Abilene weekly reflector., 1896-03-19

.tuSWCICO hnJ0s
"They cannot, lady; and yet other
things may happen. And now to our
task. Stranger, give to the Lady Maya
your half Of the ancient talisman, that
She may set it together with the half
she bears in the place prepared in the
symbol"
Now. with sigh seeing that 1t was
too late to draw back undid the emer-
aid from my neck and gave It to Maya
who laid it side by side with Its count
erpart, upon the palm Of her trembling
hand, and stepped with it to the altar.
Here she stood for moment, then
whispered in faint voice:
Terror has taken hold OF me. and
ear 10 90 THIS tnlng.
"Yet. it must be done, and not by
me-" said Natal, "or we shall have
come on FOOLS errand. and go back,
some Of us. to FOOLS DEATH and he
looked toward me.
II will not do IT," | said, answering
his look, mot because ! fear your GODS
but nv own conscience do fear
.lhen will" said the senior, boldly,
..for fear neither. Give me that
trinket, Maya
She obeved, and he had let the two
halves Of the talisman fall into then
place in the symbol. -,
For some seconds, we stood still,
watching the altar with eager eyes,
but the symbol never stirred. Then J
said
.It seems, Natal, that you must
hide your living writing elsewhere.
since Wonder heart will not open; or II
Il Will. we have not found the key
"Wait a little" broke in the senior.
perhaps the springs are rusted. And
he placed his thumb upon the halves OF
the emerald and pressed SO hard that
the symbol treubled on Its ma'ole
bed.
..Bcware!n cried Natal, and before
fine echoe, OF his voice had died away
all Of us started in astonishment, for
10! the heart was opening like a flower:
Slowly it opened, till the severed
| tallSlgln ICll lIOHi ~ 10 A.S WV ~. va
lav back on the marble Of the altar,
revealing something hidden in its
center that shone like an embe. in the
lamplight.
In the hollow Of the heart laid lpon
A square plate Of gold, which was GOV.
cred with writing, glared a red jewel
shanod like human eve, that seemed
TO answer stare with stare.
III we stand like this W" shall grow
frightened" said the senior, roughly,
rlancing round him as she spoke; there
Is nothing to fear III red stone cu'
like an eye"
III you think SO, white man." an
swcred Natal, in voice that shook 9
little. strive as he would to command
it; ''lift up the holy thing and give me
the writing that Is beneath 1t. stay
first take this, and set it in the symbol
replacing the eye upon it, and HI
handed him the forged tablet
The senior obeyed, nor did anything
happen when he lifted that dreadful
looking Jewel and changed the true TO
the false.
"Read it," said Maya, as the table
was passed to Natal; "you hav
knowledge Of the ancient writings"
perhaps it were best left unread,
he said, doubtfully.
May she answered; "let us know
the worst. Read it." =,
Then he read these strange words i
slow and solemn voice' =,
"The eye that has slept and is awah
ened sees the heart and purpose OF tn
wicked say that in the hour OF tn
desolation Of my city not all the water
of the Holy Lake shall wash away thel
SIN"
Now the faces of us who heard turne
gray in the lamplight, for. though tn
gods of this people were false, we fel
that the voice of true prophet spok
to us from that accusing tablet, an
that we had called down upon on
heads vengeance which we could NJ
measure.
"Did not tell you that it were wis
to leave the writing unread, gaspe
Natal, letting the tablet fall from h
hand as though it were snake.
The clattcr Of it as it struck the ma
bic floor seemed to wake us from ou
, evil dream, for the senor turned on hi
and said, fiercely;
, "What docs it matter what the thin
: says. rogue, seeing that you forged
{ as you forged the other
= "Ah. would that had" answere
Natal; "but when doom oycrtakes yc
, and all Of us. then shall you lear
whether or not forged this vi
ing" And he lifted it from the Hoo
, and hiding it in the folds OF his rob
added. Close the heart, white ma
5 and give back the severed jewel to tho'
! who wear it, :,
. The scnor did so, replacing the sill,t
Q cloth over the symbol SO that the alti
y seemed to be as it had been.
! Nov let MS be going" said Malta
| "and rejoice that if yonder eye has Sc,
! our wickcdness. it is hidden from Il
a sight of men. Doubtless the vcngean
Of the gods is sure, but that Of men
!, swift" l.,
As he spoke we turned to leave u
n sanctuary, and of sudden Ma,
screamed, and would have fallen HI
e not the senior caught her. Well mig
s she scream. for there in the narro
| niche of the door by which he had e
tered, stood white figure that at iir
e took to be that Of some avengil
V ghost.
!. Another instant and saw that
J. deed it was a ghost, the ghost OF libi
I bay, or rather his body come back fro
}. the boundaries Of death to spy up'
4 our sacrilege before it crossed the
forever.
/. While he had seemed to be sensele
n upon the bed in the chamber, his sens
q we're awake. and oh, what must he ha
Il suffered when he heard us plan o
n fraud upon his sanctuary. Then VIII
d we had left him his fury and despi
Is unfettered the limbs that had be
). bound so fast and gave him strength
e follow, though they could not unlo
his frozen tongue.
IS Oh, never shall forget the rage
l. his quivering face, or the agony a.
A. horror of his tormented eyes as tn