Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-12-25
service, their own advancement and

the filling of their own treasures
ever come first with them. SO !
have sent for you, Deucalion, the one
strong man in all the world. You al
least will not sigh to be my lover?"
saw her watching for my answer
from the corners of her eyes. THE
empress" said, sis my mistress,
| and will be an honest minister to
her. With Phorenice, the womam, it
is likely that I shall have little
enough to do. Besides, am not the
sort that sport with this toy they
call love-"
''And yet you are personable
man enough" she said, rather
thoughtfully. 'But that still further
proves your strength, Deucalion. You
at least will not lose your head
through weak infatuation for my
poor looks and graces.' She turned
to the girl who stood behind us.
"Ylga, fan not SO violently"
Our talk broke off then for the
moment, and I had time to look
about me. We were passing through
the chief street in the fairest, the
most wonderful city this world has
ever seen. I had left it score of
years before, and was curious to note
it's increase.
In public buildings the city had
certainly made growth; there were
new temples, new pyramids. new pal
! aces, and statuary everywhere. Its
grea tness and magnifcence i'm.
pressed me more strongly even than
usual, returning to it as I did from
! such distance of time and space,
for, though the many cities of Yu-
catan might each of them be prince
| ly, this great capital was a place not
to be compared with any of them.
1t was imperial and gorgeous beyond
descriptive words.
Yet most of all was I struck by
the poverty and squalor which stood
in such close touch with all this mag
niicence. In the throngs that lined
the streets there were gaunt bodies
and hungry faces everywhere. Here
and there stood one, man or q
woman, as naked as a savage in Eu-
rope, and yet dull to shame. Even
the trader, with trumpery gauds on
his coat, aping the prevailing fashion
for display, had a scared, uneasy
look on his face, as though he had
forgotten the mere name of safety,
and hid his frantic heart with his
tawdry outward vauntings of pros
perity.
| Phorenice read the direction of my
looks.
"The season." she said, ''has been
unhealthy of recent months. These
lower people will not build fine
houses to adorn my city, and because
they choose to live on in their
squalid, unsightly kennels, there have
been calentures and other sicknesses
among them, which make them disin-
clined for work. And then, too, for
the moment, earning is not easy. In
deed, you may say trade is nearly
stopped this last half-year since the
rebels have been hammering so lust
lily at my city gates.'
| l fairly startled out of my de-
corum.
"Rebels!" l cried, "who are ham,
mering at the gates Of Atlantis? Is
the city in a state of sicge?"
of their condescension," said Phor-
enice, lightly, "they are giving. us
holiday to-day, and so, happily, my
welcome to you comes undisturbed.
If they were fighting, your ears
would have told you of it. To give
them their due, they are noisy
enough in all their efforts. My spies
say they are making ready new en-
gines for use against the walls, which
you may sally out tomorrow and
break # it gives you amusement. But
for to-day, Deucalion, have you.
and you have me, and there is peace
round us, and some Prettiness ct
display. If you ask for more I will
give it you.''
I said, ''but as your majesty has
made me your minister, it is we'll
| that should know all about it's scope
at once. This is matter we should
be serious upon"
"And do you think 1 cannot take it
seriously also?''"she retorted. "Ylga,"
she said to the girl that stood be-
hind, ''set loose my dress at the
shoulder"
And when the attendant had I'M
linked the jeweled clasp Gas it
seemed to me with a very i'll grace),
| she herself stripped down the fab
ric, barring the pure skin beneath,
and showing me just below the curve
of her left breast a bandage of blood
stained linen.
There is a guarantee of my Sc
robustness yesterday, at any rate, -
she said, looking at me sidelong.
''The arrow struck on a rib, and that
saved me. If it had struck below,
Deucalion would have been standing
beside my funeral-pyre to-day, instead
of riding on this pretty steed of mine
which he admires so much. Your eye
seems to feast itself most on the
mammoth, Deucalion. Ah,> poor me.
l am not one of your shaggy crea-
lures, and so it seems I shall never
be able to catch your regard. Ylga,"
she said to the girl behind, "you may
link my dress up again with it's clasp.
My Lord Deucalion has seen wounds
before, and there is nothing else here
to interest him.
! ITO Be Continued
| Nice Turkish Customs.
| It is said by a correspondent of tho
London Telegraph that the habits Of