Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-06-05

knew. But in my rough disguise and limp
ing gait none knew me. At length / came.
as the sun sank near to the great outer
pylon of the Temple; and here crouched
down in the ruins of a house, not knowing
wherefore had come or what was about
to do. Like lost OK had strayed from
far, back to the fields Of my birth, and for
what? If my father, Amenemhat, still
lived, surely he would turn his face from
me! Idared not go into the presence OF
my father. I sat hidden there among the
broken rafters and idly watched the pylon
gates, to see il perchance face knew
should issue forth. But none came forth or
entered in, though the great gates stood
wide; and then / saw that herbs were
growing 'twixt the stones, where no herbs
had grows for ages. What could this be?
Was the Temple deserteda Nay; how could
the worship of the eternal Gods have
ceased that for thousands Of years had,
day by day, been offered in the holy
well might be. And yet, why this silencea
where were the priestsa where the
worshipersl No more could I bear the
doubt, but as the sun sank red crept like
a hunted jackal through the open gates,
and on till reached the first great Hall OF
Pillars. Here paused and gazed around
me-not sight, not a sound in the dim and
holy place! On with a beating heart went
to the second great hall of six-and-thirty
pillars, where I had been crowned Lord of
all the Land; still not sight or a sound!
Thence, half fearful of my own football, SO
terrible did it echo in the silence of the de-
serted Holes, I passed down the passage of
the names of the Pharaohs toward my IA
theirs chamber. There still swung the cur
tain DER the doorway; but what would
there be within!- also emptiness2 lifted
it, and noiselessly passed in, and there in his
carven chair at the table wherein his long
white beard flowed down, sat my father,
Amenemhat, clad in his pr1estly robes. At
first thought that he was dead, 30 still he
sat; but at length he turned his head, and l
saw that his orbs were white and sightless.
He was blind, and his face was thin as the
face of dead man, and woeful with age and
grief.
stood still and felt the blind eyes wan
dering over me. could not speak, dared
not speak to him, would go and hide my
self afresh.
Already had turned and grasped the cur
tain, when, in deep, slow voice, my father
spoke:
s'Come hither, thou who vast my son and
art q traitor. Come hitler, thou Harmachis,
wherein Khem builded up her hope. Not
awayi Not in vain have held my life in
me till heard thy football creeping down
these empty Holes, like the football of a
thief"
s'Ohi my father,"I gasped, astonished.
'SThou art blind; how knowest thou mea'
SHOW do I know theel and askest thou
that who hast learned of our lore9 Enough,
Would, Harmachis, that knew thee not !!
would that had been blasted of the in
visible ere I drew thee down from the
womb of Nout to be my curse and shame,
and the last woe of KhemP'
.'Oh, speak thou not thus - moaned, els
not my burden already more than I can
bear? Am not myself betrayed and utterly
outcast. Be ptiful, my father!''
ssBe pitiful! be pitiful to thee who hath
shown SO great pitys Thy pity twas which
gave up noble sepa to die beneath the hands
of the tormentorsl''
'sOh, not that-not thatv' I cried
"Ay, traitor, that! to die in agony, with
his last poor breath prOclaimlng thee, his
murderer, honest and innocent! Be pitiful
to thee, who gaveth all the flower Of Khem
as the price Of q wanton's arms Ethinkest
thou that, laboring in the darksome desert
mines, those noble ones in thought are pitt
full to thee, Harmachis2 Be pltiful to thee,
by whom this holy Temple Of Abouthis hath
been ravaged, its lands seized, its priests
scattered, and alone, old and withered, left
to count out its ruin Ito thee, who hath
poured the treasures of Her into thy tenants
lap, who hath forsworn thysef, thy country,
thy birthright, and thy Godsl Yea, thus
am pitiful Accused be thou, fruit Of
my loins SHANE be t::y portion, Agony thy
end, and He'll receive thee at the last!
Where art thou? Yea, grew blind with
weeping when heard the truth-sure, they
strove to hide it from me. Let me find thee
that I may spit upon thee, thou Renegade!
thou Apostatei thou Outcastr'--and he
rose from his seat and staggered like a liv
ing wrath toward me, shifting the air with
his wand. And as he came with outstretched
arms, awful to see, suddenly his end found
him, and with a cry he sank down upon the
ground, the red blood streaming from his
lips. ran to him and lifted him; and as he
died. he babbled:
'He was my son, bright-eyed, lovely
boy, and full of promise as the spring; and
now-and now-oh, would that he were
dead!''
Then came pause, and the breath ratified
in his throat.
'Harmachis,'' he gasped, "art there2''
'Yea, father"
''Harmachis, ne!-atonei Vengeance
can still be WI eaked-forgiveness may still
be won. There's gold; I've hidden it
Atoua-she can tell thee-ah, this pain
Farewellr'
And he struggled family in my arms, and
was dead. Thus, then, did 1 and my holy
father, the Prince Amenemhat, meet togeth-
err for the last time in the flesh, and for the
last time part.
Ito BE CONTINUED
UNFORTUNATE PERSONS.
Individuals Who Make Enemies Where
On