Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-02-15

this empress was real enough; and 1T
was not to be wondered at, since
everything they had came from her
lavish hands. Indeed, the woman had
a charm that cannot be de,-ied; for
when she appeared riding in the
golden castle (where l also had rid
DEM on the back of her monstrous
shaggy mammoth, the starved, sui
len faces of the crowd frightened as
though meal and sudden prosperity
had been bestowed upon them; and
without a word of command, with
out trace of compulsion, they
burst into spontaneous shouts of well
come.
She acknowledged it with a smile
of thanks. Her cheeks were a little
flushed, her movements quick, her
manner high-strung, as all well
might be, seeing the horrible sac
rilege she had in mind. But she
was undeniably lovely; yes, more
adorably beautiful than ever with
her present thrill of excitement; and
when the stair was brought, and she
walked down from the mammoth's
back to the ground, those near fell
to their knees and gave her worship,
out of sheer fascination for her
beauty and charm.
Ylga, the fan-girl, alone of all that
vast multitude round the sun tenn
pie, contained herself within her
formal PAGES and duties. She looked
panied and troubled. 1t was plain
to see, even from the distance where
/ stood, that she carried heavy
heart under the jewels of her robe.
1t was fitting, too, that this should
be so. Though she had been long
enough divorced from his care and
fostered by the empress, Ylga was
daughter of Zaemon, and he was the
chiefest of our Lord the Suns min
listers here on earth. She could not
forget her upbringing now at this
supreme moment when the highest
| of the old gods was to be formally
defied. And perhaps also (having
kindness for Phorenice) she was not
little dreadful of the consequences.
But the empress had no eye for one
sad look among all the sea of glowing
faces. Boldly and proudly she strobe
out into the circle, as though she
had been the duly appointed priest
| for the sacrifice. And after her came
knot of men, dressed as priests, and
! bearing the victim. Some OF these
were creatures of her own, and it
was easy to forgive mere ignorant
laymen, won over by the glamour of
| Phorenice's presence. But some, to
their shame, were men born in the
Priests clan, and brought up in the
groves and colleges of the Sacred
Mountain, and for their apostasy
there could be no palliation.
The wood had already been
stacked on the altar-stone in the due
form required by the ancient symbol
ism, and the empress stood aside
while those who followed did what
was needful. AS they opened out, 1
saw that the victim was one of the
small, cloven-hoofed horses that roam
the plains-a most acceptable sac
rifice. They bound its feet with
metal gives, and put it on the pyre,
| where, for awhile, it lay neighing.
Then they stepped aside, and left it
living. Here was an innovation.
The false priests went back to the
farther side of the circle, and Phor
enice stood alone before the altar.
She lifted up her voice, sweet, tune
full and carrying, and, though the din
of the siege still came from over the
city, no ear there lost word of
what was spoken.
! She raised her glance aloft, and all
other eyes followed it. The heaven
was clear as the deep sea, a gor-
geous blue But as the words came