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

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.,Not altogether donc," she said gently;
athe arena must yet be sandedr' This she
said having reference TO the covering up OF
the blood stains at the gladIatorial shows
with fine white sand. "Well," she went on,
.'waste not thine anger ON thing SO vie.
have thrown my throw and ! have lost.
Va yictis l-ahl Vn victisl Wilt thou not
lend me the dagger in thy robe, that here
and now may end my shamei MOI Then
one WORD more, Most Royal Uarmarhis; IL
thou canst. forget my folly; but, at the
least, have no fear from me-, l am now, as
ever, thy servant and the servant OF our
cause. FarewellV
And she went, leaning her hand againss
the wall But /, passing TO my chamber
flung myself upon my couch and groaneu IN
bitterness OF spirit. Alas! we shape our
plans, and by slow degrees build up our
house of Hope, never counting on the guests
that time shall bring TO lodge therein. FOR
who can guard against-the Unforeseen.
At length / slept, and evil were my
dreams. When l woke the light OF the
day which should see the red fulfllment OF
the plot was streaming through the case.
ment, and the birds sang mcrrily among
the garden palms. woke, and Us l woke
the sense OF trouble pressed In upon me,
for remembered that before this day was
gathered to the past must dip my hands
in blood even in the blood OF Cleopatra,
who trusted mel Why could not hate her
as | shouldl There had been time whenl
had looked on this act of vengeance with
somewhat OF Il righteous glow OF zeal. And
now-and now why, would frankly give
my royal birthright to be free from its ne
cessityl But, alas knew that there was
no escape. | must drain the cup or be Tor
ever cast away. ! felt the eyes OF Egypt
watching me, and the eyes of Egypt's Gods
prayed TO my Mother Isis to give me
strength to do this deed, and prayed as ]
had never prayed before; and, o wonderl
no answer came. Nay, how was thisi
What then had loosed the link between us
that, for the first time, the Goddess deigned
no reply to her chosen servants Could IT be
that l had snned in heart against herf
What had Charmion said-that loved Gle
opatra2 Was this sickness love! Nay,
thousand times nay !-'twas but the revolt
of Nature against deed Of treachery and
blood. The Goddess did but try my
strength, or perchance she also turned her
holy countenance from blood.
roso filled with despair, and went about
my work like man without O soul !
conned the fatal lists and noted all the plans
-ay, in my brain ! gathered up the very
words OF that proclamation OF my Royalty
which on the morrow should issue to the
startled world.
"Citizens of Alexandria and jewellers in
the land of Egypt" 1t began, cleopatra,
the Macedonian, hath, by the command OF
the Gods, suffered justice for her crimes"
All these and other things did, but did
them as o man without soul-as man
moved by force from without and not
from within. And so the minutes wore
away In the third hour Of the afternoon
1 went, as by appointment fixed, to the
house where lodged my uncle Sepa-that
same house to which some three months
gone ! had been brought when, for the
first time entered Alexandria. And here
found assembled in secret conclave the
leaders of the revolt in the city, TO the NUM-
Der of seven. When had entered and the
doors were barred, they prostrated them
selves and cried: "Hail Pharaoh" But
babe them rise, saying that not yet was
Pharaoh, for the chicken was still in theegg
"Yea, Prince,n said my uncle, 'sbut his
beak shows through. Not In vain hath
Egypt broodcd all these years; an thou
fail not with that dagger-stroke of thine
and how canst thou fail!-naught can now
stop our course to victoryr'
sit is on the knees of the Gods" | an.
swered
"Nay,n he SAID, "the gods have placed the
issue in the hands of q mortal-in thy
hands, o Harmachis land there is it safe
See; here are the last lists Thirty-one
thousand men who bear arms arc sworn t.
rise when the tidings come to thom. With.
in five days every citadel in Egypt will BIZ
in our hands, and then what have we to
fearl From Rome but little, for her hands
are full; and. besides, we will make al
lance with the Triumvirate, and, if need be,
buy them off. For of money there is plenty
in the land, and if more be wanted thou,
Harmachis, knowest where It's stored
against the need of Khem, and outside the
Romans reach of arm. Who is there to
harm usl There is none PcrchGnce, in
this turbulent city, there may be astruggle,
and counter plot to bring Arsinoe to
Egypt and set her on the throne. There
fore must Alexandria be severely dealt
with--aye, even to destruction, if need be.
And for Arsinoe, those 90 forth tomorrow
on the news of the Queens death who shall
STAY her secretly"
"There remains the lad Cesarion,"
SAID. Rome might claim through Caesars
son, and the child OF Cleopatra inherits
Cleopatras rights. Herein is q double
danger"
"Fear not" said my uncle; tomorrow
Casarion joins those who begat him in
Amenti. | have made provision. The
Ptolemies must be stamped out, so that no
shoot shall ever spring from that root
blasted by Heavens vengeance"
us there no other means" l asked sad
ly "My heart is sick at the promise Of
this red rain of blood. Well know the
child; he hath Cleopatra's fire and beauty
and great Cnsar's wit Twas shame 10
murder him."
"Nay, he not so chicken-hearted Har-
machis," said my uncle, sternly. What
ails thee, then! If the lad is thus, the
more reason that he should die. Wouldst
thou nurse up u young lion to tear thee
from the thronef'
/ "Be it So" 1 answered, signing. "At
least he is spared much, and will go hence
innocent of evil. And now for the plans"
Long we sat taking counsel, till at length,
in face Of the great emergency and our
high emprise. felt something of the spirit
of former days flow back into my heart.
AT the last all was ordered, and so ordered
that it could scarce miscarry, for 1t was
fixed that il by any chance could not come
to STAY Cleopatra on this night, then should
the plot hang in the scale until the morrow
when the deed should be done upon coca
. sion. For the death Of Cleopatra was the