Thomas County cat., 1890-02-06

thrown open in the door, and an aged
eunuch, looking forth, roughly asked our
business.
.Our business is with the Lord Antony"
ssid Charmion.
"Then 1t is no business, for Antony, my
master, sees neither man or woman"
''Yet will he see US, for we bring tidings.
Go tell him that the Lady Charmion brings
tidings from the army"
The man went, and presently returned.
"The Lord Antony would know if the It'd
inRs be good or ill, for, if ill, then will he
none Of it, for with evil tidings hath he been
overfed Of late"
"Why-why, tits both good and III. Opeu.
slave, I will make answer to thy masterp
and she slipped purse Of gold through the
bars.
'Well, we'll" he grumbled as he took the
purse, "the times are hard, aud likely to be
harder; for when the lions down who will
feed the jackal9 Give thy news thyself, and
il it do but draw the noble Antony out of
this hall Of Groans. l care not what it be.
Now, the palace door is open, and there's
he road o The banqueting chalnber!'
We passed on, to find ourselves in q mar
row passage, and, leaving the eunuch to
bar the door, advanced till we came to Q
curtain. Through this we went, and found
ourselves in a vaulted chamber, ill-liehted
from the roof On the further side Of this
RI le chamber w IS bed Of rugs, and there
on crouched the figure Of man, his face hid
in the folds of his to,a.
Most noble Antony," said Charmion,
drawins near, 'unwrap thy face and heark.
en- uuto me, for bring thee tidings."
Then he lifted up his head. Marred was
his face by sorrow; his tangled hair, griz-
zled with years, hung about his hollow eyes,
AID white on his chin was the stubble Of an
unshaved beard. Squalid was his robe, and
more wretched his aspect than that Of the
poorest beggar at the Temple gates. To
this, then. had the love Of Cleopatra brought
the glorious and removed Antony. afore-
time Master of Half the Worldi
"What viii ye with me, Lady," he asked,
''who would perish here alonel And who
IS this man who comes to gaze on fallen and
forsaken Antony"
This is olympus, noble Antony, that
wise physician, the skilled in auguries, Of
whom thou hast heard much, and who Cleo
patra, ever mindful Of thy welfare, though
but little doth thou think Of hers, hath sent
to minister to thee"
"And can thy physician minister to grief
such as my griefa Can his drugs give mo
back my galleys, my honor and my peacei
Nayi Away with thy physicani What 10
thy tidings! quick-out with i'll Hath Can
idius. perchance, conquered Cesara Tell
me but that, and thou shalt have province
for thy guerdon-ay! and if Octavhnus is
dead, twenty thousand sester,ia to I'LL its
treasury. Speak-nay; speak notl fear
the opening Of thy lips as never feared an
earthly thingi Surely the wheel Of Fortune
hath gone round and Canidius hath con-
queredi II it not so. Nay-out with it'll
I can no more!'
20 noble Autonyi' she said, steel thy
heart to hear that which ! needs must tell
theel Canidius II in Alexandria. He hath
6ed fast and far, and this Is his report. For
seven whole days did the legions wait the
coming Of Antony, As sforetime, to lead
them to victory, putting aside the offers Of
the ENJOYS of Cesar. But Antony came
not. And then twas rumored that Antony
had fed TO Tensrus, drawn thither BY
Cleopatra The man who first brodRht that
tale to the camp the legiouaries cried shame
on-ay, and beat him 70 the deathi But
ever 1t grew, until at length there wss no
more room TO doubt; and then, O Antony,
thy ofncers slipped one BY one away 70
Cesar, and where the officers 70 there the ,
men follow. Nor 10 this all the story; for
thy allies-Bocchus Of Africa, Tarcondi- i
motus Of Cilicia Aithridates Of Com t
magene, Adallss Of Thrace, Philadelphus Of |