The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1900-03-17


ly with my hand.
"This," said, ''is god"
Another time they took me TO mu-
scum, and / stopped by carsen sar-
cophngus and would not move away.
There were things craven upon ii that
| seemed almost TO understand, and
names that were half familiar.
When / went back 10 school stood
aloof from the games TO dream of fly
ing spears and racing chariots. My
playfellow---I will call him Rupert
Often when we wrestled together the
playground seemed TO swim away. In
stead there came vision of yellow
sand and blue skies, and dark, black
haired playmates around, and a shout
ing of 'Well striven, little king!" Once,
when he had been i'll for n long time,
and l went TO see him, name sprung
up almost 10 my lips--the name was
forgotten, but / knew Ii had been his
name long before.
After leaving school devoted myself
TO Egyptian antiquities. They seemed
TO present no difficulty to me, and l
soon made a great name. Meanwhile
the conviction grew upon me that had
lived in Egypt many years before.
even began TO realize dimly that was
Amenemhat w., of whom the histories
said so little.
Then i met Nerissa, and for awhile
studied no more. There was no one,
nothing else i'm all the world that mat
tered the least to me. i became her
accepted lover, and for few months 1
lived in paradise.
After this / had n strong fever. In
the dreams and delirium the past came
back to me, and when was well again
| remembered. / was Amenemhat and
she was Numidea, the blue-eyed slave.
As l had ordered by the spell, was
reborn TO live with her again. kales,
her lover, had known no spells, l told
myself. So he was in the future or the
past, perhaps by thousand years, as
the gods had ordered, and she was not
for him but for me. The thought of
her wrong in the past made me won
drously tender to her, and she was al
ways gentle. Yet / tortured myself
that she did not love me as loved her.
when we are marriott will come"
/ told myself. at shall come"
One day in the spring we were sitting
| together. Rupert had come home on
furlough from his regiment in In
dia, and came first TO see me. They
looked at one another for long time.
There was remembrance in their eyes.
Fool that l had been 10 think myself
wiser than the gods He was Kales.
The room grew dark and tainted
When came to they propped me up
with pillows and sat beside me. They
spoke as if they had known one an
other fer years. 1t seemed, they said
that they must have met before, and
they talked jestingly of transInigra-
ton of souls.
After that they seemed always meet
ing. The light leaped into their faces
when they saw each other. They
looked wistfully backward when they
parted. / entreated Nerissa TO hasten
our wedding day, but she tearfully re-
| fused.
Suppose" she said, "that we had
lHUut a. ulltI
| think" She paused here, and when
l questioned her she was silent.
One evening | went slowly into her
bcudoir and heard them talking pas
rionately. / fingered behind n great
screen. 1t was an unworthy thing to
do; but / would have done worse-far
worse--for love of her.
"You love me-" he said, triumph
| artly "You love me! You are mine
by right, Nerissa--my dear!"
Hush" she sobbed. FLUSH! am
his-your friends. ] promised"
"lou do not love him. You cannot
love him"
"oh, have tried" she cried. Then
he took her in his arms and comfort
ed hcr-he who had been my friend.
] went stealthily away. 1t was well
that l had no weapon then.
That night dreamed the old dream
OF her death. In the morning l con-
oealed a small sharp dagger about me
and went to see Ler. When / kissed
her She half turned her face away.
Have you anything TO say to me-
Nerissa?" l asked.
"No," she answered, with n little
catch in her voice. al do not think
so. Oh, moi"
"Nothing?" / asked again. think"
My fingers fumbled NJ the dagger
When she confessed that she was
fai,hlcss, would STAY her, j thought
Nothing" she said, slowly. "Only
name the day that you will" She
was loyal. since she knew how greatly
| loved her. | might have known.
Kiss me-" / cried fercely. She
yielded Just one faint little embrace
caught her in my arms and kissed
her hail, her eyes and her lips a thou.
sand times. Then the words
OF Charmicles, the charioteer. came
back 10 me. "If / loved her enough,
oh king, perchance should set her
| free"
i snapped the dagger before her and
| threw the pieces away.