Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-05-04
CHAPTER XIV


For moment Juanna stood stupefied,
for the vancouver had been so sudden that
at first she could scarcely realize its result.
Now, Shepherdess, began Nam bland
ly, 1--WE can talk in private, for l have
that to say to you which it is not fitting
chat otner ears should hear"
You fend,'' she answered fierccly.
Then comprehending that strong language
r remonstrance would be useless added;
Speak on. hate you"
Listen, Shepherdess, and for your own
sake l implore you, do not give way to
grief or rage. | swear to you that no harm
shall come to yonder man if you will but
do my bidding Shepherdess, you are
found out. l know and the people know
that you are no goddess. 1t had been
safer to sacrifice you today, but partly be-
cause of the pleading of my daughter, who
loves you, and partly for other reasons
have caused you to be saved alive. Now,
Shepherdess, from this country there is
no escape. AS you have chosen to come
here, here you must remain for life, and
in this cell you cannot live and die. There
fore for my daughters sake / have cast
about for a means to deliver you from
bonds and set you high in the land-aye,
almost at its head, and he paused.
Perhaps you will come to the point, -
said ,Iuanna, who was trembling with
fear and anger
1T is this, Shepberdess, Nam answer.
ed, bowling. Although you arc dethron.
ed as goddess, you may still shine as q
queen and rule over us as the wife of oui
king"
Indeed" said Juanna, turning sud
denly cold, "and how shall /, who am
held to be dead, appear again as a woman
welded to your king2 Surely tire people
would find that strange, Nam.
No, Shepherdess, for l have made a
tale ready which shall explain the wonder,
and already the rumor runs from mouth
to mouth 1t will be said that you were a
goddess and therefore immortal, but that
for the sake of love you have put off your
godhead and put on the flesh that you
might dwell for some years with him
whom you DESIRE"
''lndeed@' said Juanna again. "And
what il l refuse to consent to this scheme,
which, as | think, can have come only
from woman's brain?" and she pointed
to Soa
"You are right, Shepherdess, " said Soa.
''The plan is mine. / made it to save
you, and also, - she added coolly, ito lie
revenged upon that white thief who loves
you, for he shall live to see you the wife
of another man, a wild man."
And have you never thought, Soa,
that may have wishes of my own in this
matters'
Doubtless, yet the fairest woman can
q rlx,.n Ia
wish. Know, Shepherdess, that this must
be both for your own sake and for the
sake of Nam, my father. Olfan loves you,
and in these troubled times it is necessary
that Nam and the priests should have his
support, and it has been bought but now
by the promise that you will be given to
him in marriage on this very day. For
you, Shepherdess, although you might
have wished to wed one of your own race,
at the least you will rule as queen, and
that is better than to perish miserably."
Il think otherwise, Soa, Juanna an
swered calmly, for she saw that neither
passion nor pleading would help her, land
of the two l choose to die" and she put
her hand to her hair, then started, for she
found the poison gone.
you will choose to die, Shepherdess, :"
said Soa, with a cold smile, but death is
not always SO easy. l have taken your
medicine from you while you slept, and
here there are no other means to compass
it,
II can starve, Soa," replied Juanna,
with dignity.
THAT takes some time, Shepherdess,
and today you will become the wife of Oh
fan. Still it is needful that you should
yourself consent to marry him, for this
king is SO foolish that he declares that he
will not wed you till you have accepted
him with your own mouth and in the
presence Of witnesses"
Then fear that this wedding will not
be celebrated, said Juanna, with bitter
laugh, for she could not refrain from Civ
ing some outward expression to all the
loathing which she felt for this wicked
woman, who in her fierce love would save
the life of her mistress by selling her to
shame.
Il think that It will, Shepherdess, . an
swered Soa, "for it seems that we have a
way by which we can win you to speak
those words that Olfan desires to hear.
There is no way, Soa. .
"Wbat, none2 Think now He whom
you name deliyerer is a prisoner beyond
that door What if his life hangs upon
your words? What if he were shown to
you about to die fearful death from
which you alone could save him by speak
ing that words''
Now for the first time Juanna fully I'M
derstood the hidcous nature Of the plot
whereby Soa purposed either to force hel
to become the wife of q savage or to thrust
upon her the guilt of being the cause OF
the death of the man whom she loved and
sank back on the couch, saying:
You would have done better to leave
me yonder in the slave camp, Soa .
Then, abandoning the tone of forced
calm in which she had spoken hitherto,
Soa broke out into bitter words:
when you We're in the slave camp,
Shepherdess, you loved me, who have
loved you from a child, for then no white
dog had come to sow mischief between us
and make you hate and distrust me. Then
1 would have died for you-aye, and this
/ would do now. But also would be re-
venged upon the white dog, for /, who an
husbandless and childless, had but this
one thing, and he has taken it from me.
You were to me as mother and lover and
babe are to other women-my all-and
now l am left desolate and will be reycng-
ed upon him before l die But I still love