Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-10-19

girl herself, she had put her hands 10 her
head, and was looking dazcd
"Great heavens" said, perfectly aghast
at this dreadful manifestation of inhuman
power; but She did but laugh little.
Thou thinkest, poor ignorant fool"
"she said to the bewldered woman, THAT
| have not the power to STAY Stay; there
lies a mirror" and she'pointed to Leo's
round shaving glass that had been arrang-
ed by job with other things upon his port
manteau "Give it To this woman, my
Holly, and let her see that which lies
across her hair. and whether or no | have
power to STAY
picked up the glass and held it before
distances eyes. She gazed then felt at her
hair, then gazed again, and then sunk up
on the ground with a sort of sob.
Now wilt thou go, or must | strike a
second timer" asked Ayesha, in mockery.
See; have set my seal upon thee. so
that | may know thee till thy HAIR is all as
white as it, If see thy face here again,
be sure too that thy bones shall soon be
whittier than my mark upon thy hair
Utterly awed and broken down the poor
creature rose, and, marked with that aw-
full mark, crept from the room, sobbing
bitterly
That night passed in Lec's room, but
he slept through it like the dead, never
once stirring. also slept fairly well, as,
indeed 1 needed to do, but my sleep was
full of dreams of all the horrors and Won
ders had undergone. Chiefly, however,
| was haunted by that trightful piece Of
diaberie by which Ayesha left her fingnr-
marks upon her rivals hair. There was
something SO terrible about the swift
snake-like movement, and the instantane
Gus banching of that threefold line, that If
the results to Ustane had been much more
tremendous | doubt if they would have
impressed me more deeply. To this day
| often dream Of that dread scene, and see
the weeping woman, bereaved, and mark
ed like Cain, cast last look at her lover
and creep from the presence of her dread
queen.
Another dream that troubled me was
about the hugh pyramid OF bones. l
dreamed that they all stood up and march
ed past me in thousands and ten of thous-
ands-in squadrons, companies and armies
with the sunlight shining through their
hollow ribs. On they rushed across the
plain to Kor, their imperial home; saw
the draw bridges fall before them, and
heard their bones clank through the braZen
gates On they went, up the splendid
streets, on past fountains, palaces, and
temples such as the eye of man never saw.
But there was no man TO greet them in the
market-plaCe, and no woman head APP
peared at the windows; only bodlless
voice went before them. calling, Fallen
is imperial Kor fallen l-fallen.-fallen!
On, right through the city, marched those
cleaning phalanxes and the rattle of their
bony tread went echoing through tue silent
air as they pressed grimly on. They pass
ed through the city. and climbed the wall.
and marched along the great roadway
that was made upon it, till at length they
once more reached the draw bridge. Then
as the sun was sinking, they returned again
toward their sepucher, and luridly his
light shown through them, throwing gl'
gantic shadows ot their bones, that stretch
ed away and moved like hugh spiders
legs as they wound across the plain Back
they came to the cave. and once more
flung themselves in unending files through
the hole into the hugh pyramid of bones;
and | awoke, shuddering, TO see She, who
had evidently been standing between my
couch and Leo's glide like shadow from
the room
After this l slept again, soundy this
time till morning, when | awoke much
refreshed, and got up. At last the hour
drew near at which, according to Ayesha,
Leo was to awake, and with II came She
herself as usual, yelled
Thou shalt see, Holly she said
presently shall he awake in his right mind,
the fever having left him.
Hardly were the words out of her mouth
when Leo turned round and stretched out
his arms, yawned, opened his eyes, and
perceiving a female form bending over
him, threw his arms round her and kissed
her mstaking her, perhaps, for l stane;
because, next minute, he sad III Arabic
"Halloo, Ustane, why have you tied
your head up like that? have you got the
toothache?" and then in English. Il say,
I'm awfully hungry. Why, Job, you old
sun of gun, where the deuce have we got
to nOw-ehI
81 am sure | wish knew, Mr.. Leo. u
said Job, edging suspiciously past Ayesha,
whom he still regarded with the utmost
disgust and horror, being by no means
sure that she was not an animated corpse
but you mustn't talk Mr. Leo; you We
been very Ill, and given us great deal OF
hanxiety; and if this lady looking at
Ayesha. " would be 50 kind as TO move,
I'll bring you your soup
This turned Leo's attention to the ia
dy," who was standing by in perfect 81
lence.
"Halloow he said; THAT is not Ustane
where is Ustane?'
Then, for the first time. Ayesha spoke
TO him, and her first words were lie.