The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1902-11-06
D q The o q
Lost Continent
By CUTCLlFFE HYNE.
r,h by H.rrrasr-. o'yrisA. isci, BY cul,ir. ayn,/
CHAPTER X.-CoSTINtrp.
Ip,s by H.vrarr-. o,yrisA. ici, BY cu.lin. nyr

man in The city here which drew you.
lOmc now, we are willing To overlook
much of your faults ~ YOU will give us
reasonable chance. Point me out
your man, and IL be Is u proper fellow
will see that he weds you honestly.
Yes. will do more for you, Nais. since
this day brings me tn husband. See
ing that nil your estate is confscate
as n penalty Cor your late rebellion, I
will charge myself with your dowry
and give II back Ia you. So come,
unnc me the man.
The girl looked AZ her with = .;iilea
brow. 81 spoke lie," she said; ".hsre
il no man."
tried myself 10 give her advocacy.
THE lady doubtless spoke what came
to her lips. When n woman is in the
grip OF rude soldiery, any excuse
which can save her for the moment
must serve. For myself. ] should
think II like enough that she would
confess to having come back To her
old allegiance. IL she were asked"
"Sir," said the empress, keep your
peace. Any inicres; You may sho" in
this matter will go far 10 offend me.
You have spoken of Nais in your mar
raiive before: and although your
tongue was shrcwd and you did not
say much, ! am n woman and ] could
read between The lines. Now regard.
my rebel. have no wish To he unduly
hard upon you. though once you were
my fan-girl. and so your running away
Ia these ill-kempt malcontcnts, who
heat their heads against my city walls.
is all the more naughty. But you
must meet me halfway. You must
give an excuse for n lcniency. Point
me out the man you would wed. and
he shall he your husband tomorrow"
"Thcrc is no man."
"rhen name me one At random.
Why. my pretty Nais. not ten months
ago there were score who would
have leapcd at the chance OF having
you for n wife. Drop your coyncss.
girl, and name me one of those. I
warrant you that I will he your am
bassndress and will put the matter
10 him with such delicacy that he will
not make you blush by refusal"
The prisoner moistencd her lips. 81
am maiden, and have n maiden's
modesty. will die as you choose, but
I will not do this indecency."
"Well. ] am a maiden. too. and
though because ! am empress also,
questions of state have to stand be-
fore questions Of my private modesty.
and ] can have sympathy for yours
although in truth I did not obtrudr
unduly when you were my fan-Pirl.
Nais. No, come to think OF 1t, you
liked n tender glance and pretty
phrase as well ~ any when you were
fan-girl. You have grown wild and
shy among these savage rebels, but I
will not punish you for that.
"Let me call your favorites To mem
ory now. There was Tarca. of course: !:
but Tarca had difference with that
ill-dressed father Of yours, and wears
lcprosy on half his face instead of
that beard he used To trim so finely.
And then there Is Tatho; but Tatho
is away over seas. Eron. too, you liked
y once; but he lost an arm In fighting
t'othcr day. and ] would not marry
YOU 10 less than whole man. All.
by my face! have IL. the dainty ex-
uuisite. Rota! lie is the husband!
How well ] remember the way he used
10 dress IN n change of garb each day
To catch your proud fancy, girl. Well.
YOU shall have Ro;a. lie shall lead you
80 wife before this hour tomorrow"
Again the prisoner moistencd her
lips. ~ will not have Rota, and spare
me the Others. know why you mock
me. Phorenice."
'Thcn there are three OF MS here
who share one knowledge" She turned
her eyes upon me. Gods. who ever
saw the like of Phorenice's eyes, and
who ever saw them lit with such u
lire as burned within them then? "My
lord. you are marrying me for policy;
! am marrying you for policy, and for
another reason which has grown
stronger OF late, and which you may
guess ai. Do you wish still TO carry
out the match?"
! looked once at Nais, and then
looked steadily back at Phorenice.
The command given by the mouth OF
Zaemon from the high council of the
SINTtu ltu w Hii
else, and ! answered that such was my
desire.
"Then," said she. glowering at me
with her eyes, '.you shall build me up
The pretty body OF Nais beneath a
throne Of granite as n wedding gift
Aud you shall do II too with your own
proper hands, my Deucalion, while
watch your devotion"
And to Nais she turned with a cruel
smile. "You lied TO me, my girl, and
you spoke truth to the soldiers In the
1arbor forts. There Is n man here
In the city you came after, and he 4,
the one man you may not have. BE
.ausa you know me well. and my meth
ads very thoroughly, your love for hin
must be very deep or you would not
aave come. And so, being here, yo,
shall be put beyond mischiefs reach
I am not one of those who see luxury
In fostering rivals.
"You came for attention at the
hands OF Deucalion. BY my face! yo,
.hall have II. ] will watch myself
while he siilds you mp living"
so this mighty empress chose to b'
Jealous OF a mere woman prisoner!
Now my mind has been trained Il
work with n soldierly qulckness II
.thcse moments Of stress, and ] de
lxtiled upon my urouer cotirse on tn,