Thomas County cat., 1890-01-16

mOSt SGtdOiaSC, nOpOT2Ol0 ana upright
man, who never dldst barter thy birthright,
thy country and thy cause for the price of
woman's passing love; by what token
kuowest thou that my word is void!"
''Thy taunts i will not answer, Cleo
patra," said, holding back my heart as
best might; 'for have earned them all,
though not from thee By this token, then,
1 know it. Thou goest to visit Antony
thou goest, as said that Roman knaye.
'tricked in the best attire to feast with
him whom thou shouldst give to vultures
for their feast. Perchance, for aught ]
know, thou art about to squander those
treasures that thou hast flched from the
body OF MenkS-ra, those treasures stored
against the need Of Egypt. upon wanton
revels which shall complete the shame OF
Egypt. By these things, then, know tha,
thou art forsworn, and /, who, loving thee.
believed thee, tricked; and by this, also.
that thou who didst but yesternight swear
to wed me, dost to-day cover me with
taunts, and even before that Roman put me
to an open shamer
ITO wed theea And did swear to wed
thee! Well, and what is marriage! Is it
the union Of the heart, that bond beautiful
as gossamer and than gossamer more light,
which binds soul to soul as through the
dreamy night Of passion they float, bond
to be, perchance, melted in the dews of
dawn? Or is it the iron link of enforced,
unchanging union whereby if sinks the one
the other must be dragged beneath the sea
OF circumstances, there, like punished
slave, to perish Of unavoidable corruptisn
Marriage! l to marryl 1 to forget free
dom q e of
which, by the selfish will of man, the
stronger, doth still bind US to bed grown
hateful, and enforce service that love
mayhap no longer hallows! Of what use,
then, to be Queen, if thereby I may not
escape the evil of the meanly born! Mark
thou, Harmachis: Woman being grown
hath two ills to fear, death and marriage; ;
and of these twain IS marriage the more
vile; for in death we may find rest, but in
marriage, should it fail us, we must find
hell. Nay, being above the breath of COM
mon SANDER that would blast those who of
true virtue will not consent to stretch af-
fection's bonds, love, Harmachis, but l
marry not!"
land yesternignt thou didst swear that
thou wouldst wed me and call me to thy
side before the face of Egyptp'
"And yesternight the red ring round the
moon did mark the coming of the storm,
and yet the day is fair! But who knows
that the tempest may not break tomorrow?
Who knows that l have not chosen the cas-
ier path to save Egypt from the Romana
Who knows, Harmachis, that thou slalt not
still call me 'wifen"
Then no longer could bear her falsehood,
for saw that she but played with me. And
so spoke that which was in my heart.
cleopatra" cried, ''thou ddst swear to
protect Egypt, and thou art about to betray
Egypt to the Roman! Thou didst swear to
use the treasures that revealed to thee
for the service of Egypt, and thou art
about to use them to be her means of shame
to fashion them as fetters for her wristsi
Thou didst swear to wed me, who loved
thee, and for thee gave all, and thou dost
mock me and reject! Therefore l Say
with the voice of the dread Gods say it
that on thee shall fall the curse of Menka-
ra, whom thou hast robbed, indeed! Let
me go hence and work out my doom! Let
me 60, G, thou fair shame! thou living Lie
whom have loved to my doom, and who
hast brought upon me the last curse of
doom! Let me hide myself and see thy face
no moreI'
She rose IN her wrath, and terrible she
was to see.
"Let thee go to stir up evil against me?
Nay, Harmachis, thou shalt not go to build
new plots against my thronel say to thee
that thou, too, shalt come to visit Antony
in Cilicia, and there, perchance, will let
thee gor' And ere could answer, she had
struck upon the silver gong that hung nigh
to where she was.
Ere it's rich echo had died away there
entered from one door Charmion and the
waiting women, and from the o.her file of
OF them of the Queens body
guard, mighty men, with winged helmets
Ind long, fair hair.
"Seize that traitorW cried Cleopatra,
pointing to me. The Captain of the guard
it was Brennus-saluteda and came toward
ne with drawn sword.
But I, being mad and desperate, and little
.aring if they slew me, flew straight at his
hroat, and dealt him such heavy blow
hat the great man fell headlong and his
lrmor clasbed upon the marble floor And
IS he fell seized his sword and target and,
Meeting the next, who rushed on me with
hout, caught his blow upon the shield. and
n answer smote with all my strength
The sword fell where the neck is set
nto the shoulder and shearing through the
oints of his harness slew him, so that his
;nees were loosened and he sank down
ead. And the third, as he came,
caught upon the point of my
word before he could strike, and it
erced him and he died. Then the last
ushed on me with cry of "Taranis I" and
too, rushed on him, for my blood was
flame. And the women shrieked, only
,leopatra said naught, but stood and
watched the unequal fray. We met and I
truck with all my strength, and mighty
low it was, for the sword shore through
he iron shield and shattered there, leaving
ne weaponless. With shout of triumph
he guard swung up his sword and smote
own upon my head, but with my shield I
aught the blow. Again he smote, and again
parried; but when third time he raised
is sword saw this might not endure, so
nth cry hurled my buckler at his face.
Ilancing from his shield it struck him on
ne breast and staggered him. Then, before
e could regain his balance, rushed in be-
veen his guard and gripped him round the
liddle. For full minute the tall man and
struggled furiously, and then, so great
'as my strength in those days, lifted him
Ike toy and dashed him down upon the
larble floor in such fashion that his bones
'ere shattered so that he spake no more.
ut l could not save myself and fell upon
i'm, and as [ fell the Captain Brennus.