Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-11-06

.rtHrn the horsenen proved him 10 DO
on, of the swift footed Persian couriers-
He carried message from the old Persian
fire worshiper. containing evidence OF tine
most diabolcal treachery, the revelation OF
all of Yahan's military plans, which, IN
his confidence and enthusiasm, he must
h i've revealed to the old man. Last oil all
there as a plot for Turing the prince into
ambush.
The courier was slain az once, and the
old man andS hiSdaughoer dragged before
the court of sAAslVnia. The father confessed
everything. AL with erect form and flash
ing eyes even boosted Of the partial success
of his plans. But he legged piteously for
the life of his daughter, and said that she
knew nothing of the plaza for Vahan's be-
travail, and that even he loved the young
man so well that he had planned capture
where death would have been more easily
accomplished. So great was the peoples
love for their prince that their rage knew
no bounds. The old man was condemned
to death by fire. He stood in the midst of
the flames more like a martyr than the ac-
cursed sorcerer that he was and cried as
the fire ragged about him, 80 spirit of firel
thank thee that my sin against thee is
purified in thine embraces
Such was the force of the fathers en-
treaties. and such was the sanity beauty
of her own pure face, that some would
have freed the maiden Butmany a beauty
among the court ladies, on whom Vahan
had ever looked with disdain, could scarce
restrain her nails from blowing that
face, whose crime in her eyes was not
that it had caused Armenia the loss Of
many victories, but that it had won the
love of Vahan. She was condemned TO
the milder death by the sword, though
many thought her viler magician than
her father so wickedly fair was her en-
chantment Of beauty, for our priests tell
us, in the words of the Holy Book, that
the devil often appears ms an angel OF
light
While she lay in prison, awaiting eXecu-
ton, Vahan heard of her condition. Ours
ing her judges and betrayers, he took
horse for the capital He rode like the
wind, night and day, and even his koord-
ish mare, that, under forayer, had jour
neyed for three days without food or rest,
whose limbs were like marble in their
firmness. dropped dead on the second
morning Four horses died beneath the
On the morning Of his arrival the maiden
bad been brought into the public square,
and taken upon the platform constructed
in It's center None Of the spectators had
ever seen so beautiful a being Down
from her queenly head, about the fairest
of faces and lovelest Of forms, ripping
even to her feet fell the richness Of her
hair. soft and silken as the SPIDERS thread,
and golden as the sunlight. This glorious
witchery the eXecutioner severed first 10
allow the free sweep of his sword. The
vindictive queen, Nahan's mother, was by
her side and gathered mp the locks as they
fell. Then she scattered them 70 the
winds. and laid curse upon them, saying
70 cleaning locks of the Fire Witch, that
like marsh light would have lured my
son to destruction. be We scattered to the
four corners Of the world, TO be witness
to Armenian and TO Persian, to Christian
and to unbeiever of the wickedness of
this enchantressl A curse be on you, that
We rest not forever, either upon the earth
or sea or in the heaven, that the memory
of her treachery may ever remainW
As she ended down the valley in the dis.
lance came Nahan, urging a wearied steed
and crying. "Innocentl innocentW But
the eSecutioner was deaf to all commands
save the queens and blind TO all beauty,
even that OF "a saint, for saint the maiden
surely seemed, with the shorn locks of
gold surrounding her sorrowful face as
the halo hoyers over the weeping Mother
Mary The great two handed sword wills
tied through the air, and the enchantress
was no more, The queen and all that were
there fed like towards from the frantic
curses of Yahan. All alone did he mourn
over her body, and then departed to throw
away his life in desperate battle with the
Persians lie and Nartan, his father, per-
ished on the day when Armenia was freed
Still, over the hills and valleys, forests
and streams, float the silken hairs on
which the curse was laid. They rest not,
neither on the earth below nor in the
heaven above, but float forever between
them, memorial to all the world OF the
saint like enchuntrcss, and the little Ar. /
menian children say as they see the long /
golden threads stretching over the mead, |
)ws in motionless suspense, There floats |
he Voki-Nosdein, the spirit spider thread /
hat would have caught yahan in its
neshesr
But In Persia they revere the old man
md his daughter as patriots and martyrs, /
md look Oh the gossamer as a memorial /
VI that virtue which triumphs over love
md death itself.
Yet. however that may be, whether she
vas angel or fendish er Y antrcss. the Ar
nenans to this day cannot abide red hair
Marion Nj. Miller in Short Stories