The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1898-03-17
CHAP1 Err XXIL
NATAL PHOPHEslTS EVIL.

CIIAPl Err XXIL
NATAL Progresses EVIL.
At Tillal's words the company muir
INJURED in astonishment, and Natal,
bending forward, began to whisper in
his car. Tilsal listened for a moment.
then turned upon him fcrccly and then
said aloud SO all could hear him:
II tell you, Natal that / will be nc
party to 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 a
stranger. who, like some lost dog, has
wandered to our gate?"
The prophecy" began Natal.
1.-The prophecy! / put no faith in
prophecies. Why should obey proph-
ecv written now, when or by whom
do not know? This lady was my
a1lianced bride, and now l am asked to
unite her to n nameless man, who is
not even of our blood or faith. Well,
| will not"
Surely, lord, you blaspheme," an
swered Natal, growing wroth, ''sec-
ing that it is not for the highest priest
to speak against the oracle OF the god.
Also.' he added, with meaning, ''what
can it be to you who arc not ten DAYS
wed to the lady at your side, that she to
whom once YOU were affianced should
choose another as her husband?"
What is it to me?" asked TilSal furi-
ously. IF you desire to know l will
tell you. 1t is everything. How did !
come to break my troth and to take
your daughter as q wife? Through
you, Natal, through you, the liar and
false prophet. Did you not swear to
me that Maya was dead yonder 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,nan
plot Of yours, devised for the further
ing Of your ends?'
Now, while all stood astonishcd, of a
sudden Nahua, who hitherto had lis
tened in stony silence, rose and said:
My lord TilSal forgets that common
courtesy should protect even an unwel-
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 it died
away rilSal said:
Evil will come OF this nights work
and in it | will have no hand Do what
You 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 reseated themselves.
and, holding up his hand to secure
quiet, Natal spoke thus:
Forgive me" he said, addressing tic
audience, If my words seem few and
rough, but it is hard for me to be calm
IN the face of the open insult which has
been put upon my daughter and myself
before you all. will not stoop to an
swer the charges that the lord Tilsal
has brought against me in his rage
surely, some evil power must have af-
dicted him with madness, that, forget
ting his honor as man and his duty as
a prince and priest, he should dare to
utter such 'calumnics against the god
we worship, the white man whom the
god has chosen to be 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
thcr what l believed to be the true in
tcrests of the whole people, l gave my
voice in favor of the lifting up of Tilsal
to fill the place and honor of caciouc
in room of our late prince, Zibalbay.
whom we thought dead with his daugh-
ter in the Wilderness. Tonight | see
that they were right, and that was
foolish indeed.
Bnt enough of regrets and bitter
talk that make i'll music at marriage
feast. TilSnl, 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 speaks. Their will it is that
this marriage should go forward. and
Dumas, my brother, as the oldest
among US, call upon you to celebrate
it,"
Now the company shouted in on-
plause, for they were set unon tbss
strange union of white man with their
lady, II only because it was q new thing
and touched their imagination. nnS
even those of them who were OF his marty
were wroth with Tilsal on account Of
his ill behavior and the cruel q front that
he had offered to his new-made wife.
So soon as the tumult had died nwav
The old priest, Diuas, rose, and taking
The hands of Maya and the senior. he
Joined them and said very touching
md beautiful prayer over them, bless,
me- them and entreating the shirt.
Heart OF Heaven, and other gods to rive
hem increase and to make them happv
n each others love. Fry
Lastly, he laid a white silkeu cloth
which had been prepared upon their
heads as they knoll befn-e him. md /
DOSING the emerald girdle about the
waist OF the bride, took her right hand
md placed it upon the arm of the
'enor, then he bound the girdlc round |
wrist and arm buclsled it. and in few !
'olemn words declared these twain To
&c man and wife in the face of Heaven
md earth till death nndid them.