Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-03-15

remembering that the woman, who
ever she might be, had news likely
enough for my private ear (or other
wise she would not have come to so I'M
couth a rendezvous), said to the SEN
try: "Stay," and got up from the
ground beside the fire, and went with
him to the outer line.
where is she?" asked.
my comrades are holding her. She
might be wench belonging to these
rebels, with designs to put a knife
into my lords heart, and then we SEN
tries would suffer. The empress" he
added, simply, "seems to set good
store upon my lord at present, and we
know the cleverness of her tormen-
tors"
"Your thoughtfulness is frank" I
said, and then he showed me the wom-
an. She was muff1ed up in hood and
cloak, but one who loved Nais as I
loved could not mistake the form of
Ylga, her twin and sister, because of
mere wathings. So l told the sentries
to release her without asking her for
speech, and then led her out from the
bivouac beyond earshot of their lines.
at is something of the most pressing
that has brought you out here, Ylgaf'
'You know me, then? There mus
be something warmer than the ordi-
nary between Us two, Deucalion, if you
could guess who walked beneath all
these muff1ings."
I let that pass. "But what's your er-
rand, girl?''
"Aye," she said, bitterly, there's
my reward. All your concerns for the
message, none.for the carrier. Well,
good my lord, you are husband to the
dainty Phorenice no longer
'This is news"
"And true enough, too, She will have
no more of you, divorces you, spurns
you, thrusts you from her, and, after
the first splutter of wrath is done.
then come pains and penalties"
''The empress can do no wrong. ]
will have you speak respectful words
of the empress"
ooh, be done with that old fable! 1t
sickens me. The woman was mad for
love of you, and now she's mad with
jealousy. She knows that you gave
Nais some of your priests magic, and
that she sleeps till you choose to come
and claim her, even though the day be
century from this. And if you wish
| to know the method of her enlighten-
ment, it is simple. There is another
air-shaft next the one down which you
did your cooling and billing, and that
| leads to another cell in which lay an
other prisoner. The wretch heard al
that passed, and thought to buy en-
| largement by tellingit it.
But his news came trif1e stale. II
seems that with the pressure of the
mornings ceremonies they forgot to
bring him ration, and when at last
his gaoler did remember him, it was
rather late, seeing that by then Phor-
enice had tied herself publicly to hus-
| band, and poor Nais had doubtless
eaten her green drug. However, the
| fool must needs try and barter his tale
| for what it would fetch; and, as was
natural, had such silly head chopped
off for his pains; and after that your
Phorenice behaved as you may guess.
And now you may thank me, sir, for
coming to warn you not to go back to
Atlantis"
But 1 shall go back. And if the en-
press chooses to cut my head also
from its proper column, that is as the
high gods will"
"You are more sick of life than ]
p1,f nj cir
enice judges your case very accurately,
1t was permitted me to hear the out
bursting of this lady's rage. Shall
hew off his head?" said she. 'Pah!
Shall give him over to my tormentors,
and stand by while they do their
| worst? He would not wrinkle his
brow at their fercest efforts. No; he
must have heavier punishment than
| any of these, and one also which will