Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1890-01-09

passionate Only-and 10 every
mood she gave some new-found charm.
Full of talk she was as to how should help
her make Egypt great and lessen the bur-
dens of the people and fight the Roman
eagles back. And though at first listened
heavily when she spake thus, by slow ad-
vance she wrapped me closer and vet ;rare
close in her magic web, from which Is no
escape Ny mind fell in time with hers:
Then l, too, opened something Oh
my heart, and somewhat also OF
the plans that had formed for Egypt And
she seemed to listen gladly, weighing them
well, and spoke of means and methods, Tell
ing me how she would purify the faith and
repair the ancient temples-ay, and oullo
new ones to the Gods. And ever she crept
deeper and more deep into my heart, TIL at
length, now that all things else had gone
from me, learned to louc her with al inc
unspent passion Of my aching soul. lhad
naucht lie 1T to me but Cleopatra love. and
twined my life about it, and brooded Ger
it as O widow err her only babe. And thus
the very author of my shame became my
all. nv dearest dear, and loved her with a
wild, deep love that grew and grew, till 1t
seemed to swallow up the past and make
the present as q dream. For she had con-
ouered me, she had robbed me OF my honor
and STEPPED me TO the lips in shame, and l,
Door, blinded wretchl kissed the rod that
smote me and wis her very slave.
Ay, even now, in those dreams which will
come when sleep unlocks the secret heart,
| and sets all it's terrors free to roam through
the open halls Of thou~ht, I seem to see her
| royal form, as erst saw it, como with arms
outstretched and loves own light shining
| in her deep eyes, with lips apart and tiow-
ing locks, and stamped upon her face the
look of utter tenderness that She alone
could wear Ay, still, after all the years,
seem to see her come as erst she came, ana
still wake to know her an unutterable liz.
And thus one day she came. She had
fed in haste she said, from some great
council summoned concerning the wars OF
Antony in Syria, and she came. as she had
left the council, in all her robes OF state,
and in her hand the scepter, and on her
brow the uraus diadem of gold. There she
sat before me laughing; for, wearyinS OF
them, she had told the ENJOYS, to whom she
gave audience in the council, that she was
called from Their presence by sudden
message come Rome; and to her the
lest seemed nj. :. Suddenly she rose,
took the diadem from her brow, and set it
ON nv hair, and on my shoulders her Royal
chlamvs, and in nv hand the scepter, and
bowed the knee before me. Then, laugh
ing again, she kissed me on the lips and
said was, indeed, her King But, remem
BERN how I had been crowned in the halls
of Abouthis, and remembering also thai
wreath of roses whereof the odor haunts
me vet, rose pale with wrath and cast the
trinkets from me, asking her how she
dared to mock me-her Gagged bird! Anc
| metlinks there was that about me tha
startled her, for she fell back.
"Nly, Harmachis, she said, "be no
wro,hi How knowest thou that l mocl
thee. How knowest thou that thou shal
not be Pharaoh in fact and deedF
"What meanest thoul' said. "Wll
! thou, then, wed me before EgypSa HoV
else can be 2 .araOh now"
Sue cast down her eyes. "Perchance
love, its in my mind to wed thee" she SAL
gently.
: "Listenp she went on. ''Thou groves
, pale here in this prison, and little dost tho'
l eat. Gainsay me not! know it from IN
:. slaves. have kept thee here, Harmacnls
for thine own sake, that is SO dear 70 me
|, and for thine own sake and thy honor
sake, must thou still seem 20 be my prison
< er. Else wouldst thou be shamed and slal
",
meet thee no more; therefore tomorrow
will free thee in all save in the name, an
}. thou shalt once more be seen at Court
o nv astronom n. And this reason viii CIV
j; that thou hast cleared thyself; and, more
over, that thy auguries as regards the wa
have been auguries Of truth-as, indeed
they have. though thereon have no caus
Q to thank thee, for inethinks thou didst SUI
,hy prophecies to 6t thy cause. Now TAR
q well; for I must return to those heav!
proved ambassadors; and grow not 30 SUI
den wroth, for who knows what may CON
q to pass 'twixt thee and mei'
And, with little nod, she went, leavln
+ il on my mind that she had it in her hea
u to take me to husband. And, OF truth,
, do believe that, at this hour. such was a.
thought For, II she loved mo not, stu 81
held me dear, and - yet she had n
= wearied Of me.
:. On the morrow Cleopatra came not D
u Charmion came-Charmion, whom had
. seen since that fatal night Of ruin. She o
q tered and stood before mo, with pale -
and downcast eyes, and her 1Est Woe'
y were words Of bitterness.
ssPardon me-" she cd. = ~ eens
vsfee, s-ia that dare - eo0o - ~