Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-09-10
HEART OF THE WORLD.
BY H. RIDER HAooARD.
= strange steE5, Taken From = aanuser,,. IA.
S.1ned d an Old Mexican Indian 20 His
Friend and COurade. an English.
naa Named Jones.
-cODgrishtea. Isea. b. q Rlder H.erara
CHAPTER xIX.-CosT1NuED


CHAPTER xIX-coxr1SuEn
That day-it was the day previous tc
the night ofthe rising of the waters on
.1 Uhlch we were to appear before the
Souncli OF the Heart, In the sanctuary
IilSal came to visit US. To Maya he
bowed low, but ON the senior and nv.
SER ne looked with an angry eve. with
the eye, indeed, of one who would have
killed US if he dared.
FIRST, he offered her his sympathy
upon the death of her father. For this
she returned her thanks, quoting. how.
ever, with a flash of her old spirit. a
certain proyerb of her own people. OF
which the meaning is that the death OF
one man is the breath of another.
NY father was your foe. TilsalF she
ADDED, and now that he is gone you
VIII be able TO sleep and reign in peace. ="
Not altogether 50, lady" he an
-swered. seeing that he had left behind
hin a more dangerous rival to nv
power, namely, yourself | will not
hide from you, Maya, what you soon
must learn, that large portion of the
people, and with them many Of the no
Pies accusing me of your fathers muir
DER, clamor that | should be deposed
and that you should be set up in my
place as cacique of the City of the Heart.
some few days ago / might have
'StIIIed their outcry by commanding Won
to be put to death, but now it is too
late, for since that time has fought for
you, and your death would doubtless
be followed by my own. When last we
met asked you q certain .question, to
which You promised me an answer
when your father was dead or re-
covered, and to-day have come to hear
that answer
while Zibalbay lived had much 20
offer him and you in exchange for your
hand. l offered il freely. So high a
value did / place upon it, now that it
seemed lost to me, that l was prepared
to lay down my power, to suffer your
father TO violate the laws and to incur
Natal, his daughter and his party.
Now l must make you lower bid, that
OF equal power for yourself and for your
friends here, whatever they may desire.
SHOULD Sou refuse me. this is the al
Tentative: Civil war in the city till one
OF us is destroyed and instant death as
the portion of your friends.
But, Maya, pray you not to refuse
me. for have something more to offer
You, and it is my undying love. From
a child | have always loved you, Maya,
although you have treated me cOldly
enough, and now day by day / love you
more. Indeed, believed that you and
your father were dead yonder in the will
-derneSS, for then had faith in Mattel,
whom now / know to be q rogue, and
Natal swore that it was written in the
stars. Even so would not have married
another woman, for my heart bled at
the loss of you, had not Natal made
marriage the price of his support, with
out which ! could not hope to be
.anointed cacique, seeing that l had
ios71 <.51c -
'tYou have spoken, COUSIN" she an
swered, land your words have been
gentle, and yet if 1 understand you
right, some days since you were in two
minds as to whether it would not be
better to murder me here in this dark
some hole where you placed u.s."
''If policy put any such thought into
my mind, Maya, love drove it out again"
he answered with confusion,
$50 you admit that this was so," she
said. ''Well, day might come when
policy might breed the thought and
love, grown weary, prove not warm
enough to wither it. Also it seems
that even now, you threaten these, nv
companions, with death, should refuse
you your desire"
''If You should refuse me my desire,
Maya, perhaps it will be for a secret
reason of your own" and he scowled at
the senior angr1y, a reason LnaJ the
death of these men. or one of them, will
''Be sure of thing, Tikal," she broke
in sharply, ''that such a wicked deed
would put an end forever to your hopes
of making me your wife. Now listen;
/ have heard your words and they have
me somewhat, for 1 think that
you have broken your oath to
my father, and your troth with me, at
heart you are honest in your love. Still
! can give you no answer now, and for
this reason, that the answer does not |
lie with me, but rather with the gods.
Tomorrow night we appear before |
the High Court of the Council of the |
Heart, and you yourself shall set the |
several portions of the talisman in the |
symbol that is on the altar in the sane !
tuary, when the god shall declare his |
purpose. BY that will and not by my |
own must be guided in this and in all |
other things!" Tikal thought awhile |
and answered:
'sAnd if nothing follows this cere-
mony and the oracles of the gods are |
silent, what then?"
''Then, Tika1," she answered, softly, |
''you may ask me again if will be- |
come your wife, aud perhaps if the |
council suffers it / shall not say you
nav. And now farewell, for grief still
shadows me, and cnn talk no more"