Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1896-05-20
HEART OF TIE WORLD.
BY II. RIDER s-lAooARD.
Z strsrsc Story, Taken From Mznuserir. De-
sseathcd by si Old Mexican Indian 90 Lis
rr;snd AMI Conrsss, an English.
man Named Jones.
corrt.sA,es. le9i. BY II. RIaer ne.sara

copyrighted IS1i- by III. Rider Hessard
cifArTER xXIIl-coSrrSUEr
s'Did 81 c then tell you why we ned?'
asked Maya. did she tell You that
she creps to my chamber like a thief in
the night. and there was Sound in the
act OF dong murder onmy shild?"
NO, lady, she told US nothing OF ali
this. lndced. her manner was strange,
fu 50 soon Us she was .-ac? cred some
what size took back In. words. and
skill that she knew nothing of YOU or
yo&r plans. and that if You had fed we
sfo.iI do well to let you 20 before
worse things happened But knowing
that -or all this she had reasons easy to
bc guessed, we followed YOU and found
ycu, and now we arrest You, to answer
before the council for your great sins,
in that you have broken your solemn
oaths Icy attempting to leave the land
without the consent of the council. and
hnvc added to your crimes by taking
with YOU this child. the Heaven-scnt
.delivercr. on whom rests the hope of
our race"
IF we have broken our oaths." said
Maya, 1--WE broke them to save our
lives. Were we then to stop in the city
till the knife OF the assassin found us
out? On the very night of my marriage
murderer was set upon my husband.
pointed to TilSal. 'who could tell us
who he was and whence he came. Three
days ago another murderer sought
the life of our child. and that muir
dcrer the wife of the Lord Tiial Is IL
then sin that we should take from the
tand one whose life is not safe with
in it?'i
"All these matters You can lay be-
fore The council, lady" answered
ItfmnG Nnl, t
without doubt she must suffer for her
crime. Yet her evildoing cannot pay
Tor yours, for when YOU found YOUR
selves IN danger Won should have
claimed protection from those who
gould give it, and not have betallen
yourself TO fight, like thieves in terror
of the watch. Come. enter the litter
That iSprepared for you, and let us be
going
Then we started. OF orr journey
back there is nothing 20 tell. unless 1T
Is 20 say that after its own fashion II
was oven more wretched than that
which Svo had just accomplished Then.
1:dccd. We were foot sore. hun Try and
rac,ScG with fears. hut Mt least the
hoDc & freedom shone before US like
n gulolng star. whereas now. although
we travelled in comfort. it WIS to- find
shame. exposure and death awaiting us
ut last.
Maya and the senior had each other
md their child to console them. but I
had nothing except such friendship as
tncy chCSC % spare me the memory of
my many failures. the clinginr bitter
mess Of conscience. The fear of ven
geance to bc wreal5ed, and the hope of
peace beyond the end. Therefore !.
an ortvoru and disappointed man. was
prepared to welcome the doom that
N.r~- IL Z. L.
the others who were still full OF love
nn,. youth?
Late that night we reached the citv
and were led. not 10 the palace where
we lived. hut toward the Enclosure of
the pyramid.
"How IL t,.is?" asked Maya of the
captain O. the guard. "Our road lies
yurder."
Ne. II, lady" he answcred: ..mv
orders arc ia take You up the stairway
OF the pyramid"
Ne,r Niva pressed her face apainst
The face II hcr child and sobbed. for
she knew that once more we must in
habit the darlSsore vault whore her f.
Their had been taken to die They led
us I'D the stair and down the narrow
way till VIC stood in the lampli. hall
and heard oUr prison gates clash behind
rs. Then they gave Us food and left
As I rrueed thus, even through the
massive walls of the vault | heard
woman scream. and. springing from
nv bed, ran into the central hall
wl;cre t.1c lamps burned always Here
j 1act Maya, clad in her right dress
only. al running down the hall, her
eyes Oiled with terror.
~ i;:u Eas happencd?" / said. stop
PIN; hc-. and rs | spoke the scnor came
up.
'.O!,. 7 have dreamed" she raspcd:
= have dreamed n fearful dream. |
dreamed THAT my father came to ne.
ind cannot tell it-thc child-the
chiid-- and she broke down utterly
nnd could say no more.
This place is full of evil memories.
and licr strength is shattered" said the
scnor When yc had cal.ned hcr some
what. Come back. wife. and sleep"
-'Nlcci..' She answered. Il DO not
thinl. tict / shall ever sleep again; and
yct. unlcs, | sleep I shall 90 mai oh.
that dream! Truly the curse Of Natal
has taken hold OF me"
Some few hours later VIC met again
In the gfcat hail, but Maya said moth
ing Of her dream. nor did ask her to
tell i. though / could see from her face
that u WIS not forgotten. We ate. or
made pretCEsc 20 eat, and sat for awhile
81 silence.