Thomas County cat., 1890-01-16

OF woman'S robes upon the stair, and a
swift, light step that well l knew. 1t was
that of Cleopatra!
She entered, Ind her football drew nigh.
1 felt her come! Every pulse in my poor
frame beat an answer TO her football, and
all my mighty love and hate rose from the
darkness of my death-like sleep and rent
me in their struggle! She leaned over me
her ambrosial breath played upon my face.
could hear the beating of her heart
Lower she leaned, till at last her lips
touched me softly on the brow. ''Poor
manI' / heard her murmur. ''Poor, weak,
dying mani Fate hath been hard to thee!
Too good vert thou to be the sport of such
one as I, the pawn that l must move in
my play Of policyl Ah! Harmachis !!
thou shouldst have ruled the game |
They could give thee learning, those plot
ting priests; but knowledge of mankind
they could not give thee, nor
fence thee 'gainst the march
of Natures law. And thou didst love me
with all thy heart-ah! well know it!
Man like, thou didst love the eyes that, as
pirates lights, beckoned thee to ship
wrecked ruin, and didst hang doting on the
lips that lied thy heart away and call thee
'slave'l Well, the game was fair, for thou
wouldst have slain me; ard yet grieve!
So thou dost die? and this is my farewell to
theei Never may we meet again on earth;
and perchance, tits well; for who knows,
when my hour of tenderness is past, how 1
might deal with thee didst thou livel Thou
dost die, they say-those learned, long-faced
fools, who, if they let thee die, shall pay the
pricei And where, then, shall we meet
again when my last throw is throwna We
shall be equal there, in the kingdom that
Osiris rules. A little time, a few years
perchance tomorrow, and we shall meet;
then, knowing all am, how wilt thou greet
me there? Nay, here. as there. still must
thou love me; for injuries can not touch the
immortality Of such love as thinel Con-
tempt alone can, like acid, eat away the
strong love of noble hearts and reveal the
pitiful truth in its poor nakedness. Still
must thou love me, Harmachis; for what
ever my sins, yet am great and set above
thy scorn. Would that could have loved
thee as thou lowest me! Almost did so
when thou slewest those guards; and yet,
not quite.
'Oh, what fenced city is my heart, that
none can take it, and cen when 1 throw
wide open the doors no man may win its
citadel! Oh, to put away this loneliness
and lose me in another's soul. Oh, for
year, month, an hour to quite forget poll
cy, peoples and my pomp of place, and be
but loving womanl Harmachis. fare thee
well! Go join Great Julius whom thine art
called up from death before me, and take
Egypt's greetings to him. All, well fooled
thee; and fooled C4sar-perchance before
It's done fate will find me and myself shall
be fooled! Harmachis, fare thee wellr'
She turned to 90 and "a she trrned I
heard the sweep Of another dress and the
light fall Of another woman's foot i
"Ah! It's thou, Charmion- Well, for all /
thy watching, the man dies"
say" she answered. in q voice thick with
grief. "Ay, O Queen, 50 say the physicians.
Forty hours hath he been in stupor 50 deep
that at times his breath could hardly lift
this tiny feathers weight and scarce could