Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-09-24

are too full of sin to continue I'M
checked"
Speak him fairly" Ylga urged from
behind. HE has power at which
you cannot even guess.'
The empress made to rise, but Yka
chung to her skirt. "For the sake Of
your fame" she urged, FOR the sake
OF your life. do not defy him" But
Phorenice struch her fiercely aside and
Faced the old man in tumult of pas
sion. You dare call me blasphemer,
who blaspheme yourself2 You dare
cast slurs upon my birth, who am come
direct from the most high Heaven
Old man, your greatness protects you
in part, but not in all. You shall be
whipped. Do you hear me? I say,
whipped. The lean flesh shall be
scourged from your scraggy bones.
and you shall totter away from this
place as red and bleeding example
for those who would. dare traduoe
their empress. Here, some of you,
say, take that man and let him be
whipped where he stands"
Her cry went out clearly enough.
But not soul among those glittering
feasters stirred in his place. Not a
soldier among the guards stepped
from his rank. The place was hung in
terrible silence. 1t seemed as though
mo one within the hall dared SO much
as to draw breath All felt that the
very air was big with fate.
Phorenice, with her head crouched
forward, looked from one group to an
other. Her face was working. Have
I no true servants" she asked, aamong
all you pretty lip-servers?"
Still NO one moved. They stood, or
sat, or crouched like people fascina-
ted. For myself, with the first words
he had uttered, had recognized the
old man by his voice. It was Zaemon,
the weak governor who had given the
empress her first step towards power;
that earnest searcher into the mys-
teries, who knew more of their pow
ers, and more about the hidden
forces, than any other dweller on the
Sacred Mountain, even at that time
when left for my colony. And now,
during his strange hermit life, how
much more might he not have learned?
=
much to the Priests clan by reason
of my oath and membership; it
seemed 1 owed no less to Phorenice.
And, again, was Zaemon the truly ac-
credited envoy of the high council Of
the priests of the Sacred Mountain?
And was the empress of truth de-
posed by the high gods above, or was
she still empress, and still commander
of my duty? could not tell and so
I sat in my seat awaiting what the
event would show.
Phorenice's fury was growing. do
I stand alone here?" she cried. Have,
I pampered you creatures out of all
touch with gratitudea 1t seems that
at least l want new chief to my
guards. Ho! who will be the chief of
the guards of the empress?"
There was shifting of eyes, a hest
tation. Then great burly form strobe
up from the farther end of the hall,
and a perceptible shudder went up
him.
$50. Tarca, You prefer to take the
risks, and remain chief Of the guard
yourself2" she said, with an angry
scott. Truly there did not seem TO
be many thrusting forward to strip
you Of the office. I shall have fine
sorting up of places in payment for
this nights work. But for the pres-
ent, Tarca, do your duty"
The man came up. obviously tim
orous. He was solidly made fellow,
but not altogether unmartial; and,
though but little of his cheek showed
above his decorated beard. I could see
that he paled as he came near to the
priest. my lord" he said, quietly, II
must ask you to come with me-"
"Stand aside!" said the old man,
thrusting out the symbol in front of
him. could see his eyes gather on
the soldier and his brows knit with
strain of will.
Tarca saw this, too, and thought
he would have fallen, but with an eff
fort he kept his manhood and dog
gedly repeated his summons. 81 must
obey the command of my mistress, and
would have you remember, my lord,
that l am but servant. You must
come with me to the whip"
81 warn you'll" cried the old man.
"stand from out OF my path, youi"
It must have been with the courage,
of desperation that the soldier dared
to use force. But the hand he
stretched out dropped Imply back to
his side the moment 1t touched the old
mans bare shoulder, as though it had
been struck by some shock He seemed
almost to have expected some such re-
pulse; yet when he picked up that hand
with the other and looked at it, and
saw its wilderness, he let out Of him a
yell like wounded beast. ooh, gods!"
he cried, mot that. Spare mel"
But Zaemon was glowering at him
still. twitching seized the mans
face, and he put up his sound hand
to it and plueked at his beard, which
was curled and plated after the new
fashion of the day. Awoman standing
near screamed as the half of the beard
came off in his fingers. Beneath was
silver whiteness over half of his face.
zaemon had smitten him with sud
den leprosy that was past cure.
Yet the punishment was not ended
even then. Other twitchings took him
on other parts of the body, and he tore
off his armor and his foppish clothes,
and always where the bare flesh
showed there had the horrid plague
written its white mark; and in the
end, being unable to endure no more,
the man fell to the pavement and lay
there writhing.