Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-01-11

If my Lord Dcucalion thinks this a
| rudeness, he can give word to Phore-
nice, and I shall be whipped. If he
asks it, 1 can be stripped and
scourged before him. The empress
will do much for Deucalion just now"
Girl" 1 said, you are nearer to
that whipping than you think for
Il have got name," she retorted,
looking at me sullenly from under
her black brows. "They call me
4lga. You might have heard that as
we rode here on the mammoth had
you not been so wrapped up in Phore-
NICE
gazed at her curiously. "You have
never seen me before" [ said, "and
the first words you utter are those
that might well bring trouble to your
self. There is some object in all this"
She went and pushed to the massive
stone that swung in the doorway of
the chamber. hen she put he lit
tie jeweled fingers on my garment
and drew me carefully away from the
air shaft into the farther corner. 81
am the daughter of Zaemon,'' she
said, "whom you knew
"You bring me some message from
him?''
"How could L? lie lives in the
priests dwellings on the mountain
you did obeisance to. l have not put
eyes on him these two years. But
when | saw you first step out from
that red pavilion they had pitched at
the harbor SIDE, IL felt d pity for
you, Deucalion. I remembered YOU
were my fathers, Zaemon's, frierd,
and I knew what Phorenice had in
store. She has been. plotting it all
these two months"
81 cannot hear words against the
empress
"And yet
"What?'
She stamped her sandal upon the
stone of the floor. ''You must be a
very blind man, Deucalion, or a very
daring one. But l shall not interfere
further; at least, not now. l shall
watch, and if at any time you seem
to want friend, will try and serve
you
81 thank you for your friendship"
"You seem to take it lightly
enough. Why, sir, even now 7 do not
believe you know my power, any more
than you guess my motive. You may
be first man in this kingdom, but let
me tell you, l rank as second lady.
And remember, women stand high in
Atlantis now. Believe me, my friend
ship is commodity that has been
sought with frequence and industry"
"And, as l say, l am grateful for it..
You seem to think little enough of
my gratitude, Ylga; but, credit me, 1
never have bestowed it on a woman
before, and so you should treasure it
for its rarity"
''Wen," she said. my lord, there is
an education before you" She left
me then, showing me how to call
slaves when l wished for their help,
and for full minute | stood wonder
ing at the words had spoken to her.
Who was this daughter of Zaemon,
that she should induce me to change
the habit of a lifetime?
The slaves came at my bidding, and
showed the mselves anxious to deck
me with thousand foolishnesses in
the matter Ct robes and gauds, and
(what seemed to be the modern fash
ion Of their class) holding out the vir-
tues of q score of perfumes and I'M
guents. Their manner irritated me.
Clean I was already, and shaved; my
hair was trim, and my robe was I'M
soiled; and, considering these press
ing attentions of theirs something of
an impertinence, [ set them to beat
one another as a punishment, prom
Using that if they did not do it with
thoroughness, I would hand them on
| to the brander to be marked with
stripes which would endure. 1t is
strange, but a common mental can
often surpass even a rebellious gen
eral in power of ruffiing one.
I had seen many strange sights that
day, and undergone many new sem