The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-03-28

4
IMW Strange VIII, whim ,,s and fane'es blow
airs upon summer sea, and can
not read her purpose"
'Well, well; enough of Cleopatra. Hast
thou seen our uncle2'
"Yea, Royal Harmachis.
| "And hast thou the last listsp'
"Yea, here they be-" and she drew them
| from her bosom. "Here is the list Of those
who, after the Queen, must certainly be
put to the sword. Among them thou wilt
note is the name of that old Gaul, Brennus.
grieve for him, for we are friends; but it
must be. 1t is heavy list"
| "'Tis So" answered; "when men write
out their count they forget no item, and our
count is long What must be, must be.
Now for the next"
| "Here is the list Of those to be spared, as
friendly or uncertain; and here that Of the
| towns that certainly will rise so soon as the
messenger reaches their gates with tidings
of the death Of Cleopatra"
"Good. And now"-and I paused-''and
| now as to the manner Of Cleopatra's death.
How hast thou settled it! Must it be even
| by my hand!"
"Yea, my lord" she answered, and once
| again l caught that note of bitterness in her
| voice. "Doubtless my Lord will rejoice
that his should be the hand to rid the land
of this false and wanton woman, and at one
| blow break the chains which gall the neck
| of Khem.'
Talk not thus, girl" said, swell thou
| knowest that rejoice not, being but driven
| to the act by deep necessity and the press
ure of me vows. Can she not, then, be
| poisonedl Or can no one of the eunuchs be
suborned to slay herl My soul turns from
| this bloody work! Indeed, marvel, how
| ever heavy be her crimes, that thou canst
talk thus lightly of the death by treachery
of one who loves theer'
"Methinks my Lord Is over-tender, for
| getting the greatness of the moment and
| all that hangs upon this dagger stroke that
shall cut the thread of Cleopatras life.
Listen, Harmarchls. Thou must do the
deed, and thou alone! Myself would do it,
had my arm the strength; but it has it not.
BY poison it can not be done, for every
drop she drinks and everymorsel that shall
touch her lips is strictly tasted by three
separate tasters, who can not be suborned.
Nor may the eunuchs of the guard be trust
ed. Two, indeed, are sworn to US; but the
third can not be come at. He must be cut
down afterward; and, indeed, when so
more or less. Thus shall it be, then. To-
morrow night, when Bonou at three hours
before midnight is in the right ascension,
| thou dost cast the final augury of the issue
of the war. And then thou wilt, as is
| agreed, descend alone with me, having the
siguet to the outer chamber of the Queens
| apartment. For the vessel bearing
| orders to the Legions sails from AL
| exandria at the following dawn; and
alone with her, for she wills that the
| thing be kept secret as the sea, thou wilt
| read the message of tho stars. And as she
pores ever the papyrus, then must thou
stab her in the back, so that she dies; and
see thou that thy will and arm fail thee not!
| The deed being done-and indeed 1t will be
easy-thou wilt take the signet and pass out
| to where the eunuch is-for the others will
| be wanting. II by any chance there be
| trouble with him-but there will be no trou-
| bic, for he dare not the private rooms.
| and the sounds of death can not reach so
far-thou must cut him down. Then will I
meet thee; and, passing on, we will come to
| Paulus, and it shall be my care to see that
| he is neither drunk nor backward, for /
know how to hold him to the task. And he
and those with HIM shall throw open the
side gate, when Sepa and the five hundred
chosen men who are in waiting shall pour
| in and throw themselves upon the sleeping
| legionaries, putting them to the sword.
Why, the thing is easy, so thou rest true TO
| myself, and let no woman's fears creep
| into thy heart. What is this dagger's
thrust? 1t is nothing, and yet upon it may
hang the destinies of Egypt and the world"
s'Hush" / said. .'What is thata hear
| q sound"
Charmion ran to the door, and gazing
| down the long. dark passage, listened.
In moment she came back, her finger on
| her lips. sit Is the Queen" she whispered,
| hurriediy; ''the Queen who mounts the
stair alone. / heard her bid Iris leave her
may not be found thus alone with thee at
this hour; it hath strange look, and she
may suspect somewhat What wants she
herei Where can hide mea" I glanced
around At the further end Of the chamber
was heavy curtain that hid a little place
built in the thickness Of the wall which /
used for the storage of rolls and instru-
| ments.
Haste thee-therer' l said, and she
glided behind the curtain, which swung
| back and covered her. Then I thrust the
fatal scroll of death into the bosom of nv
robe and bent me DER the mystic chart
Presently heard the sweep of woman's
robes, and there came low knock upon the
door.
Enter, whoever thou artr' I said.
The latch lifted, and Cleopatra swept in,
royalty arrayed, her dark hair hanging
about her and the sacred snake of royalty
glistening on her brow.
''Of truth, Harmachis," she said, with
sigh, as she sank into a seat, 1.-THE path
TO Heaven is hard to climb All! 1 am
weary, for those stairs are many. But
was minded, my astronomer, to see thee
in thy haunts."
81 am hoDored overmuch, o Queen"
said, bowling low before her.
"Art thou now! And yet that dark face
Of thine hath a somewhat angry look.
Thou art too young and handsome for this
dry trade, Harmachis. Why, / VOW, thou
hast cast my wreath Of roses down amidst
thy rusty toolsl Kings would have cher
ished that wreath along with their
choicest diadems, o Harmachis! and thou
dost throw it down as q thing of no &C
COUNT Why, what a man thou arti But
stay; what is this! A lady's kerchief, by
Isis! Nay, now my Harmachis, how came
this here! Are our poor kerchiefs also in
struments of thy high art! Oh, fie, fiel-
have l caught thee, thenl Art thou, in
deed, foxl''
.sNay, most Royal Cleopatra, nayp /
said, turning; for the kerchief which had
fallen from Charmion's neck had an
awkward look. 81 know not, indeed, how