Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-11-05

1 i
with my own hands to place her alive
In her burying-plac beneath the
granite throne, and If thews and speed
could do It, would not miss my re-
ward Of taking her forth again with
tho same strong hands.
And 80 in time I came to the great
| square, and was there none too soon.
| The place was filing with people who
hocked away from the narrow streets,
and 1t was full of darkness and noise
and dust and sickness. Beneath us the
ground rippled in undula tons like q
sea, which with terrifying slowness
| grew more and more intense.
Ever and again house crashed down
unseen in the gloom and added to the
tumult. But the great pyramid had
been planned by it's old builders to
stand rude shocks. Its stones were
| dovstailed into one another with q
marvellous cleverness, and were fur
Their clamped and joined by ponderous
tongues of metal. It was a boast that
| one-half the foundations could be dug
from beneath it, and still the pyramid
would stand four-square under heaven,
more enduring than the hills.
Pickering torches showed that It's
great stone doors lay open, and ever
and again saw some frightened in
mate scurry out and then be lost to
sight In the gloom. But with the royal
pyramid and it's ultimate fate I had
little concern; did not even care then
whether Phorenice was trapped, or
whether she came out sound and fit for
further mischief. I crouched by the
granite throne which stood in the mid
die of that splendid square, and heard
its stones crate together like the ends
of broken bone as it rocked to the
earth-waves.
In that night of dust and darkness
1t was hard to see the outline of ones
own hand, but think that the gods in
some requital for the love which had
ached SO long within me, gave me es-
pecial power of sight. AS watched, I
saw the great carved rock which
formed the capstone of the throne
move slightly, and then move again,
and then again; tiny jerk for each
earth-pulse, but still there was an app
probable shifting; and, moreover, the
stone moved always to one side.
There was method in Zaemon's dss-
perate work, and this in my blind panic
OF love and haste had overlooked. So
went up the steps Of the throne on
the side from which the greatcapstone
was moving, and chung there afire with
expectation.
More and more violent did the earth
swing grow, though the gradations of
Its increase could not be perceived, and
the din OF falling houses and the
shrieks and cries of hurt and fright
ened people went louder up into the
night. Thicker grew the dust that
Allied the air, till one coughed and
strangled in the breathing, and more
black did the night become as the dust
rose and blotted the rare stars from
sight. chung to an angle Of the gran
lite throne, crouching on the upper
most step but one below the capstone,
and could scarcely keep my place
against the violence of the earth
tremors.
But still the huge capstone that
was carved with the snake and the
outstretched hand held my love fast
locked in her living tomb, and 1
could have bit the cold granite at the
impotence which barred me from her.
The people who kept thronging into
the square were mad with terror,
but their very numbers made my
case more desperate every moment.
"Phorenice, goddess, aid US now!"
some cried, and when the prayer did
not bring them instant relief, they
fell to yammering out the old con-
fessions of the faith which they had
learned in childhood, turning in this
hour Of their dreadful need to those
old gods which, through SO many dis
honorable years, they had spurned
and deserted. II was curious criti-
cism on the balance Of their real re-
ligion, If one had cared to make it.
Still heavier grew the surging of
the earth, and the pavement of the
great square gaped and upheaved,
and the people who thronged it
screamed still more shrilly as their
feet were crushed by the grinding
blocks. And now too the great
pyramid itself was commencing to
split and cape and topple. The roofs
Of its splendid chambers gave way,
aud the ponderous masonry above
shuttered down and filed them. In
part, too. one could see the destruc-
ton now, and not guess at it merely
from the fearful hearings of the
darkness. Thunders had begun to
roar through the black night above
and add their bellowings TO this
devils orchestration of uproar, and
vivid lightning splashes lit the flying
dust-clouds.
1t was perhaps natural that she
should be there, but it came as a
shock when fare of the lightning
showed me Phorenice safe out in the
square, and indeed standing not far
from myself.
She had taken her place in the mid-
die Of a great fiagstone. and stood
there swaying her supple body to the
shocks. Her face was calm, and its
loneliness was untouched by the
years. From time to time she
brushed away the dust as it settled
on the short red hair which ourled
about her neck. There was no trace
of fear written upon her face. There
was some WEAKNESS, some contempt,
and I think tinge of amusement.
Yes, it took more than the crumbling
OF her royal pyramid to impress
Phorenice with the infinite powers of
those she warred against.
Godsl how the sight of her cool in-
difference maddened me then. I had
1t in me to have stranrlad her with