The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-05-16

them; and as shut them, heard the sweep
of a woman's robes upon the stair, and Q
swift, light step that well knew. 1t was
that Of Cleopatral
She entered, and her football drew nigh.
felt her comet Every pulse in my poor
frame beat an answer to her football, and
all my mighty love and hate rose from the
darkness of my death-lke sleep and rent
me IN their struggled She leaned over me;
her ambrosial breath played upon my face.
1 could hear the beating of her heart
Lower she leaned, till as last her lips
touched me softly on the BROW "Poor
man ~ heard her murmur. 'Poor, weak,
dying mani Fate hath been hard to thee!
Too good vert thou to be the sport of such
a one as !, the pawn that I must move in
my play of policyi Ali Harmachisi
thou shouldst have ruled the camel
They could give thee learning, those plot
ting priests; but knowledge of mankind
they could not give thee, nor
fence thee 'gaipst the march
of Natures law And thou didst love me
with all thy heart-ahi well know i'll
Man like, thou didst love the eyes that, as q
pirates lights, beckoned thee to ship
wrecked ruin, and didst hang doting on the
lips that lied thy heart away and call thee
'slaye'l Well, the game was fair, for thou
wouldst have slain me and yet grievei
So thou dost diet and this is my farewell to
theei Never may we meet again on earth !;
and perchance, tits well; for who Knows,
when my hour of tenderness is past, how
might deal with thee didst thou livel Thou
dost die, they say-those learned, ong-faced
fools, who, if they let thee die, shall pay the
pricel And where, then, shall we meet
again when my last throw is thrownl, We
shall be equal there, in the kingdom that
Osiris rules. A little time, a few years
perchance tomorrow, and we shall meet;
then, knowing all am, how wilt thou greet
me therel Nay, here, as there, still must
thou love me; for injuries can not touch the
immortality of such love as thinei Con-
tempt alone can, like acid, eat away the
strong love of noble hearts and reveal the
pitiful truth in its poor nakedness. Still
must thou love me, Harmachis; for what
ever my sins, yet am great and set above
thy scorn. Would that could have loved
thee as thou lowest mel Almost did / so
when thou slewest those guards; and yet,
not quite.
"Oh, what a fenced city is my heart, that
none can take it, and cen when / throw
wide open the doors no man may win its
citadel Oh, to put away this loneliness
and lose me in another's soul. Oh, for a
year, month, an hour TO quite forget poll
cy, peoples and my pomp of place, and be
but loving womanl Harmachis, fare thee
WELL Go Join Great Julius whom thine art
called up from death before me, and take
Egypt's greetings to him. All, well fooled
thee; and fooled Casar-perchance before
tits done fate will find me and myself shall
be fooledl Harmachis, fare thee wellr'
She turned to go, and as she turned !
heard the sweep of another dress and the
light fall of another woman's foot.
"Ahl tits thou, Charmion. Well, for all
thy watching, the man dies"
"Ay,' she answered. in a voice thick with
grief. SAY, o Queen, so say the physicians.
Forty hours hath he been in stupor so deep
that at times his breath could hardly lift
this tiny feathers weight, and scarce could
my ear, placed against his breast, take no
tice of the rising of his heart. For ten long
days / now have watched him day and
night, till NINE eyes stare wide open with
want of sleep, and for faintness, scarce can
l keep myself from falling. And of ell my
labor this is the endi The blow of that &C
cursed Brennus has done its work, and
Harmachis dicsi"
"Love counts not its labor, Charmion, nor
can it weigh its tenderness in the scale of
purchase. That which it hath il gives, and
Graves for more to give and give, till the
souls infinity be drained. Dear to thy
heart are these nights of watching; sweet
to thy weary eyes is that sad sight of
strength brought so low that it hangs upon
thy weakness like babe unto its mothers
breast! For, Charmion, thou dost love this
man who loves not thee, and now that he
is helpless thou canst pour thy passion DER
the unanswering darkness of his soul and
cheat thyself with dream of what yet nigh
ber
Queen! How can love one who would
have slain thee, who art as my hearts Sis
ter. IT'S for pity that nurse him."
She laughed a little as she answered:
'Pity is loves own twin. Wondrous way
ward are the paths of woman's love, and
thoa hast shown thine strangely, that l
know. But the more high the love th2
more deep the gulf whereinto it can fall
ay, and thence soar again to heaven, once
more to fall! Poor woman, thou art thy
passions piaything; now tender as the
morning sky, and now, when jealousy grips
thy heart, more cruel than the sea. Well,
thus are we made. Soon, after all this
troubling naught will be left thee but tears,
remorse and memory"
And she went forth.
ITO BE CONTINUED