Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1895-11-22
A.LOCK OF HAIR.

The city OF Megara lay smiling IN the
summer sun. It's marble palaces, its tall
columns, its towers and turrets were gay
with flowing plume and flag, for it was
feast day The sun had been mp only
an hour, but already the streets We're
swarming with children, who had risen
early to gather flowers to decorate the
temples. Soft laughter rose on the fra
grant air, and looks of trouble were for
the time cast aside.
Could one conceive of a more peace
full and contented people? Yet sincere as
their happiness was now, it was only as
ray of broken light streaming through
rift in the dark clouds.
For Megara was besieged and the
camp of the enemy lay just outside the
walls Of the city. A truce had been de-
clared that the people might celebrate
their holy rites to the gods.
And so, grateful for the lnll in the
strife which for six months had borne
heavily upon them, the people threw
care to the winds and put all their
hearts and souls into the pure pleasure
of this one blessed day. They needed
not that this reprieve was but the false
hope sent by a cruel fate and that the
darkest hour of their trial was coming
swiftly ON silent wings.
The people now passed in throngs, ~
gayly attired i'll their holiday clothes,
which for months had been put aside.
1t was time for the ceremony of sacri-
fee, and the young maidens, dressed in
spotless white, with white flowers en-
twined in their locks and trailing over
their flowing robes, looked like seraphs,
with their young faces all aglow with
holy enthusiasm.
On a smooth, rolling plain, covered
with its natural carpet of green and
dotted with flowers which seemed like
a sprinkling of sunbeams, the altar had
been erected. The procession formed
slowly, the white robed maidens coming
first, chanting and swaying slightly to
an easy dancing step. Then followed the
youths of the kingdom, their boyish
voices taking up the strain of the maid
ems, swelling it louder and rolling it
over the long ranks.
When these had formed circle about
the altar, a long avenue was left clear,
and then the glory of the procession
came into view Six tiny maidens, clad
in rainbow hue, held in their hands
masses of flowers intwined about rib
bons and leading by them snow white
bull. It's horns were like ivory and shone
in the sunlight. No flower or ornament
was needed to add charm to the per-
feet animal.
Walking beside it, her arms thrown
caressingly around its neck, was the
pride Of the kingdom, Scylla, the king S
daughter. She was tall and slight and
as graceful as a reed Her dark hair
hung about her in lustrous coils and
swept over the back of the bull. Her
robe was of cloth of gold, and deep pur-
pie amethysts fastened its folds and
glistened from her black hair. Other or
naments she had none.
Closely following her was Nisus, the
king, surrounded by his guards. He,
like his daughter, was tall and dark,
with the same kind of hair, except that
one lock, falling over his shoulder,
shone purple, like the light from her
amethysts.
No wonder the daughter loved the
purple stone, even as Nisus treasured
the purple lock. for it reflected the light
from that lock ON which depended the
safety of the country.
The children led the bull to the altar.
Scylla stood beside it, till the king APP
preached with the cleaning knife.
Then, with a low cry, she threw her
arms about the creatures neck and
pressed a kiss on its white face But her
grief did not interrupt the ceremony,
and the sacrifice was made.
When Scylla reached home, she went
up into the high tower of the palace,
from which she could look down over
the whole city and beyond it. Outside
the walls she saw, as she had seen for
the last six months, the camp OF King
Minos of Crete, and beyond the wide
plain the ocean stretching out, out, to
liberty. For though she was a princess,
Scylla felt like bird in a golden cage.
AS she looked down over the camp
and watched the tents a figure issued
from one Of then. During the whole
time of the siege she had watched the
enemy from the tower, and had learned
to distinguish the officers by name. And
he who but now emerged from his tent
was no other than King Minos himself
1t was easy to know him from the
others, for, tall as they were, he over
topped them all, as great oak in the
midst of a beech grove Then, too, his
bearing was that Of king. That noble
brow revealed character grand, good
and Just. In fact. the king was what a
him, sI,nr,ld he and when dressed in his