The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1898-04-07
HEART OF THE WORLD.
Strange Story. Manmcrp Beq.esthed by
Mexican Indian His F1csd comrade,
Engishmaa Named


ttv cOuu;li. ana angry VOICES cllIcu tt
her to rsAs' her blisphcrnie.. tli sht
won I'll nee and went on
"Il.tr me nut. ! pray yo,i. Tor ever il
| wished il should not dare 10 spcali
thus n, randDin. Int am prepared VIVA
proof Of ev.ry word utter. you think
that l Is 3uld have killed this chill to
wiring the heart of ny rival Maya and
indeed. wish to Hring H. and that
would set my own son In his place. and
indeed ! wish 10 set him there. and yet
these were not my re- SONS for the
decd
LORDS Of the council, listen to tale
the strilngost that you have heard, and
judge betweca mo and Tilzal. my hus-
band, and Maya, my rival, and her
friends. Natal. my father, was known
to You ALL seeing that at the time OF
his death. and, indeed. since TilSal was
appointed cacique. be stood next to him
in place and poyvsr among the People
Of the Heart, holding the offices in the
brotherhood which now are filled by
Diinas. and among them that of
keeper of the sanctuary.
"Yet, lords, Natal, my father, was
no true man. Alas! that should have
to say it, seeing that it was more for
my sake that he sinned than for his
own, since he loved me and desired my
welfare above everything on earth. It
WIS this love of his that ruined him.
making him fulsr to his god, to his
oaths. and to his country. Thus, in the
beginning, he knew that since | was a
child had set my heart on the Lord
Tikal, who was aflianced to the Lady
Maya, and also that | was ambitious
and desired To be great.
~ hartsf,.re II xrnc TINT ha Jaaai god
TilSal, pretending that it had been re-
vcalcd to him by Heaven that the Lady
Maya and her father were dead in the
wilderness. Therefore II was also that
when he had persuaded him thai she
wns lost to him forever, he pressed it
upon the Lord Tilcal that he should
marry me in place OF Maya. his
who was dead, promising him
in return that he would bring it about
that he should Bc nnointed caciquc OF
the People Of the Heart
"All these things and others he did,
though ut that time knew nothing of
them and thought in my folly that
rilsal married me because he loved me
and desired me as the companion Of his
life and power.
Then Z:balbav returned on the
night OF my marriage feast. and with
him came Maya and the strangers. and
from that hour my husband began TO
hntc me, because | was his wife in
place OF Maya, whom he loved. More.
rs | have learned since. be went to H.
balbpy while he lay in prison and Of
fcred To rcti2n his place rs cnciqur III
his favor for so long az he should live.
and no more to oppose schemes If he
would give him Maya IN marriage after
had been put away either by death or
by divorce.
This Zibalbay would have done. and
gladly, but, as 1t CHANGED, Maya here
lad set her heart upon the white man
turing their journcyings together
through the wilderness, and refused to
&c separated from him that she might
DC palmcd off in marriage upon Til:ai.
Yet he might have won his way, for
heir case WAS desperate. and the alter
native was death, had not Natal, my
'ather, found a plan whereby they
Gould be saved and remain the wife OF
he cacique.
This was the plan, lords: that
prophecy should be set in the symbol of
he Heart yonder such as would deceive
he Council of the Heart and bring it
bout that Maya should be given in
marriage to the white man whom She
owed. Lords, this was done. At the
lead of night they crept to the sanctu-
Try, and opening the Heart, placed with
n 1t that tablet which you have seen,
he tablet that foreshadowed the birth
II deliverer. The rest you know"
1T Is false" cried many voices.
Such sacrilege is not possible
ut is not false" answered Nahua,
and will prove to you that the sacri-
eye was possible. The Heart was
opened and the false prophecy forged
y my. father was placed within it,
where It was found by you on the night
II the festival of the Rising of Waters,
his day last year. But when the holy
Icart was opened, behold! it was not
mpty, for in it lay another prophecy,
) true prophecy. which was removed
rom 1T, that the lie which has deceived
lou might be set ia its place"
Where, then, Is that writingp" asked
)imas.
Here" she answered, drawing the
ablet from her breast Listen and
he read:
The eve that hns slept and is
vakcned sees the ie..rl nuu purpose OF
le wicked. | say that in the hour
ne dissolution OF my city, not all the
'ateus OF the ii ,ly Lake shall wash
W y their sin
Take IL, lords, and see for your
elves, she continued, laying the tablet
II the altar. And now listen again
nd learn how it Glanced that this relic
anne into my keeping. After be had
'rou%ht this great sin the curse of the
ameless god fell upon my father, and,
$ you know. he was snitten with n
ore disease. Then it came about that
'hcn he lay dying rcmorsc took him,
nd he wrote certain paper which he
auscd to be Witnessed and given to rae,
ogcthcr with this tablet
In my hand hold that paper, lords;
ear II and judge for Yourselves
'hether have spoken trutli or false
ood--" and She read aloud the confess
on OF Natal that set out every detail
I our plot, ana the manner of its ex-
cuiiou.
NOV, lords" She added when the
,ading was finished md The signatures
nd been examined, you viii under
and how it happened tha. in my rage
this tidlngs ! strove tn kill yontlcr
'fant' who has been palncd off upon
on as the seed of the god, and leave
to you TO deal with those who planned
y ''""'' CHAPTER XIV,
FAREWELL
Nahua ceased ard sat down, and SO
reat was the establishment of the coun-
i ut the tale that she had told that for
while none OF them spoke. AT length |
imas rose aud said:
Maya, Lady OF the Heart. and you, |
rangers, You have heard the awful |
iarge, that is brought against you. |
hat do you say IN answer to it?''
''WC say IL Is true " nns,ra,nd Mnrn