The Marble times and Crystal silver lance., 1901-03-15


AS they sported in the cool current
they saw an eagle swoop down upon
the shore and bear away bright thing
in it's talons. The great shadow passed
over them and presently became
mere speck in the sky, far above
where the dark river widened in its
sweep toward the midland sea.
When Pit came to dress she could
not find one of her jeweled slippers.
and she told the maids that the eagle
must have borne it away. Now among
the ancients the eagle was considered
messenger of their gods, and when
one saw an eagle it was believed to
be good omen. So the maidens an
swered:
Good will come of it, noble lady.
Regret it not; your slipper will bring
you princely suitor, for it is an
omen of sovereignty"
And Pti, the princess, hobbled home
as best she might, with one foot slip
PEERLESS. When her maids smiled, she
only said:
There is luck for me- l shall marry
a king
Far away down the river lay the
royal city of Memphis. its palaces and
temples shadowing the Nile. A new
king reigned there, who had just come
to the throne. The most potent Pha-
raoh the Nile had seen for years,
young, gay and handsome, he was yet
unhappy; Rameses had no queen.
The king sat one eve In the cool
portico of his palace overlooking the
river. The last rays of the sunlight
quivered on the sands of the Lybian
desert. Perfumed breezes swept up
from the Nile, scented with the odor
of callas, palm groves and orange
flowers. The sweet voices of beautiful
slaves hummed gay tune; but the
face of Rameses looked grave and
sad
Suddenly dark shadow passed over
the palace, and the king saw, with
sacred awe and wonderment, a huge
eagle descend toward him with wide
spread pinions. And as he looked
something bright and giltering fell
from its talons to the tesselated pave
ment. Rameses stopped and picked up
Pits jeweled slipper.
ALI the next day and the next royal
couriers spread proclamation, offering
the throne to whoever could produce
the mate Of the magnificent sandal
which the eagle had brought the king.
Pit, in her distant palace, heard the
grand tidings, and, beautiful and
dainty as white lily, came to Mem
phis in answer to the kings appeal.
She walked up the mighty pillared
porticos of the Pharaohs with a grace
full air, and stood before Rameses, fair
er than the great Queen Amense when
she wooed Thotmes. One pearly foot
was bare; the other glittered with the
jeweled sandal, whose mate the king
held in his hand.
Rameses kept his word. When the
next new moon flashed its splendors
: on the Nile it shone too on the mar
riage fetes of the great Pharaoh and
his lovely bride. The bright-winged
temples shone with illuminations.
Merry feasting made the palace a
scene of delight. The dark. frowning
pyramids looked down upon land
that was laughing with joy, for Pti
had found her slipper and with it the
diadem of Egypt.
II you were To visit the British Mu-
scum. at London, you would see the
Princess Pits shces-the jeweled
slippers that the eagle carried from
Thebes to Memphis. Pti never wore
them after she became queen, but
when she died they were put on her
feet and buried with her. A few years
ago her mummy was exhumed, and
there were the wonderful sandals
which the old story-writer tesA "
about In hfa hfR book