Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-01-11
CHAPTER XXX
THE MARRIAGE OF MAYA.

Presently the door opened, and the
senior was brought into the sanctuary,
as he thought to his death, for saw
that his teeth were set, and that his
hand clenched, as though to defend
himself, but as he came the most of the
"Hail to you! Son of the Sea, Ia
vored of Heaven, Father foreordained
Of the Deliverer to come!"
Then he knew that the plot had sue
ceeded, and uttered great sigh of re-
lief.
"Hearken, white lord" said Natal,
Tor Tikal sat still and scowled on him
In silence. "the gods have spoken BIZ
their oracle. AS Iibalbay Thought so
it is, and your feet have been led for a
purpose to the gates of the City of the
Heart. Listen to the words of the
gods" and, taking the tablet, he read
to him the false prophecy. "Now
choose, white man. VIII you take the
Lady Maya to wife, or viii YOU be put
to death, in that, having wandered
to the City of the Heart, you refuse to
obey the command of the gods?"
Now the senior thought, and an
swered:
s'The man would be foolish who hest
tated between death and SO fair and
sweet bride. Still, this is matter
that cannot decide alone. What says
the Lady Maya?"
"She says" answered Maya, shat,
although this is a marriage for which
she did not look and it is new thing
that a daughter of the Heart should
take a stranger of less ancient blood to
husband, the will of Heaven is her
will, and the lord that Heaven chooses
for her shall be her lord" and she
city, tnh ont l,a, how'd ~, ls,,~
He took it, and, bending down, kissed
her fingers, saying:
May be worthy of your choice,
lady,"
Now, thought that the ceremonies
We're finished and was glad, for grew
weary of assisting at this farce, but
the old priest, Zibalbay's foster broth
er, rose and said:
"One thing more must be done,
brethren, before we leave this sanctua-
ry, and it is to swear in these strangers
as members of the council
"Ay! it is well thought of. Let them
be sworn, and remember that to break
the oath is DEATH" was the answer.
Then we went out, accompanied by
Maya, Natal and the escort of priests,
passed through the halls and passages
out into the courtyard OF the temple
where we refreshed ourselves with
food, for we were weary. The trick had
succeeded, the ordeal was past, and for
the present at least we were no longer
in danger of our lives; more, the power
of Natal was confirmed, and his
daughter was assured in her position
as the wife of Til1al, and the senior and
the Lady Maya We're about to attain
the fullness of their desire and to be de-
clared one in the presence of the peo-
pie.
Well, the thing was done, and it was
useless to regret it or to think of the
future, SO turning to Natal asked
him what was to happen on the pyra-
mid.
There will be great gathering of
tomary at dawn after the night of the
Rising of Waters, and there they will be
told all that has happened in the sane
tuary. and then, if it is their will, Ii
lSal will be confirmed as cacique, ac-
cordjng to the bargain, and either
to-day or tomorrow the white man
here will become the husband of the
Lady Maya, in ORDER" he added, with a
sheer, that of their union may be
born the Deliverer who is to be. Now,
if you are ready, it is time for us to go,
| for the multitude is gathered and an
escort awaits us without"
leaving the palace we placed our
selees N ehe center OF party OF no.
us anu s''aius w VINO were IN atteno-
anSe' anu inarchea across Inc courtyard
anu Up .he sIePs Oh one PYRAMID: Inc
nislI Was growing gray Win the break
LIZ VI 1lie uaMh, anu ~ the peariy !lght
uniousn Wish Ine STARS snone 1aintly
w Pesos,aeu StiaI pahos OF prlests ana
nooies' Wrappea IN thelr proldered ser
apes,, LOT me morning ar was chilly,
sLoou III uhelr appointed places round
me aitar.
n 1roht OF them We're ranged the
oehse masses OF the people, tTT'vn here
70 make thelf prayers upon this feast
DAY, ana also by desire TO learn the
sruon as 70 tne aeath OF lloalpay, the
l..e o. lhe strangers VINO had accompa
1lea nm rom inc unknown lands, the
aecislon OF INC couhell as 10 the success
sor 70 the place ana power OF cactque,
| ana, laStiy' Whether or no the oracle OF
Ihs goa hao spoken 10 ms priests upon
TINS or any other matter when the lost
tailsman was SET III Its place upon the
altar.
on reachlng the altar seats We're
given 70 us among the Mobiles OF the
heart, those OF Maya and the senior be-
ing placed IN such fashion that they
| would DC Vlslole 10 the whole multi
tuGe.
10 nhe feople OF the Heart the occa,
s sioli was grea1 one, seeing that but
| little rain falls IN their country, and
mus they depended Tor bountiful har-
vest upon the lnundatlon OF the island
| ana OF the low shores that lay around
tne lake, Dy 1tS waters swollen with the