Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-02-08

man we have, and you are our maj
champion. If you fail, then only those
terrible powers which are locked
within the Ark of Mysteries remain to
US, and though it is not lawful to speal
even in this hidden tongue of their
scope, you at least have full assurance
of their potency"
I shrugged my shoulders. sit seems
that you would save time and pains II
you threw me to these wolves OF re b.
els, and let them end me here and
now"
The old man frowned on me angrily-
81 am bidding you do your duty. What
reason nave you for wishing to evade
it?"
81 have in my memory the words you
spoke in the pyramid, when you came
in among the banqueters. 'Phorenice,'
was your cry, while you are yet en-
press, you shall see this royalpyramid,
which you have polluted with your de-
baucheries, torn tier from tier, and
stone from stone, and scattered as
feathers before wind 1t seems
that you foresee my defeat"
The old man shuddered. 81 cannot
tell what she may force us to do. 1
spoke then only what it was revealed
to me must happen. Perhaps when
matters have reached that pass she
will repent and submit. But in the
meanwhile before we use the most
desperate weapon of the gods, it is
fitting that we should expend all
human power remaining to US. And
so you must go, my brother, and play
your part to the utmost"
''It is an order. So I obey"
"You shall be at Phorenice's side
again by the next dawn. She has sent
for you from Yucatan as husband,
ar as one who ESQ she thinks, poor
human conqueror) has the weight of
arm necessary to prolong her tyran-
mics. You are a priest, brother, and
you are a man of convincing tongue. 1t
will be your part to make her stub
born mind see the invincible power
that can be loosed against her, to
point out to her the utter hopelessness
of prevailing against it."
eff it is ordered, I will do the Sc
things. But there Is little enough
chance of success. / have seen Phore-
nice, and can gauge her will. There
will be no turning her once she has
made decision. Others have tried;
you have tried yourself; all have
failed"
"Words that were wasted on maid
en- may go home to wife. You have
been brought here to be her husband.
Well, take your place"
The order came to me with pang.
had given little enough heed to women
through all of a busy life, though
when 1 landed, the taking of Phorenice
to wife would not have been repug-
nant to me if policy had demanded it.
But the matters of the last two days
had put things in different shape
I had seen two other women who had
strangely attracted me, and one of
these had stirred within me tumulS
such as 1 had never before felt among
my economies.
To lead Phorenice in marriage would
mean a severance from this other
woman eternally, and 1 ached as I
thought of it. But though these
thoughts foated through my system
and gave me harsh wrenches of pain,
1 did not thrust my puny likings be-
fore the command of the couL Gil of
priests. 1 bowed before Zaemon and
put his hand to my forehead. ct is an
ORDER said. eff our LORD the Sun
gives me life, will obey"
Then let us BECOME from this
place." said Zaemon, and took me By
the arm and waved way for us with
the symbol. No further word did /
have with Nais, fearing to embroil her
with these rebels that clustered round,
but caught one glance from her eyes,
and that had to suffice for farewell
The dense ranks of the crowd opened,
and we walked away between them
scathless. Fiercely though they lust
ed for my life, brimming with hate
though they made their cries, no man
dared to rush IN and raise a hand
against me. Neither did they follow.
When we reached the outskirts of the
crowd, and, the ranks thinned, they
had mind, many of them, to surge
along in our wake; but Zaemon
whirled the symbol back before their
faces with blaze of lurid light, and
they fell to their knees groveling,
and pressed on us no more.
The rain still fell, and in the light Of
the camp fires as we passed them the
wet cleaned on the old mans wasted
body. And far before us through the
darkness doomed the vast bulk of the
Sacred Mountain, with the ring of eter-
nal fires encincturing it's crest. I
sighed as 1 thought Of the old peaceful
days I had spent in it's temples and
groves.
But there was to be no more of that
studious leisure now. There was work
to be done, work for Atlantis which
did not brook delay. And so when we
had progressed far out into the waste,
and there was none near to view (save
only the most high gods), we found
the place where the passage was;
whose entrance is known only to the
seven among the priests; and there
we parted, Zaemon to his hermitage in
hte dangerous lands, and I by this Sc
cret way back into the capital.
ITO Be Continued
----
WATCHING A PHILOSOPHER.