Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1896-05-27

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borne away rs withered leaves are
borne before q gale. Ere a man might
count ten the most of the population
of the City OF the Heart had persisted,
For little while some OF the more
massive houses stood, only to vanish
one by one, in silence, as II seemed. for
now the roar of the waters covered all
other sounds Before the sun was well
up il was finished, and on the ancient
and beautiful city. Heart of the World.
there remained nothing TO be seen ex-
cept the tops OF the trees and the upper
parts ofthe pyramids of worship rising
above the level of the lake.
The Golden city was no more
Presently Maya rose to her knees and
looked out from beneath the hollow. of
her hand, for the light WIS dazzling
there upon the white summit of the
pyramid. Then she flung her arms
above her head and uttered a great and
bitter cry. E eE -
Behold my handiworlx." she said,
land the harvest of my sin. O, my
father, that dream which was sent TO
haunt my sleep was dreadful, bat il did
not touch the truth. o. my father, the
people whom you would have saved are
dead. and lost is the city that YOU loved
and IL is l who have DESTROYED them
o. my father, my father, your curse
has found me out. indeed, and am ac-
cursed .#.a hN
Some such words as these she spoke.
then began TO laugh, and turning TO
the senior, said:
Where is the child, husband?-
lie could not answer her, but she
took no note OF II. only she bent her
arms, rocking them and grooming as
though the infant lay upon her breast;
then came first TO him and next TO me.
saying:
l. -
not happy 10 DC the mother of such n
boy?"
WEAKNESS, sorrow and shock had
turned her brain. and she was mad
We led her To the watch house where
there was shelter, and the priests, who
had returned. gave us food rs soon as
we could make them understand that
we needed IL, for they. too, were almost
mad. Here her last illness seized her
II began with hardening of the breast
which changed presently to fever
Two days and nights with breaking
! hearts we nursed her there upon the
pyramid. striving not to listen TO her
mad rawlings and piteous talk about the
child. and at dawn upon the third dav
she died. Before she died her senses
returned to her. and she spoke TO her
husband beautiful and tender words
which seem too holy to set down.
She turned TO the senior. and in n
gasping and broken voice prayed OF him
not TO forget her or her child. l heard
him answer that this she need not fear.
rs his happiness died with her. and
even ii he should escape he thought
that they would not be parted for very
long, nor could any other woman take
her place in his heart
She blessed him and thanked him.
caressing his face with her dying hands.
and unable TO bear more of such g sight
left them together.
An hour later the senior came from
the watchhousc. and Though he did not
speak one glance at his face was enough
to tell me that all was over.
Thus died Maya. Lady of the Heart,
the last of the ancient royal blood OF
the Indian princes, myself alone ex
cepted, very sweet and beautiful
woman, though at times headstronr
and capricious.
Now while Maya lay dying we learned
that some Indians still lived on the
mainland, men and women who had
been sent there TO tend the crops, for
we saw canoe lowering round whaa
once had been the Island of the Heart
From the Indians we learned tina.
| those on shore were so overwhelmed
with horror at the catastrophe which
had fallen upon their holy city that
they did not dare to approach the place
| where it had stood. But when last
| night they saw the great flame OF
Maya's funeral pyre they knew that
men still lived on the pyramid, who. as
! they thought, were signaling to them
! for help. and veaturcd out to save them
| They asked us how 1t came about that
/ the waters had overwhelmed the city
| which had stood among them safely
/ from the beginning OF time. We re-
piled that we did not know, and the
| priests with US, now that they had es-
capped with their lives. seemed too pros
! trated TO tell our deliverers that we
| had been imprisoned in the hollow of
| the pyramid, even II they knew that
| this was so.
On reaching the shore we found a lit
! tie gathering OF awo-stricken Indians,
/ perhaps thcrc may have been one hun
| drcd and fifty of them, the sole slr-
! vivors OF the People Of the Hort.
/ Opcn-mouthcd and almost without
| comment. they listened to the terrible
tale of the sudden and utter dcstruc-
! ton of the city.
Then we turned our faces 20 the
| mountains. ard on the second day
! crossed them safely. for Maya had told
/ ms the secret of the passage which we
| had passed blinGfoldcd. Thus at length.
/ having looked orr last upon the blue
\ waters Of the Holy lake, sparkling in
{ 'tt' HAfsnAtlilN tilbFt Vic lltldtfH OF TIC
4 city and the bones of its inhabitants.
! did we leave that accursed Country of
/ the Heart, where so much evil had be
! fallen us.
/ II was a terrible journey. and once
/ VIC both of as fell III with fever. from
| which 1 thought that we should not re-
/ cover. but recover we did by the help OF
some wandering Indians who nursed
/ us, ard NJ length reached this place.
| from which we had fed for our lives
! nearly two years before.
Then the hacienda was deserted. for
IL had the reputation of being haunted.
though some Of the Indian dependents.
or rather slaves. of that great villain.
! Don Pedro Moreno, still worked patches
OF the land.
Well. the senior took fancy TO STAY
in the place for II was here that lac
/ had Er,t seen his wife; aud so we sold
that girdic OF cmcralds which Maya
took from the chest Of ornaments and
gave 60 me when we were imprisoned
in the hall Of the pyramid Cby the way.
I do not loso the clasp. for 70 Is the only
/ remaining relic Of the People Of Sic
/ HcarD, and with the proceeds Bought
at cheap rate from the government Of
the day, who had entered into posses
sion of them. this house and the wide
lands around Il. that have cultivated