The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1894-06-06

not read her purpose"
'Well, we'll; enough OF Cleopatra Hast
thou seen our unclct'
"Yea, Royal HarmachS."
sand hast thou the last lists?'
"Yea, here they be- and she drew them
from her bosom. "Here is the list of those
who, after the Queen, must certainly be
put to the sword. Among them thou wilt
note is the name of that old Gaul, Brennus.
l grieve for him, for we are friends, but it
must be. 1t is heavy list"
"'Tis So" | answered; ''whcn men write
out their count they forget no item, and our
count is long. What must be, must be.
Now for the next"
"Here is the list of those to be spared, as
friendly or uncertain; and here that of the
towns that certainly will rise so soon as the
messenger reaches their gates with tidngs
of the death of Cleopatra"
"Good And now"-and | paused-"and
now as to the manner of Clcopatra's death.
How hast thou settled it, Must it be even
by my handW
''Yea, my lord" she answered. and once
again l caught that note of bitterness in her
voice. "Doubtless my Lord will rejoice
that his should be the hand to rid the land
of this false and wanton woman, and Mt one
blow break the chains which gall the neck
of Khem."
Talk not thus, GIRL" said, swell thou
knowest that Irejoice not, being but driven
to the act by deep necessity and the press
ure of my vows Can she not, then, be
! poisonedi Or can no one of the eunuchs be
suborned to slay her! Ny soul turns from
! this bloody work! Indeed, l marvel, how
ever heavy be her crimes, that thou canst
talk thus lightly of the death by treachery
of one who loves theeW
"Methinks my Lord IS over-tondcr, for
| getting the greatness of the moment and
! all that hangs upon this dagger stroke that
shall cut the thread of Cleopatras life.
Listen, Harmarcms. Thou must do the
deed, and thou alone! Myself would do it,
had my arm the strength, but it has it not.
BY poison it can not be done, for every
| drop she drinks and every morsel that shall
! touch her lips is strictly tasted by three
| separate tasters, who can not be suborned.
Nor may the euuuchs of the guard be trust
ed. Two, indeed, are sworn to US; but the
third can not be come at. He must be cut
down afterwards and, indeed, when so
J many men must fall, what matters aeunuch
more or lesss Thus shall it be, then. To-
morrow night, when Bonou at three hours
before midnight is in the right ascension,
thou dost cast the final augury of the issue
of the war And then thou wilt, as is
agreed, descend alone with me, having the
signet to the outer chamber of the Queens
apartment. For tn, vessel bearing
orders to the Legions sails from Al
cxandria at the following dawn; and
alone with her, for she wills that the
hing be kept secret as the sea, thou wilt
read the message of tho stars. And as she
pores over the papyrus, then must thou
stab her in the back, so that she dies; ana
see thou that thy will and arm fail thee not!
The deed being done-and indeed 1t will be
easy-thou wilt take the signet and pass out
to where the eunuch is-for the others will
be wanting. II by any chance there be
trouble with him-but there will be no trou-
bic, for he dare not enter the private rooms,
and the sounds Of death can not reach so
far-thou must cut him down. Then will
meet thee; and, passing on, we will come to
Pauus, and it shall be my care to see that
he is neither drunk nor backward for
know how to hold him to the task. And he
and those with hun shall throw open the
side gate, when Sepa and the five hundred
chosen men who are in waiting shall pour
in and throw themselves upon the sleeping
legionaries, putting them to the sword.
Why, the thing is easy, so thou rest true to
thyself, and let no woman's fears creep
into thy heart. What is this daggers
thrustS 1t is nothing, and yet upon it may
hang the destinies of Egypt and the world"
"Hush!" said. "What is thati l hear
a sound"
Charmion ran to the door, and gazing
down the long, dark passage, listened.
In moment she came back, her finger on
her lips. SIT is the Queen" she whispered,
hurriedly; "the Queen who mounts the
stair alone. heard her bid Iris leave her.
may not be found thus alone with thee at
this hour; it hath a strange look, and she
may suspect somewhat What wants she
herei Where can hide mel" l glanced
around. At the further end of the chamber
was heavy curtain that hid a little place
built in the thickness Of the wall which
used for the storage Of rolls and instru.
ments.
Haste thee-therer l said, and she
giided behind the curtain, which swung
back and covered her. Then l thrust the
fatal scroll of death into the bosom of my
robe and bent me DER the mystic chart.
Presently heard the sweep Of woman's
robes, and there came low knock upon the
door.
ENTER, whoever thou srtp' said.
The latch lifted, and Cleopatra swept in,
royalty arrayed, her dark hair hanging
about her and the sacred snake of royalty
glistening on her brow.
"Of truth, Harmachis," she said, with
sigh, as she sank into a seat, "the path
10 Heaven is hard to climbi Ali l am
weary, for those stairs are r;any. But
was minded, my astronomer, to see thee
in thy haunts."
sm honored oveymuch, o Queenr