The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-05-05

my own-you look SO pale and tired!
Go and rest and get some color in those
white cheeks"
She laid her head on the pillow beside
him and looked deep into his eyes. After
awhile her own lids dropped, and in a
moment she slept, with a contented
smile upon her lips. The blue veins in
her forehead made her skin look like
purest marble as she lay there. Her
sweet breath famed his cheeks as he
gazed upon her, fair and childlike, yet a
woman in the full bloom of her rare
beauty-perfect-th very dream of an
artist or poet.
When he left his bed and could walk
to his window and look forth, 10! the
spring had stolen upon the canyon sud-
denly and sweetly! The sight of green
meadows, the blossoming trees, the snipe
darting in zigzag flights across; the long,
easy swing of the swallows as they
skinned the water, sent the blood
coursing through his veins, and he felt
his strength returning in rush. But
he had been near to deaths door, and
the fact was known to the people of
Atzlan. 1t strengthened Chalpa's posi-
ton immensely.
''This is no god!' he proclaimed. "'Tis
but man, for 10! he is dying! His
breath is as ours. Shall we worship a
god who can become i'll as we CAM"
Then Eric began to fancy, as he lay
in his bed at night, that he heard prowl-
ing footsteps about his house, but JAN
liza, watching jealously, could not detect
any providers. But Eric put his revolver
in his bed and kept it there. He awoke
at dawn one morning and lay watching
the rose tints grow and CLEAN along the
canyons castellated brows. Soft pearly
shadows mingled with the rose, and
deep, sullen blood crimson hung in the
crevices of the rocks. Above was all
sulphur and gold red, shooting up in
long streamers across the clear, cool blue
of the sky. He heard the peewee call
and the shrill ''teet teet" of the snipe.
Then a robin burst out in a rich, rollick-
ing matin song that made his heart swell
with a queer mixture of joy and sadness.
It was all so sweet to come back to
and so touching to him, softened by i'll
ness, that the tears almost came into his
eyes. Then as he looked he saw dark
hand and arm appear at his window.
The hand held a bunch Of small, pale
green berries, and it shook nervously as
they were squeezed, and few drops of
grayish white juice fell into his water
jar, which stood on the window sill.
In a second he had fired at the hand,
but missed his aim. Jan-ila awoke with
startled yell and stood dazed for
moment, then rushed to the window.
No one was in sight, but minute later
people began to emerge upon the house
tops and peer about Others hurried to
Eric's dwelling to ascertain the meaning
of Quetzal's thunder. All joined in the
search for the wretch who had attempt
ed his life, but he had left no trace. The
circumstance put Eric upon his guard.
He realized that the enemy was willing
to resort to the sternest means to accom-
plish their end, and he once more put on
his belt and holster and carried his re-
volver wherever he went.
This attempt upon his life, however,
was adroitly used to Chalpa's disadvan-
tage, for he alone was known to be in
imical to Eric, and the election, which
took place two days later, was lost to
him by only twenty-five votes. The
priests and the heads of families alone
voted, and the latter were largely in
huenced by the dastardly attack upon
Eric's ife-placing it entirely to Chal-
pas account.
The latter gave no sign Of the rage
that consumed him, but smiled as crafti
~ as ever when the votes were counted.
He congratulated Ku1can with the suavi-
ty of an Italian diplomat, for he had not
played his last card, and he was now re-
solved upon a desperate measure. He
now knew the strength of his party and
the stuff of which his partisans were
made, and in another week he would rid
himself OF his principal obstacles and
come out triumphant. Another week
and the Feast of the Katun would be
held. He alone knew the name of the
doomed maiden whose life would go out
that week as sacrifice to the god of
centuries. On the morrow he would
announce it, and he felt the thrill Of
horror which would creep over the city
when the name was heard.
That same morning Jan-ila, arising
and going forth for matutina1 plunge,
found roll of cotton cloth upon the
doorsill. 1t contained a white stone,
with these words upon 1t:
Thou art God. and knowest they have chosen
LEILA for the sacrifice Waken and spare not.
He hurried back to Eric, and theread-
ing of the words gave the latter shock
which unnamed him for several min
utes as their dire meaning crept fully
upon his mind. He sent for Iklapel and
Kulcan. The younger priest was hoxri-