The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-22

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culver passed over the motion1ess form
before me and slow1y-sloW1y the -eyelids'
were raised. l met the full gaze Of his
eyes and stopped short, as though hand
had pressed me back, trembling with a
sudden, unknown fear. s..
For an instant 1 tried to, meet those
awful eyes, while the blood grew cold
round my heart and my breath came in
heavy gaSps between my parted lips, as
though 1 had been running hard. Then,
unable to bear that terrible. look, sank
to the floor with low moan and covered
my face with my hands.
All that [ had heard and read of the
power of the EVIL Eye was now
brought home to me for the first time
realized that a glance may strike like
a blow, may penetrate to the heart of
ones being like a virulent poison, rob-
| bling one Of all strength to resist. l grew
sick with fear I who was no tyro in the
| world of evil trembled like a child.
| Al Chndus had the fatal double pupil
| which from time immemorial has been
recognized as giving a baleful power to
! the eye, and in his life he must have
cultivated this power until it had become
| a deadly weapon, bringing death and DIS
aster where it fell. 1t was the essence OF
| evil and could strike with more fatal ef-
| feet than any weapon made by man. A
| weaker nature than mine would have
] hopelessIy succumbed, but I was protect
| ed to a certain extent by the life l had
| led
! Presently a voice sounded in the silence.
| a voice that seemed to come from my
| own lips and yet whose every tone was
unfamiliar to me, and it spoke OF things
| of which I knew nauSht.
| 81 have become a power in the land, all
| the more powerful because secret. Few
! see in me anything more than AL Chin
I dus, the priest, who is devoted to the
! service of the gods and rarely ventures
out into tia world But the king con-
| suits me on every occasion, and my
| knowledge grows day by day. The spirit
! that 1 hold at my command is as wise as
! it is dangerous, but l can control it and
why should I fear? Without it's aid !
| could have achieved very little. But
it grows too eager for reward. These
constant sacrifices will attract attention
| in time, and may, besides, give strength
| greater than [ could desire.
! 81 had thought myself proof against all
| human emotions except ambitien, and yet
the sight of Nephthys is beginning to
| trouble me. When I serve in the tenn
pie; when alone, at night, I make my
| experiments; when, weary and exhausted
| l throw myself down on my bed her face
| comes between me and my devotions,
! between me and my art, between me and
| my rest. It is always before me, that
sweet pure face, with the deep, dark eyes
| like black pools on which the sun
| shines-and hair the color of night. Her
| hands are slender and, white as marble,
and her bearing is that of a daughter
| of the gods.
"Nephthys grows dearer to me and
| dearer. l no longer try to Gust her from
| my thoughts; I know it is useless. Why
should she not become my wife? Though
I hold that celibacy is advisable for the
priesthood because it gives greater dis
tinction and authority, it is not in1pera-
tive and have risen SO high that can
afford to follow my own inclinations
The law does not limit the number OF
wives a man may take to himself, eX-
cept in the case of the priesthood; g
priest may only have one wife. Well
do not desire more than Nephthys; she
alone can satisfy my heart. But will
she? Such advances as have made have
scarcely been warmly received. 1t may
be that my manner chills her, that my
face is more calculated to inspire feal
than love- I have thought so little OF
women hitherto, know SO little of thell
ways. They have never appeared to me
in any other light than. as a necessary
but lower part of the creation. Now I
would that | understood them better, thai
| might find my way to the heart of one
For the desire of Nephthys is like 8
thorn In my flesh; like flame that bids
fair to consume me.
ST have been more accustomed to com.
/ mand than to implore, and l know none
| of the tricks that pIeasesa woman When
look at my dark visage and the eyes
before which men shrink away and hids