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

slayl Ay, stand and stare at that wreath
within thy hand-the wreath thou couidst
not send to join my kerchicf-sure Cleo
patra wore 1t but tonight The perfume
Of the hair Of CBsar's mIstress-Cesar's
and others'-yet mincles with the odor OF
its rosesi Now, prithec, Harmachis, how
far didst thou carry the matter on yonder
balconyi-for In that hole where lay hid
/ could not hear or see. IT'S sweet spot
for lovers, is it noti-ay, and sweet
night tool Venus is surely in the right
ascension"
And all of this she said so quietly and in
so soft and modest way, though her words
were not modest, and yet so bitterly, that
every syllable cut me to tho heart and an
gered me till could find no speech.
"Ot a truth thou hast wise economy"
she went on, seeing her advantage; ITO
night thou dost kiss the lips that tomorrow
thou shalt still foreverl IT'S frugal dealing
with the occasion of the moment; aye, wor-
thy and honorable dealingl
Then at last l broke forth "GirlP' l
cried, chow darest thou speak thus 10 mel
Mindest thou who and what am that thou
looscth thy peevish gibes upon mei"
81 mind what it behooves thee 10 be-" she
i
mind not now Surely thou lSnowest alone
thou and Cleopatrar'
"What meauest thous" said. "Am to
blame if the Queen"
"The Queenl What have we hercl Phar-
aoh owns Queen"
"If Cleopatra wills to come Lther Of
night and talk"
"Of stars, Harmachis-surely of stars
and roses, and naught besideIn
After that l know not what said; for,
troubled as l was, the girls bitter tongue
and quiet way drove me well-nigh to mad
ness. But this know: spoke SO fcrcely
that she covered before me as she had
covered before my uncle Scpa, when he
rated her because of her Grecian garb.
And as she wept then, so she wept now,
only more passionately and with sobs.
At length ] ceased, half ashamed, but
! still angry and smarting sorely. For even
| while she wept she could find tongue to
answer with-and a woman's shafts are
| sharp.
"Thou shouldst not speak to me thusl'
| she sobbed; sits cruel-it is unmanlyl But
forgot thou art priest, not man-ex-
cept, mayhap, for Cleopatrar'
| What right hast thou?n l said. "What
canst thou meant"
| NV nat right have II" she asked, looking
up her dark eyes all atlood with tears that
ran down her sweet face like the dew of
morning down lily's heart "What right
have II o Harmachis art thou blinds
Dost thou not know by what right speak
thus to theel Then must tell theci Well,
| It's the fashion in Alexandria, BY that
| first and holy right of woman-by the right
| of the great love bear thee and which, it
seems, thou hast no eyes to sce-by the
| right of my glory and my shame. o, be not
wroth with me, Harmachis, nor set me
down as light, because the truth has at last
burst from me; for am not so. am what
thou wilt make me. l am the wax within
the molder's hands, and as thou dost
fashion me so shall be. There breathes
within mo now breath of glory blowing
across the waters of my soul, that can watt
me to ends more noble than ever have
dreamed afore, if thou wilt benny pilot and
| my guide. But if lose thee, then lose all
that holds me from my worse self-and let
shipwreck comel Thou hnowest me not,
| Harmachisl thou canst not see how big q
spirit struggles within this frail form Of
minel To thee | am girl, clever, way
ward. shallow. But am more Show me
thy Hottest thought and will match it, the
deepest puzzle of thy mind and / will make
it clear OF one blood arc We, and love can
ravel up our little difference and make US
grow one indeed. One end we have, one
land we ;ove, one vow binds us both. Take
me to thy heart, Harmachis, and set me by
thee on the Double Throne, and swear
| ,lot ,,-i1 l;ft thoa hiuhar bo a,rn,. m ',
has climbed Reject me, and beware lest
l pull thee down! And now, putting aside
the cold delicacy of custom, stung thereto
10y what saw of the arts of that lovely liv-
ing falsehood, Cleopatra, which for pastime
she doth practice on thy folly Ihave spoken
out my heart and answer thouw And she
clasped her hands, and drawing one pace
nearer, gazed all trembling on my face.
For q moment stood struck dumb, for
the magic of her voice and the power Of her
speech, despite myself, had stirred me
like tho rush Of music. Had loved the
woman doubtless she might have fired me
with her fame; but loved her not, and
could Tot play at passion. And so though,
came, and with thought that laughing mood
which is ever apt to fasten upon nerves
strained to the point of breaking. In
flash, as it were, bethought me of the way
in which she had that very night forced the
wreath Of roses on my head. l thought OF
the kerchief and how had flung it forth,
thought of Charmion in tho little cham
Der watching what she hele to be the arts
of Cleopatra, and of her bitter speeches.
Lastly, thought Of what my uncle Sepa
would say Of her could he see her now, and
of the strange and tangled skein where
with l was immeshed. laughed aloud
the FOOLS laughter-that was my knell Of
ruin
She turned whittier yet-whte as the dead
and on her face there grew look that
checked my foolish mirth. "Thou findest
then, Harmachs.n she said, in a low, choked
voice, and dropping the level Of her eyes
''thou findest cause of merriment in what
have said"
May I answered, "nay, Charmion
forgive me If laughed Twas rather
laugh of despair; for what an to say &c
thee! Thou hast spoken high words of al
thou highest be; is it left for me to tel
thee what thou art9"
She shrank, and paused
Speak she said.
"Thou knowest-none so well-What au
and what my mission is; thou knowest-
none so well-that am sworn TO Isis, ant
may, by law divine, have naught to do witt
thee.n
"Ay," she broke in, in her low voice and
with her eyes still fixed upon the ground
lay, and l know that thy vows are broker
in spirit, II not in form--broken like
wreaths of clouds-for, Harrlachis, ho'
lovest 'e,pdtrdi"
at is a liel" cried. Thou wsntoI