Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-08-22

plete my marriage by tho side of the victim
on the altar as, if will, I have the right
to do. But see well that am not vel
come and though it is too late to go back
upon my word have no fear There are
others, and shall not trouble you.
have given my message. Is it your pleas
ure that should go? The solemn cere-
mony of wcdlock will be on the twelfth
day from now, o Tezcat" ;"
Now rose from my seat and took her
hand, saying:
~ thank you, Otomie for your noble
ness Of mind. Had it not been for the
comfort and friendship which you and
Guatemoc, your cousin, have given mo
think that ere now I should De dead So
YOU desire to comfort me to the last. 1t
seems that you even purposed to die with
me. How am to interpret this OtomieH
In our land @ woman would need to love
O man after no common fashion before she
consented to share such a bed as awaits
me on yonder pyramid. And yet may
scarcely think that you, whom kings have
sued for, can place your heart so low.
How am I to read tho writing OF your
words, princess Of the Otomief"
Read it with your heart, " she whis-
pered low, and felt her hand tremble in
my own.
I looked at her beauty. 1t was great. l
Thought Of her devotion, devotion that
did not shrink from the most horrible OF
deaths, and wind Of feeling which was
akin to love swept through my soul. But
even as I looked and thought I remember
ed the English garden and the English
maid from whom had parted beneath
the beech at Buckingham and tho words
that we had spoken then Doubtless she
still lived and was true to me. While
lived should I not keep true at heart to
herr If must wed these Indian girls,
must wed them, bat II once told Otomie
loved her thon l broke my troth, and
with nothing less would she be satisfied
And yet though was deeply moved and
the temptation was great, had not come
to this. '.Be seated, Otomie, said, and
listen to me. You see this golden token"
And drew Lily's posy ring from my hand
"And you see the writing within it." She
bent her head, but did not speak. and saw
that there was fear in her eyes.
II will read you the words, Otomic,
And I translated into the Aztec tongue
tho quaint couplet:
Heart to heart,
Though far apart
Then at last she spoke, What does the
writing mcans" she said VI can. only
read in pictures, Teule. +"
ut MEANS Otomie, that In the far land
whence come there Is woman who loves
mo and who Is my love. ]"
"Is she your wife thens"
"She is not my wife, Otomie, but She
is vowed to me in marriage"
.'She is vowed to you In marriage" sho
answered bitterly. why, thon, wo are
equal, for 50 am l, Teule But there Is
this difference between us-you love her,
and me you do not love That is whLs
you would mako clear to me- Spare mo
more words / understand 1t ull. Still 1t
seems to mo that If have lost she IS also
in the path of loss. Great seas roll be-
tween you and this love of yours, Tculc-
seas Of water, and the altar of sacrifice,
and the nothingness of death. Now lc:
me 20. Your wife must DC, for there Is
no escape, but shall not trouble you over
much, and 1t will soon be done with.
Then you may seek your desire In the
houses of the stars whittier you must wan
der, and it is my prayer that you shall
win it.
"All these months have been planning
to find hope for you, and thought that
I had found it. But it was built upon
O false belief, and 1t is ended. Had you
been able to say from your heart that you
loved me it might have been well for both
Of us Should you be able to say it before
the end it may still be we'll But l do not
ask you to say it, and beware how you tell
me lie I leave you, Teule, but before
20 will say that honor you moro In this
hour than have honored you before be-
cause you have dared to speak the truth to
me- Montezuma's daughter, when o lie
had been SO easy and SO safe That woman
beyond the seas should be grateful to you,
but though I. bear her no Ill will between
me and her there is struggle to the death.
We are strangers to each other, and stran-
gers we shall remain, but she has touched
your hand as touch 1t now. You Link
us together and arc our bond OF enmty.
Farewell, my husband that Is to be-"
Then, rising, Otomie cast her veil about
her face and passed slowly from the cham
ber, leaving mo much disturbed It was
bold deed to have rejected the profered
love Of this queen among women, and
now that I had done so was not altogeth-
er glad Would Lily, wondered, have
offered to descend from such state to cast
off the purple of her royal rank that she
might no et my side on the red stone Of
sacrifcc' Perhaps not. for this fierce f1del-
ity is only to be found in women Of anoth-
er breed. These daughters Of the sun love
wholly when they love at all, and as they
love they hate. They ask no priest to con-
secrate their vows, nor If these become
hateful will they be bound by them for
duty's sake. Their own desire Is their
law, but while 1t rules them they follow
1t unfinchingly, and If need be they seek
Its consummation in the gates Of death,
or, falling that, forgetfulness.