Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-06-12

wither, wane, and, meath the breath of
Time, melt into nothingness; again, to gath
er, and, reborn, thread the vast maze of
space say, shall I companion thee.
Wherever thou goest, In whatever form of
life thou Invest, there shall bel Art thou
waited to the farthest star, art thou buried
in Amenti's lowest deep, in lives, in deaths,
in sleeps, in wakings, in remembrances, in
oblIvions, in all the fevers of the outer
Life, in all the changes of the Spirit-stilI,
If thou wilt atone and forget Me no more,
shalt be with thee, waiting thine hour of re-
demption. For this Is the nature of the love
Divine, wherewith It loves that which doth
partake of its divinity and hath once by the
holy tie been bound to it. Judge then, Har-
machis; was it well to put this from thee to
win the prize of earthly woman! And, now,
dare not again to utter the Word Of Power
till these things be donei Harmachis, for
this season, fare thee we'll"
AS the last note Of the sweet voice died
away, the fiery snake climbed into the heart
of the cloud. Now the cloud rolled from
the horns of light, and was gathering into
the blackness. The vision of the crescent
moon grew dim and vanished. Then as the
Goddess passed, once more came the faint
and dreadful music of the shaken sistra,
and all was still.
hid my face in my robe and, even then,
though my outstretched hand could touch
the chill corpse of that father who bad died
cursinR me, l felt hope come back into my
heart, knowing that I was not altogether
lost nor utterly rejected of Her whom had
forsaken, but whom yet loved. And then
WEAKNESS overpowered me, and slept
I woke, the faint lights of dawn were
creeping from the opening in the roof.
CHASTITY they lay upon the shadowy sculpt-
ured walls and CHASTITY upon the dead face
and long white beard of my father, the
gathered to Osiris. I st arted up, remem-
bering all things, and wondering in my
heart what should do, and as rose heard
faint football creeping down the passage
of the names of the Pharaohs.
"La! la! Ian mumbled voice that
knew for the voice of the old wife, Atoua.
''Why, tits dark as the House of the Dead
The holy ones who built this Temple loved
not the blessed sun, however much they
worshiped him. Now, where's the cur
tain!'
Presently it was drawn, and Atoua en-
tered, a stick in one hand and in the other
basket. Her face was somewhat more
wrinkled and her scanty locks were some
what more white than aforetime, but for
the rest she was as she had ever been. She
stood and peered around with her sharp
black eyes, for because of the shadows as
yet naught could she See.
''NOw where is hel" she muttered.
''Osiris-glory to his name-send that he
has not wandered in the night, and he blind!
Alackl that could not return before the
dark. Alack! and alacki what times have
we fallen on when the Holy High Priest and
the Governor, by descent of Abouthis, is
left with one aged crone to minister to his
infrmityl o Harmachis, my poor boy,
thou hast laid trouble at our doors! Why,
what's this? Surely he sleeps not, there
upon the roundl-'twill be his death!
Prince! Holy Father! Amenemhati awake,
arise!' and she hobbled towards the corpse.
"Why, how is ita By Him who sleeps he's
dead INTENDED and alone-dead! dead!'' and
she sent her long wall Of grief ringing up
the scuiptured walls.
''Hushi woman; be still" said, gliding
from the shadows.
''Oh, what art thouI' she cried, casting
down her basket. ''Wicked man, hast thou
murdered this holy One, the only holy One
in Egypt! Surely the curse will fall on
thee, for though the Gods do seem to have
forsaken us now in our hour of trial, yet is
their arm long, and certainly they will be
avenged on him who hath slam their
anointedr'
''Look on me, Atoua," cried.
"Lookl ay, 1 look-thou wicked wanderer
who hast dared this cruel deedI Harmachis
is traitor and lost far away, and Amen
cmhat, his holy father, is murdered, and
now I'm all alone without lkith or kin.
gave them for hlm. l gave them for Har-
machis, the traitors Come, slay me also,
thou wicked one"
i took q step toward her, and she, think
ing that was about to smite her, cried out
In fear:
''Nay, good Sir. spare me! Eighty and
six, by the holy Ones. eighty and six, come
next flood of Nile, and yet would I not die,
though Osiris is merciful to the old who
served him! Come no nearer-help! help!
helpr' ft -
''Thou fool, be SILENT" said; '.knowest
thou me nota"
sKnow theea-can know every wander
ing boatman to whom Sebek grants to earn
q livelihood till Typhon claims his owna
And yet-why, tits strange-that changed
countepance THAT scar!-that stumbling
gait! IT'S thou, Harmachis tits thou, oh,
my boyi Art come back to glad mine old
eyesi hoped thee dead! Let me kiss
theef-nay, I forgot Harmachis is q trail
tor, ay, and a murderer! Here lies the holy
Amenemhat, murdered by the traitor,
Harmachis! Get thee gone! pn have
none of traitors and of PARTICLES Get thee
to thy wanton!-'ti not thou whom I did
nurse"
''Peace. woman! peace! I slew not my
father-he died, alas! even in my arms!''
SAY, surely, and cursing thee, Harmachis!
Thou hast given death to him who gave thee
lifel La! la! am old, and I've seen many
a trouble; but this is the heaviest! never
like the looks of mummies; but l would
were one this hour! Get thee gone, pray
theer'
sold nurse, reproach me notl-have not
enough to bears'' "
"Ah, true. true! I did forget! Well;
and what is thy sin? A woman was thy
bane, as women have been to those before
thee, and shall be to those after thee. And
what woman! La! Ia! I saw her, a
beauty such as never was-an arrow
pointed by the evil Gods for destruction!
And thou, a young man bred as priest
an i'll trainings very i'll training! Twas
no fair match. Who can wonder that she
mastered thees Come, Harmachb; let me
kiss thee! 1t is not for a woman to be hard
upon man because he loved our sex too
much. Why, that is but nature; and
Nature knows her business, else had she
made US otherwise. But this is an evil
case. Knowest thou that this Macedonian
Queen of thine hath seized the Temple
lands and revenues, and driven away
the Priests-all, save the holy Amen
emhat, who lies here. and whom she left,
I know not why; ay, and caused
the worship of the Gods to cease within
these walls. Well, he's gonel-he's gone
and indeed ho ia better with ORiris for his