Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-16

nor anv other coherent thought had for
some time any distinct lodcment in his
mind. He had her. He held her. His
lips groped in the dark for her eyes and
mouth and soft cheek. Her sweet breath
mingled with his own. He had net dared
bring lamp into the passage this time, and
the lovers put up their hands and felt for
aud felt over each others features like blind
people.
sit is like meeting in the tomb" said
Lazarus with q sudden shudder.
"Thy cheek hath grown thin, my dear
lord, whispered Zahara mourniully. 'Ii
is hollow beneath my fnger-tip. Thou
palest, thou weakenest-thou diest."
"Better death, than life without thee,
Zahara," replied her lover hopelesslv.
"Nsy, then my love, thou losest courage,
and the heart OF man. Have cheer. my
own. Take it from my lipsr'
She Ii ted her warm face.
Thy kiss would give man life though
he did lie in a sepulcherl" breathed Laza-
rus in a different tone. "Now, by the
memory of Eden, and the love OF our sfst
parents, Zahara! 1 will not die for thee
neither will live without thee, but will
have thee to wife!''
"But how?" asked Zahara with q sweet
timidy. She had no faith in the possibili-
ties OF the situation, but she liked her
lovers willful words. Less Princess now,
and all woman, she gainsaid him not, but
clung to him and trembled silently.
"There is but one way, Zahara," cried
Lazarus yehemently, Il know none other,
and thou must take it if thou lowest me as a
woman loves, who will wed and obey her
lord. Thou must leave all and follow me. F"
"But whither?" demanded Zahara, char
acteristically. Zahara was very much in
love, but she had the calculating tempera-
ment. She did not plunge headlong even
into delight. She might have made a very
good Arab, but she had been a princess too
long. She temporized and reasoned and OBJ
jected, even while she clung to her lover
cheek to cheek, with maddening, soft arms
about his neck.
Break loose from it all |" entreated Lag
arus. 'Thy palace, thy father, thy past, thy
world Let it go, Zahara, for loves sake
Enter thou minel Accept thou the life of
thy husband and thy worshiper %
"Tell me thcn-what life? How do we
manage? What dost thou mean?" persisted
Zahara.
yield these sccursed beliefs and follies
that separate us % demanded Lazarus more
imperiously. "Come thou bravely unto me
and say unto the world Il follow the faith
of nv husbandl Let me away from the
whole barking d-priests-temple, peo-
pier life. Let us join the career of the best
and noblest man in all Judea, and 60 forth
from this place as his disciples 60, respected
and free, into other lands"
~ do not understand thee" interrupted
Zahara, shrinking little from Lazarus.
''Oh, my love, play not with me-" en-
treated Lazarus, Il do but speak plainly. 1
see no other road to happiness for thee and
me. Remain thou in the world OF thy
father, the High Priest, and of the Temple,
and OF the Sanhedrin, and CT tie rank and
the faith to which thou art born-and thou
canst no more be mine than the sun in mid
heaven, and that thou knowest we'll. As
we meet here, beneath the surface of the
sweet earth, at peril of thy good name and
my poor ife-so must our love crawl under
ground, a dark and deadly corridor in
which two souls shall grope and stifle unto
death. Break thou forth right bravelyi Be
more thou, most womanly, Zahara, and
choose the path that thy lords feet must
tread. I have worldly goods; thou canst
not suffer at my hands for the daily needs of
thy delicate life. Follow me, Zahara! Fol-
low me among people who will reverence
thee and me aud the love we bear each
other. Follow me to new life-new
hopes-new faith-new deeds-new JOY"
"And call the Nazarene nv master 2"
asked Zahara in cutting tone. Her arms
dropped from the neck of her lover. She
turned coldly. He could feel her plant fig
ure grow rigid and straighten naughtily.
Suddenly she trembled, all her muscles
relaxed, and she began to sob.
At this moment an ominous sound reached
the ear Of the absorbed and distressed lovers
1t was not the falling of the drops from the
roof of the vault; it was not the fitting of a
stray bat, nor the rustic OF any creature of
the darkness, companion of their hiding
place. 1t was the stealthv cropping ol
human hand. The slide which closed the
mouth of the passage stirred from the out
side
"Hide thee, hide thee, Zahara p COM
manded Lazarus, in the kissing whisper of
agony. Fly thou down the corridor. where
tiers keep thou me in sight, but stay thyself
beyond it. Farewell, and God keep theel'
A little to his surprise-for there was no
counting upon Zahara-the girl obeyed
him; with one swiftly penitent kiss she
darted and fed as he commanded.
Lazarus stood still in his place and
watched the slide open. He was unarmed.
He could only meet his fate-like woman,
he thought; or a coward. The slide moved
cautiously. The faint starlight iell in; the
night air rushed; the leaves of the grape
vine rustled crisply. A figure, like the
figure OF a guardsman. knelt between the
vine and the passage, peering in. Behind
him appeared form resembling that of the
young Levite who was called away so oppor-
tunely In the Temple. Lazarus made no
motion. The figures retreated; voices con-
suited in whispers; feet crushed the vine; a
torch fared; and the High Priest, tall and
awful, lowered against the light Lazarus
had not abandoned his position near the
entrance. He had made up his mind to
face alone whatever happened. Annas and
Lazarus looked each other silently in the
eye. Both men were deadly pale-one from
rage and one from mortal peril. Both were
perfectly self possessed.
The High Priest spoke first.
81 pray your pardon, sir builder; but may
be so bold as to inquire your errand in q
spot sacred to the Temple of Jehovah and
the service OF His ministers? 1t must needs
be an im portant one that finds an honorable
man such as yourself sneaking upon privacy
which son of the desert would respect"
MY errand is without dishonor," an
swered Lazarus composedly, sit is needless
for me to explain it. My word would
scarcely have value for you under the cir
cumstances."
Possibly not" returned Annas with
sneer, "but is this all you have to say for
yourself?'
81 pray" urged Lazarus with change
in his tone, which suddenly broke into an
agonized appeal, 81 pray, for the most
sacred of reasons, which would be urgently
appreciated by yourself, did you compre-
hend them-I pray you to allow me to de-
part in peace until reach the Temple exit.
give you my word that will return again
unto you and meet your demads, it you will
allow me to do so without the scandal of
int