Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-04-17

ere it burst Khem Il lost, and lost forever,
for her last hope IL gonei No longer may
she struggie-now for al time must she
bow her neck to tho yoke, and her back to
the rod Of the oppressor!n
I groaned aloud. "Alas, 1 was be-
trayedp' said; .Paulus betrayed us"
Thou vast betrayed: Nay, thou myself
vast the betrayeri How can,asi it that thou
didst not slsy Cleopatra when thou vast
alone with hexa Answer, thou for
swornm
ssShe drugged me, i said again.
20 Harmachis ~ answered the pitiless
girl. show low art thou fallen from that
Prince whom once kneyi thou who dost
not scorn to be q liari Yea, thou vast
-drugged-drugged with a love philtre
Yea, thou didst sell Egypt and thy cause
for the pr1ce Of q wsnton'e kissi Thou Sor-
row and thou Shameg' she went on, point
ing her finger at me and lifting her eyes to
my face, ''thou Scorn!- thou Outcasti-
and thou Contempt! Deny it if thou canst
Ay, shrink from me-knowipg what thou
art, well mayst thou shrink! Shrink and
crawl to Cleopatra's feet, and kiss her
sandals till such time as it pleases her
to strample thee in thy kindred dirt; but
from all honest folk shrink. -shririt''
Ny soul quivered beneath the lash of
her bitter hate, but had no words to an
swer.
"How comes il, L said at last in q heavy
voice, .sthat thou, too, art not betrayed, but
art here to taunt me, thou who once didst
swear that thou dldst love met Being a
woman, hast thou no pity for the frailty
of man!n
ssMy name was not on the lists,'' she said,
dropping her dark eyes. Herein is an
opportunity betray me also, 0 Harmachis
Ay, tits because once did love thee-dost
thou, indeed, remember ita-that feel thy
fall the more. The shame of one whom we
once have loved must in some sort become
our shame, and must ever cling to us in
that we blindly held q thing so base close to
our Utmost heart. Art thou also, then, a fool
Wouldst thou, fresh from thy royal wan
tons arms, come to me for comfort-to nae
of all the worldl"
SHOW know IT, I said, ''that it was not
thou who, in thy jealous anger, didst betray
our plansi Charmion, long ago Sepa warned
me against thee, and of a truth now that ]
recall"
ss.'Tis like a traitor" she broke in, red
dening to her brow, $50 think that all are
of his family and hold common mind
Nay, betrayed thee not; twas that poor
knave Paulus, whose heart failed him at
the last, and who is rightly served. Nor
Will stay to hear thoughts so base. Har-
machis-Roya1 no more!-Cleopatra, Queen
O1 ERypG3 oAS LD6 Day tu6t tuou hIt 4ISSs
and that she waits thee in the Alabaster
Hall",
And shooting one swift glance through
her long lashes, she curtsied and was gone.
Soonce more came and went about the
Court, though but sparingly, for my heart
was full of shame and terror, and on every
face feared to see the scorn of those who
knew me for what was. But naughtI saw,
for all those who had knowledge of the plot
had fed, and for her own sake no word had
Charmion spoken. Also Cleopatra had put
it about that was innocent. But my guilt
lay heavy on me, and made me thin and
wore away the beauty of my countenance.
And though was free in name, yet was
ever watched; nor might stir beyond the
palace grounds.
And at length came the day that brought
with it Qulntus Dellius. that false Roman
knight who ever served the rising star. He
bore letters to Cleopatra from Marcus
Antonius the Triumvir. who, fresh from the