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

and our ends? Then is our life and long
crime, my Holly; for day by day we de-
stroy that we may live since in this world
none save the strongest can endure"
But WAS deeply anxious TO save Ustane
whom liked and respected, from the dire
fate that overshadowe her at the hands OF
her mighty rival So made one more
appeal.
"Ayesha," | said, thou art to subtle
for me; but thou myself hast told me that
each man should be law unto himself,
and follow the teaching of his heart
Hath thy heart no mercy toward her whose
! place thou wOuldst take? Bethink thee,
as thou sayest--though To me the thing is
! iucredible-he whom thou desirest has re-
turned TO thee after many years, and but
now thon hast, as thou sayest also, wrung
him from the jaws of death. Wilt thou
celebrate his coming by the murder of one
who loved him, and whom, perchance, he
! loved-one, at any rate, who saved his life
for thee when the spears of thy slaves
would have made an end thereof Thou
sayest also that in past days thou didst
previously wrong this man, that with thine
own hand thou didst Stay him because OF
the Egyptian Amenartas, whom he low
ed "
How knowest thou that, oh, stranger?
How knowest thou that name? / spoke it
not to thee" she broke in with a cry,
catching at my arm.
'Perchance | dreamed it," / answered;
'strange dreams do hover about these
caves of Kor, 1t seems that the dream
was, indeed shadow of the truth
What came to thee of thy mad crime?-
two thousand years of waiting, was it not?
and now woudst thou repeat the histo-
ry? Say what thou wilt. tell thee that
evil will come OF 1t; for to him who doeth
at the least, good breeds good and evil
evil, even though in after days out ofeyil
cometh good. Offenses must needs come,
but woe to him by whom the offense COM
eth. SO said that Messiah of whom |
spoke to thee. and it was truly said If
thou slayest this innocent woman, L. say
unto thee that thou shalt be accursed, and
pluck no fruit from thine ancient tree of
love. Also, what thinkest thou? How
Will this man take thee red handed from
the slaughter Of her who loved and tended
him?'
LAS to that, she answered, Il have al.
ready answered thee Had | not slain
thee as well as her. yet should he love me,
Holly, because he could not help himself,
any more than thon couldst help dying, if
10y chance | slew thee, oh, Holly. And
yet, maybe, there is truth in what thou
dost say; for in some way it presseth on
my mind. If it may be. | will spare this
woman, for have not told thee that am
not cruel for the sake Of cruelty? | love
not to see suffering, or TO cause it. Let
her come before me-quick now, before
my mood changes, and she hastily cover
ed her face with its gauzy wrapping.
We'll pleased to have succeeded even to
this extent passed out into the passage
and called to Ustane. whose white gar
ment caught sight of some yards away,
huddled up against one of the earthenware
lamps that were placed at intervals along
the tunnel. She rose, and ran toward me.
us my lord dead? Oh. say not he is
dead she cried, lifting her noble-looking
face, all stained as it was with tears, up to
me with an air of infinite beseeching that
went straight to my heart
Nay; he lives. answered. "She hath
saved him. Enter"
She sighed deeply, and entered, and fell
upon her hands and knees, after the Gus
tom of the Amahagger people, in the pres.
ence of the dread She
stand said Ayesha, in her coolest
voice, land come hithcr
Ustane obeyed, standing before her with
bowed head.
Then came pause, which she broke.
"Who is this MANI she said pointing to
the sleeping form of Leo.
The man is my husband, she answer
| ed, IN low voice
'Who gave him to thee for husbandY"
81 took him according to the custom of
our country, oh, She"
Thou hast done evil woman, in TAX
ing this man, who is a stranger He is not
a man of thy own race and the custom
fails. Listen. Perchance thou dldst this
thing through ignorance; therefore, wo-
man, do | spare thee otherwise hadst thou
died, Listen again. Go from hence back
to thine own place, and never dare to
speak to or set thine eyes upon this man
again. He is not for thee Listen third
time. If thou breakfast this my law, that
moment thou diest. CO.
But Ustane did not move.
go, womsnl"
Then she looked up, and saw that her
face was torn with passion.
"Nay, oh, She | will not 90" she ans.