reply.
Toward the middle watch of that night,
Abraham, the servant of Lazarus. having
been despatched by the anxiety of Mary in
search OF her brother, stumbled upon the
exhausted man, lying helpless at the road
side in 4 dan K spot in the shadow of tower,
wherein it so befell that no person had dis
covered him, either to modest or relieve.
Lazarus had partially recovered his con-
seriousness, but his mind wandered still,
and his physical power was at very low
ebb.
Abraham managed to procure litter for
his master-at that hour of the night this
was no easy task-and took him home as
nu1ptlv rooSSihla r1ndar air
stances. Needing extra assistance, Abra-
ham stopped upon the way, and sought it of
Baruch, the Deighbor of Lazarus, who gave
1t heartily, accompanying the slave and the
bearers to the house of Simon the Leper.
Martha was asleep; but Mary's sweet face
peered snxiously from the doorway as the
litter halted. Baruch hastily advanced and
explained the matter to her.
''No one knoweth the cause of this mis-
hap" he said gently, 81 cast off all. But
much / fear :hat Lazarus hath been hardly
dealt with. Say thou naught of it. Thy
brother is man Of eminence and the
tongues of these times wag easily Say thou
that ne is ailing, and keep all men from the
doors till he doth recover
This caution was of the wisest, but it
proved almost impossible to follow the ad-
vice. BY morning Lazarus lay in his own
bed, very sick man. Rumors of his con-
dition, mingled with wild tales of strange
causes for it, had got afioat Bethany was
astir and Jerusalem gossiped. Talkative
neighbors gadded about the hamlet, and
messages of curiosity in the name of SYM
pathy besieged the doors of the sick mans
house.
To all of those the sisters Of Lazarus re-
turned courteous hut dignifed replies, indi-
eating their desire that neighborly service
should remain at distance until sum-
mOned, and expressing the quiet conviction