Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-03-20

READ me TINS floole, tnou Egyptian Spnlnx,
and I'n show thee a roster path to fortune
than all thy stars can point Thou hast
brought the omen, solve thou its problem"
I'm good hour do 1 come, most mighty
Queen, made answer, flor have some
skill in the mysteries Of sleep, which is, as
thou hast rightly guessed, stair whereby
those who are gathered to Osiris may from
time to time enter at the gateways OF our
living sense, and, by signs and words that
can be read of mortals thereto duly learned,
repeat the echoes of that Hall of Truth
which is their habitation. Thereby also the
messengers of the guardian Gods may de-
scend in many shapes upon the half-loosed
spirit Of their choice. For, o Queen, to
those who hold the key, the madness of our
dreams can show clearer purpose and
speak more certainly than all the acted
wisdom of our waking life, which is a
dream indeed. Thou didst see great Cesar
in hls bloody robe, and he threw his arms
about Prince CaeSarion and led him hence.
Hearken now to the secret of thy visions.
Twas Caesars self thou sawest coming to
thy side from Amenti in such a guise as
might not be mistaken. When he embraced
the child Cesarion he did it for sign that
to him, and him alone, he passed his great
ness and his love. When he seemed to
lead him hence he led him forth from Egypt
to be crowned in the Capitol, crowned the
Emperor of Rome and Lord of all the lands.
For the rest, know it not 1t is hid from
me.n
Thus, then, read the vision. though to
my sense it had more evil meaning. But
it is not well to prophecy evil unto Kings.
Meanwhile Cleopatra had risen, and, hav-
ing thrown back the guat gauze, was seated
upon the edge of her couch, her eyes fixed
upon my face the while her fingers played
with her girdle's jeweled ends.
''Of a TRUTH" she cried, ''thou art the
best of all magicians, for thou readest my
heart, and out of the rough shell of evil
omen drawest the hidden sweetp'
SAY, o Queen!" said Charmion, who
stood by with downcast eyes, and me-
thought there was bitter meaning in her
soft notes; "may no rougher words ever af-
front thy ears, and no evil passage less
closely tread upon its happy sense" Cleo
patra placed her hands behind her head, and
leaning back looked with half shut eyes.
''Come, show US of thy magic, Egyptian"
she said. st is yet hot abroad. and am
weary Of those Hebrew Ambassadors and
their talk of Herod and Jerusalem. I hate
that Herod, he shall Finland I will
have none Of the Ambassadors to-day,
though a little do yearn to try my Hebrew
on them. What canst thou doa Hast thou
no new tricka By SerapisI if thou canst
c6njure as well as thou canst prophecy thou
shalt have place at court, with pay and
perquisites to boot, and thy lofty soul doth
not scorn perQuisiteS."
''Nay," answered, "all tricks are old;
but there are some forms of magic to be
rarely used and with discretion, that may,
perchance, be new to thee, o Queenl Art
thou afraid to venture on the charma'
"Naught fear; go on and do thy worst.
Come, Charmion, and sit thou by me. But,
stay, where are all the girlsa-Iris and
Merira-they, too, love magic.''
''Not sou said; ''the charms work ill be-
fore SO many. Now beholdr' And, gazing
at the twain, 1 cast down my wand upon
the marble and murmured q spell. For
moment it was still, and then, as muttered,
| the rod slowly began to writhe. 1t bent it
self, it stood on end, and of it's own motion
| moved. Next it put on scales, and behold
| it was a serpent that crawled and fercely
Kissed.
''Fie on thee!" cried Cleopatra, clapping
her hands; "callest thou that magic! Why,
| tits an old trick that any wayside conjurer
can do have seen 1t q score of times"
"Wait, o Queen" Ianswered; "thou hast
not seen ali.'' And even as spoke the SER
pent seemed to break in fragments, and
from each fragment grew a new serpent
And these, too, broke in fragments and
| bred others, till in little space the place,
| to their glamored sight, was seething sea
| OF snakes, that crawled, Kissed and knotted
themselves in knots. Then made sign,
and the serpents gathered themselves
about me, and seemed slowly to Irvine
themselves about my body and my limbs
till, save my face, was wreathed thick
with Kissing snakes.
"Oh, horrible! horrible!" cried Char
mion, hiding her countenance in the skirt of
the Queens garment
may, enough! Magician. enoughr' said
the Queen; 'thy magic overwhelms u.s."
waved my snake-wrapped arms, and all
was gone. There at my feet lay the black
| wand tipped with ivory, and naught be-
side.
The two women looked one upon another
and gasped with wonder. But 1 took up
the wand and stood with folded arms be-
fore them.
SIS the Queen content with my poor arta"
I asked most humbly.
"Aye, that am 1, Egyptian; never did
see its like! Court astronomer art thou
from this day forward. with right of access
to the Queens presence. Hast thou more
of such magic at thy cails'
Yes, Royal Egypt; suffer that the
chamber be little darkened and / will
show thee one more thing.''
"Half am I afraid" she answered;
nevertheless, do thou, Charmion, even as
this Harmachis says"
So the curtains were drawn and the
chamber made as though the twilight was
at hand came forward and stood me be-
said, sternly, pointing with the wand to the
empty space where had been, "and thou
shalt behold that which is in thy mind.''
Then for little space was silence, while
the two women gazed fxedly and half fear
full at the spot.
And as they gazed cloud gathered be-
fore them. Very slowly it took shape and
form, and the form it took was the form of
man, though as yet he was but vaguely
mapped upon the twilight, and seemed now
to grow and now to melt away.
Then cried with a loud voice:
"Shade, conjure thee, appedrr'
And even as cried the Thing, perfect in
every part, leapt into form before us, sud-
den as the fash of day. His shape was the
shape of Royal Caesar, the toga thrown
about his face, and on his form a vestment
bloody from hundred wounds. An in
slant so he stood, then I waved my wand
and he was gone.
I turned me to the two women on the
couch, and then 1 saw Cleopatra's lovely
face all clothed in terror. Her lips were
ashy white, her eyes stared wide, and the
flesh was shaking on her bones.
'.Mani'' she Easped, 'man! what art
thou who canst bring the dead before our
eyesa''