Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-07-03

4 E#I 3 the coffin and covered
SSszNsYJ it with lotus flowers,
&GtsSNA she ca m back +,
f// NE-SEHEAAEa a e d, anoinSed
tcla0AGAae%sEN herself. put on her
@mosts plendid robes, azd, to-
.gether with Iras, Charmion and myself,
she supped. Now, as she supped, her spirit
fared up wildly, even as the SKY lights up
at sunset; and once more she laughed and
-sparkled as in bygone years, telling US tales
of suppers which she and Antony had eaten
of Never, indeed, did see her look more
.beauteous than on that last fatal night of
vengeance. And thus her mind drew on to
that supper at Tarsus, when she drank the
, pearl.
Strange" she said, ''strange that at the
last the mind of Antony should have turned
back to that night among all the nights, and
to the saying of Harmachis. Charmion,
thou dost remember Harmachis, the Egyp-
tian?'
Surely, o Queen she answered slowly.
''And who, then, was Harmachis" l
asked: for l was fcin to know if she sor-
rowed DER my memory.
~ will tell thee. IT'S a strange tale, and
now that ali is done it may well be told
This Harmachis was of the ancient race of
the Pharaohs. and having, indeed, been in
secret crowned at Abydos, was sent blther
to Alexandria to carry out a great plot that
had been formed against the rule of US
Royal Lagidse. He came and gained en-
trance to the palace as my astrologer, for
he was very learned in all magic-much as
thou art, Olympus-and man beautiful to
see Now, this was his plot-that he should
slay me and be named Pharaoh. In truth,
it was | strong one, for he had
many friends in Egypt and I few.
And on that very night when he
should carry out his purpose, yea, at the
very hour, came Charmion yonder and told
the plot to me, saying that she had CHANGED
upon it's clew. But in after days-though
naught have said thereon to thee, Char
mion-I misdoubted me much Of that tale
of thine; for, by the Gods! at this hour /
do believe that thou didst love Harmachis,
and because he Scorned thee thou didSt be-
tray him, and for that cause also thou hast
all thy days remained a maid, which is a
Shing unnatural. Come, Charmion, tell US !;
for naughtit matters now at the end"
Eharmion shivered and made answer: sit
IS true, o Queen; 1 also was of the plot, and
because Harmachis scorned me- betrayed
him, and because Of my great love for him
heEe remained unwed." And she glanced
up at me and caught my eyes, then let the
modest lashes vail her own.
80. thought it. Strange are the ways
SoS womeni But little cause, methinks, had
THAI Harnachis to thank thee for thy love;
what sayest thou, Olympusl All, and SO
thou also vast traitor, Charmion! How
dangerous are the paths which Monarchs
treadl Well, forgive thee, for faithfully
hast thou served me since that hour.
But TO my tale. Harmachis 1 dared not
STAY, lest his great party should rise in fury
and cast me from the throne. And now
mark the issue. Though he must murder
me, IN secret this HarmachiS loved me, and
something thereof l guessed. A little, for
Ike sake of his beauty and his wit, had I
striven to draw him to me; and for the love
Of man Cleopatra never strove in vain.
Therefore when, with the dagger in his
robe, he came to Stay me, I matched my
charms against his will, and need I tell you,
being men and women, how / won't Oh,
never can / forget the look in the eyes Of
that fallen man, that forSWOrn priest, that
,discrowned king, when, lost in the popped
>draught, 1 saw him sink into that shameful
sleep whence no more might he wake with
honori And, thereafter-till, in the end,
eearied of him, and his sad, learned mind,
for his guilty soul forbade him to be gay
Q little did come to care for him, though
not to love. But he, he who loved me, chung
90 me as adrunkard to the cup which ruins
him. Deeming that / should wed him, he
betrayed to me the secret of the hidden
Sgealth of the pyramid Her-fOr at the time
much needed treasure--and together we
dared Che terrorS of the tomb and drew it
7orth, even from dead Pharaoh's breast.
See, This emerald was part thereofr' and
she pointed to the great scarabRus that
.shS had drawn from the holy heart of
Nenke-ra. "And because of what was
written in the tomb, aud of that Thing
which we saw in the tomb; ali, pest upon
1t! why does its memory haunt me now
ana also because of policy, for would fain
have von the love Of the Egyptians, was
minded to marry this H.rmachis and de-
clare his place and lineage to the world
aye, and by his aid hold Egypt from the
Roman. For DellIus had then come to call
me to Antony, and after much thought
determined to send him back with sharp
words. But on that very morning, as
tired me for the Court, came Charmion
0onder, and this told her, for would see
how the matter fell upon her mind. Now
mark, Olympus, the power of jealousy, that
little wedge which yet hath strength to
which can fashion the fate of
kings! This she could in nowise
bear-(deny it. Charmion. if thou
canst, for now it is clear to meD-that the
man she loved should be given to me as
husband. me, whom he loved! And there
fore, with more skill and wit than can tell,
she reasoned with me, showing that should
Dy uO ucduS QO CuiS lining OuI journey uu-
to Antony; and for that, Charmion, 1 thank
thee, now that all is come and gone. And
by very little. her words weighed down
my scale of Judgment against Harmachis,
and to Antony I went Thus it is that
through the jealous spleen of yonder fair
Charmion, and the passion of a man where
On played as on Tyre, all these things have
come to pass. For this cause doth Octavian
sit King in Alexandria; for this cause Is
Antony discrowned and dead; and for this
cause must, /, too, die tonight AhI
tharmionl Charmion! thou hast much to
enswer for; thou hast changed the story
Of the world; and yet, even now, would
not have it otherwise''
She paused awhile, covering her eyes with
2er hand; and, looking, saw great tears
upon the cheek of Charmion.
.sAnd of this Harmachisr' I asked.
ssWhere is he now, D Queenr
ssWhere is he! In Amenti, forsooth, max
ing his peace with Isis, perchance. At
Tarsus 1 saw Antony and loved him; and
from that moment loathed the sight Of the
Egyptian, and swore to make an end of
him; for lover done with should be a |
lover dead. And, being jealous, he spoke
sasne words Of evil omen. even at the