The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1894-08-01

E.ass-SS-sse ..g3N 1SSzI speak. But Char
NO T mion came and stood
Ezzzz4zz39slNH$Y li21M over me, and l felt
Es5aEgTlIB SslEt great tear fall from
H., 'Ig ia f. her dark eyes upon
I'M ~ n e. my face, as the first
MI "a q heavy drop of rain falls
~! III from a stormy cloud
II y "Thou goest," she whis-
~ pered-'thpu goest fast With
u err may not follow! Harmachis,
how gladly would l give my life
SJ for thine!"
Then at length opened my eyes, and as
best could l spoke:
''Restrain thy grief, dear frlend," said,
81 live yet; and in truth, feel as though
new life did gather in my breastw
"Thou liyestn she cried, throwing her.
self upon her knees beside my couch.
Thou livest--and ! thought thee gonel
Thou art come back to mel OIL what say
II How foolish is a woman's hearth IT'S
this long watchngl Nay; sleep and rest
thoe, Harmachis why dost thou tall1i
Not one more word, l command thee,
straightly! Oh, where is the draught left
by that long bearded fool? Nay, thou shalt
have no draughtl There, sleep, Harmachis;
sleepln and she crouched down at my side
and laid her cold hand upon my brow, muir
nuring: "Sleep, sleep, sleep"
And when [ woke up there still she was,
but the lights Of dawn were peephg through
the easement There still she llnelt, one
hand upon my forehead and her head, in
oil its disarray of curls, resting upon her
cutstretchcd arm. 'Charnion,n l wills
percd, shave / slept?n
Instantly she was wide awake and gaz-
ing or me with tender eyes. "Yoa, thou
hast slept, Haymachis.n''
''Now long, then, have oleptW
"Nine hours"
Sand thou hast held thy place there, at
my side, for nine long hours!"
"Yoa, it is naught; also have slept-I
feared to walzen thee if Istirred."
$50 rest thec," said. SIT shames me to
think of this thing. Go rest thee, Char
mionli
''Vex not myself" she answered-"see,
will bid slave watch thee and to wake
rae if thou necdst aught; sleep there, in
the outer chamber. Peace-l gol" and she
strove TO rise, but, so oramped was she, fell
straightway on the floor.
Scarce can tell the sense Of shame that
filed me when saw her fall. Alas l could
not stir to help her.
sit is naught,n she said; ''move not, did
but catch my foot. Thereln and she rose,
again to fall-'a pest upon my awkward
ness why--I must be sleeping gifts well
now l Il serd the slave,' and she stag
gered thence like one o'ercome with wine.
/ And after that, once more slept, for
was very weak. When l woke it was az
tornoon, and craved for food, which Char
mion brought ne.
! atol "Ihen die nott" said.
! "Nay," she answered, with toss of her
head, "thou wilt live. In truth did waste
my pity ON thee"
"And thy pity did save my life,' said
YEARLY, for now remembered.
sit is naught," she answered. carelessly
"Aftcr al, thou art my cousins also, love
nursing; it's woman's trade. Like
enough had done as much for any slave
Now, too, that tho danger is past, leave
thec.n
"Better hadst thou done to let me die
Charmion,n said after awhile, ''for life tt
me can now be naught but one long shame
Tell re, then, when sails Cleopatra fol
Ciliciarn
''ln twenty days she sails, and with sucl
pomp and glory as Egypt hath never seen
OF truth, can not guess where she ha
found the gold to gather in this store o
splendor, as q husbandman gathers his ricl
fruits"
But l, knowing whence came the wealth
groaned in bitterness of spirit, and mad,
no answer
'Goest thou also, Charmionl" l asked
presently.
cay, l and oil the Court. Thou, too-tho'
goest."
81 ge! Nay, why is this?"
because thou art her slave, and mus
march in gfided chains behind her chariot
because she fears to leave thee here Il
Khem; because it is her will, and there
an end"
"Charmion, can l not escaped"
Escape, thou poor sick mani Nay, hoy
canst thou escapea Fen now most strict
art thou guarded. And if thou didst es
cape, whittier weuldst thou fiyl There's nc
an honest man in Egypt but would spit o
thee in scorRT
Once more groaned in spirit, and bein
90 weak felt the tears roll a-down m
cheek. ~.
sweep notr she said, hastily. and turn
ing her face aside. "Be man, and brav
these troubles out Thou hast sown, no,
must thou reap; but after harvest tn
waters rise and wash away the roots, an
then once more comes seed time. Per
chance, yonder in Cilicia, a way may b
found when once more thou art stron
whereby thou msyst fiy-if in truth tho
canst bear thy life apart from Cleopatra
smile; then in some far land must tho
dwell till these things are forgotten. An
now my task 10 done, 50 fare thee well. A
times win I come and see that thou needles
nsuEht"