The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-01-16

.Give IL me, Physician. Desperate mer
are brave mon. There!- Why, what Ii this
Yours is magic draught! My sorrow
seem to roll away like thunder clouds be
fore the southern gale, and the spring o.
Hope blooms fresh upon the desert Of m,
heart. Once more an / Antony, and ono.
again see my legi,1s spears asparkle II
| tie sun, and hear tas thunderOns shouts Of
welcome as Ant0oy-beloved Antony
rides in his pomp vt war along his deep
formed linesl THERE'S hope! there's hope
Ye= may see tho .pld brows Of Cesar
tLas Caesar who nat,r errs except from
| p1li:y-robbed OF thi;r victor bays, and
/ crowned with shameful dusts'
i "Ay," cried Charn.cG, ..there is vet hbpe
II thou wilt but play the man! q my Lord
come back with US; come back to the loving
arms of Cleopatra! All night she lies upon
her golden bed, and oils tho hollow dark
ness with her groans for Antony who, en-.
amored now OF Grief, forgets his duty and
his love-"
II come! come. Shame upon me, that
dared to doubt her! Slave. bring water,
and purple robe; not thus can be seen
Of Cleopatra. Even now come
| In this fashion, then, did we draw Antony
back to Cleopatra, that the ruin Of the
twain might be made sure.
| We led him up the Alabastcr Hall and
into Cleopatra's chamber, where she lay. her
| cloudy hair about her face and breast, and
tears flowing from her deep eyes.
20 Egypt!" he cried, .behold me at thy
| feet.'
She sprang from the couch. "And art
thou here. my lover she murmured; .'then
once again are all things we'll. Come near,
| and in these arms forget thy sorrows and
turn my grief to JOY. Oh, Antony, while
love is left to US, still have we allv'
And she fell upon his breast and wildly
kissed him.
That same day Charmion came to me and
babe me prepare poison Of the most dead
| " power And this at first woul not do,
| fearing that Cleopatra would Herewith
make an end of Antony before the time.
But Charmion showed me that this was not
| so, and showed TO me also for what pur-
pose was the poison. Therefore | sum-
moned Atoua, the skilled in simples, and
all that afternoon we labored at the deadly
work. And when it was done, Charm:on
came once more. bearing with her q chaplet
Of fresh roses that she babe me steep in the
poison.
This then did.
That night at the great feast Of Cleo
! side, and wore the poisoned wreath. Now,
as the feast went on, fast flowed the wine,
till Antony and the Queen grew merry.
And she told him OF her plans, and of how
even now her galleys were being drawn by
the canal that leads from Bubasfis on the
Pelusiac branch Of the Nile. to Clysma ut
the head of the Bay Of Hieraopolis. For it
was her design, should Caesar prove stub
born, to fiy with Antony and her treasure
down the Arabian Gulf, where Caesar had
no feet, and seek some new home in India,
whittier her foes might not follow. But,
indeed, this plan came to nothing, for the
Arabs of Petra burnt the galleys, melted
thereto by 0 message sent by the Jews of
Alexandria, who hated Cleopatra and were
hated Of her.
Now, when she had made an end OF telling
him, the Queen called on him to drink cup
with her to the success Of this new scheme,
bidding him, as she did 50, steep his wreath
of roses in the wine, and make the draught
more sweet. This, then. he did, and it be-
ing done, she pledged HIM. But when lie
was about to pledge her back, she caught
his hand, crying "Hold'' whcreat he paused,
wondering.
Now, among the servants Of CLEOPATRA was
one Eudosius. a steward; and this EudOsius,
seeing that the fortunes OF Cleopatra were
at an end, had laid plan to fly that very
night to Cesar. as had done many of his bet
tiers, taking with him all the treasures in
the palace that he could steal. But this de-
sign being discovered to Cleopatra, she de-
termned to be avenged upon Eudosiu<.
sEIdosius,' she cried, for the man stood
near, .,come hither, thou faithful servant!
Seest thou this man, most noble Antony;
through all our troubles he hath chung tous
and been of comfort to US. Now, therefore,
he shall be rewarded according to his de-
serts and the measure OF his faithfulness,
and that from thine own hand. Give him
thy golden cup Of wine, and let him drink .
pledge to our success; the cup shall he his
guerdon."
And still wondering. Antony gave it %
the man. who, stricken in his guilty mins.
took it. and stood trembling. But he drank
not.
Drink, thou slave, drink"' cried Cleo
patra, half rising from her seat and flashing
a fierce look on his white face. by Scraps !!
so surely as yet shall sit in the Capitol at
Rome, and thou dost thus dout the Lord
Antony, Ill have thee scourged to the
bones, and the red wine poured upon thy
open wounds to heal them! All at length
thou drinkest! Why, what is It, good
Eudosius! art sick! Surely, then, must
this VINE be as the water of jealousy of
those jews, that hath power to slay the
false and strengthen the honest only. Go,
| some Of yon, search this mans room; me-
| thinks he is q traitor!n
Meanwhile the man stood, his hands to
his head. Presently he began to tremble,
and then fell, shrieking, to the ground.
Anon he was on his feet again, clutching Mt
| his bosom. as though to tenr out the fire In
his heart. He staggered, with livid, tw St
ed face an foaming lips, to where Cleo
patra lay watching him with o slow and
cruel smile.
"Ah, traitor! thou hast it now" she said.
'Prithee, is death sweet"
Thou wanton!" yelled the dying man.
| ''thou hast poisoned me! Thus mayst thou
also perlshr' and with one shrek he flung
himself upon her. She saw his purpose,
| and swift and supple as tiger sprang 10
one side, 30 that he did but grasp her Royal
cloak, tearing it from its emerald clasp.
Down he fell upon the ground, rolling over
| and over i'll the purple Chiffon till presently
| he lay still and dead, his tormented face
and frozen eyes peerinU CHASTITY from its
folds.
| .Ahm said the Queen, with hard laugh,
| 1.-THE slave died wOndrOus hard, and fain
would have drawn me with him. See, he
hath borrowed my garment for q pail Take
him away and bury him in his livery"
| What means Cleopatraf" said Antony,
A. tue guards dragged the corpse away
''the man drank Of my cup What Is the
purpose Of this most sorry lesta"
1T serves double end, noble Antony
This very night would that man have fed
| to Octavianus, bearing OF our treasure with
him. Well, have lent him wings, for the
dead fly fast! Also this: thou didst fear
that should poison thee, my Lord; nay,
know it. See now, Antony, how easy were
it that should slay thee il ! had the will.
That wreath Of roses which thou didst steep
within the cup is dewed with deadly bane.
Had /, then, mind to make an end of thee,
had not stayed thy hand. o Antony,
henceforth trust me; sooner would slay
myself than harm one hair OF thy beloved
head! See, here come my messengers
Speak, what did We findp
..Royal Egypt, this we found All thlng,