Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1896-05-06
CHAPTER WI
NATAL PRoPBH,ya EVIL,

his ear Tikal listened for n moment,
then turned upon him fiercely and then
said aloud so all could hear him:
II tell YOU, Natal, that | will be no
party 10 this iniquity. Has such thing
been heard of before that the Lady of
the Heart. the highest lady in the land.
should be given in marriage TO
stranger. who, like some lost dog, has
wandered To our ga'c?'
THE prophecy" began Mattai
"Thc prophecy! / put no faith in
prophecies. Why should OBEY proph-
ecv written now, when or bv whom
| do not know? This lady was my
afiianccd bride, and now / am asked TO
unite her TO namclcss man. who IL
not even of our blood or faith. Well,
| will not
''Surcly. lord. you blasphcmc." an
swercd Natal, growing wroth. see
ing that il il not for the highest priest
to speak against the oracle of the rod.
Also" he added, with meaning. what
can it bc 10 you who are rot ten days
wed to the lady at your side, that She tn
whom once Won were afiisslccd should
choose another as her husband?'
What is IL TO mc?' asked Tikal furi-
ously. If YOU desire 20 know will
tell you. 1t is everything. How did 1
come to break my trotk and 20 take
your daughter as a wife? Through
You, Natal, through yo3, the liar and
false prophet. Did yon rot swear to
me that Maya was dead yondcr in the
wilderness? And did you not, to
satisfy your own ambitions, force me
on to take your daughter TO wife, ay,
and Is not this marriage between the
Lady OF the Heart and the white man a
plot of yours, devised for the further
ing of your endS?'
Now, while all stood astonished. of a
sudden Nahua, who hitherto had lis
tened in stony silence, rose and said:
My lord Tikal forgcts that common
courtesy should protect even an unYel-
come wife from public insult" Then
She turned and left the hall by the door
which was behind her.
Now a murmur OF pity for the lady
and Indignation against the man ran
through the company, and as il died
away Tillal said:
Evil viii come of this nights work
and in it l will have no hand. DO what
Won will and abide the issue" and be
fore any could speak in answer he also
had left the hall followed by his guards
For awhile there was silence, then
folk began to talk confusedly, and
some of the members of the Brother
hood of the Heart, rising from their
chairs, took hurried counsel together
At length they rescated themselves
and, holding up his hand to secure
quiet, Natal spoke thus:
Forgive me" he said addressing the
audience, IF my words seem few and
rough, but it is hard for me to bc calm
in the face of the open insult which has
been put upon my daughter and myself
before You all. i will not stoop To an
swer the charges that the lord Tillal
has brought against me in his rage.
surely, some evil power must have af-
hlcted him with madness, that forget
ting his honor as Il man and his duty as
prince and priest. he should dare to
utter such calumnieS against the god
we worship, the white man whom the
god has chosen to be a husband to the
Lady Maya, and myself, the keeper Of
the sanctuary. There were many
among You who held me foolish when
after much prayer and thought to fur
Their what | believed to be the true in
terestS of the whole people, | gave my
voice in favor of the lifting up of Tillal
to I'LL the place and honor of cacique
in room of our late prince, Xibalbay
whom we thought dead with his dauph-
ter in the wilderness. Tonight | see
that they We're right, and that | was
foolish indeed
But enough of regrets and bitter
talk that make i'll music at marriage
feast. TiSal. the head of our hierarchy.
has gone. but other priests are left, nor
is his will the will of the Council or OF
the People Of the Heart, for whom the
Council tspcaks. Their will it is that
this marriage should go forward. and
DimaS, my brother. as the oldest
among us, call upon you to celebrate
it"
Now the company shouted in APP
plause, for they were set upon this
strange union of white man with their
lady. If only because ID was a new thing
and touched their Imagination, and
even those Of them who were of his party
were wroth with TilSal on account of
hisill behavior and the cruel affront that
he had offered to his new-made wife.
50 soon as the tumult had died away
the old priest, Dimas, rose. and taking
the hands OF Maya and the senior. he
joined Them and said very touching
and beautiful prayer over them, bless
ing them and entrcating the spirit.
Heart OF Heaven, and other gods to give
them increase and to make them happy
in each others love.
Lastly, be laid a white silllen cloth
which had been prepared upon their
heads as they llnelt before him. and.
loOsing the emerald girdlc about the
waist of the bride, took her right hand
and placed il upon the arm of the
senior, then he bound the girdlc round
wrist and arm. bucklcd it. and in a few
solemn words declared these twain To
be man and wife in the face of Heaven
and earth till death undid them.
Now the cloth was lifted ard the Cir
die looscd. and standing upon their feet
the now we'd pair kissed each other be-
fore the people. A shout of joy went
mp that shook the pancled roof. and
one by one. in order of their rank. the
guests pressed forward TO wish JOY IN
the bride and bridegroom. most OF them
bringing some costly and beautiful
gift, which they gave into the charge Of
the waiting ladies' Last OF all came
the old priest, Dimas. end said:
sweet bride, the gilt that am com.
m2ndcd by the council 10 make TO YOU.
though Of little value in itself. is vet
one Of the most precious To- tc found
within the walls Of This ancient city.
being nothing less than the holy sym
BIOL of the all-sccing Eye Of the Heart
~ Heaven. which through Sou men Dee.
hold to-day for the first time Tor man
generations.
Wear 10 always. lady. and remember
Shat. though thi, jewel has no sight.
yet that eye of which IT, is q token from
hour 10 hour reads Your most secret
soul and purpose Make your thoughts.
iEen. a. fair as your body. and Jet your
breast harLOr neither guile nor evil !1r
~ all these things IN % day 90 come you
must surely give account"
A. nc spoke hc drew from the case