The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1902-03-27

wish," J. said, WIN Q touch Of chill.
This Tatho seemed TO he different
from the Tatho had known at home
-Tatho my workmate, Tatho who
had read with me In the college Of
priests, who had run with me In many
Q furious charge, who had labored
with me so heavily that the peoples
under ms might prosper. But he was
quick enough to see my change Of
tone.
"You force me back "a my old
SELF" he said, with a hnlf-smile,
though IL IL hard enough to forget
the caution one has learned during
this last 20 years, even when speak
ing with you. Still, whatever may
have happened to the rest Of us, IL
10 clear to see that you Mt least have
not changed, and, old friend, I am
ready to trust you with my life II
you ask II. In fact, you do ask me
that very thing when you tell me to
speak all know of Phorenice."
nodded. This was more like the
! old times, when there was full con-
fdence between us. "The gods will
y
said, "and what happens after that
the gods alone know. But IL would
be of service to me II could land on
her shores with some knowledge OF
this Phorenice, for at present I am
as ignorant concerning her ns some
savage from Europe or mid-Africa."
what would you have me tcll?"
"Tcll all. I know only that she.
a woman, rcigns, where, by the an.
cicnt law OF the land, man should
rule: that she Is not even of the
priestly clan from which the law
says all rulers must be drawn; and
that, from what you say, she has
caused the throne to tottcr. The
throne was as firm as the everlast.
ing hills in the old kings day, Ia.
tho"
"IIistory has moved with pace since
then, and Phorenice has spurned IT,
You know her origin?"
~ know only the exact little !
have told you."
"She was n swineherd's daughter
from the mountains, though this In
never even whispered now, as she
has declared herself to be n daugh.
ter of the gods, with n miraculous
birth and upbringing. As she has
dccreed 1t a sacrilcge to question
this parcntage, and has ordered to
be burned all those that seem to rec
ollect her more earthly origin, the
fable passes current for truth. You
see the faith l put In you, Deucal-
ion. by telling you what you wish to
learn"
"Therc has always been trust be-
TWEEN u.s."
81 know; but this habit az sus-
picion Is hard to cast OF, even with
you. However, let me put your good
faith between me and the torture
further. Zaemon, you remembs :, was
governor of the swineherd's prov
ince, and Zaemon's wife saw Phor-
enice and took her away to adopt
and bring up ns her own. II 81 said
that the swincherd and his women
objected; perhaps they did; anyway,
know they died; and Phorenice was
taught the arts and graceY. and
brought up as daughter OF the
Priestly clan"
"But still she was an adopted
daughter only" objected.
"The omission OF the adopted was
her will ut an early age" said Ia
tho. dryly, "and she learned early To
have her wishes carried into fact.
1t was notorious that before sbe had
grown to IS years she ruled not only
the women of the household. but
Zaemon also. and the province that
was beyond Zaemon."
"Zaemon was learned" said, "and
n devout follower of the gods, and
searcher into the higher mysteries;
but, as n ruler, he was always q
finbby fellow"
81 do not say that opportunities
have not come usefully in Phoren-
ices way, but she had genius rs
well. For her to have raised her
self at all from what she was. was
remarkable. Not one woman out OF
"a thousand, placed as she was. would
have grown to be aught higher than
n mere wife OF some sturdy country
man, who was sufficiently simple to
tuT' uotnihB ioi p'u'EiSe' put ioo's
at Phorcnice: IL was her whim ia
take exercise rs n man-at-arns and
practice with all the utensils of war;
and then, before anyone quite knows
how or why II happened, a rebellion
had broken out in the province, and
here was she, n slip OF a girl. leading
Zuemon's troops"
"Zaemon. when knew him, was a
mere derision In the field"
"Hear me on. Phorenice put down
the rebellion In masterly fashion. and
gave the conquered n choice between
sword and service. They fell, into
her ranks mt once, and were faithful
to her from that moment. tell you
Deucalion, there Is q marvellous fas'
cination about the woman.
ITO BE Continued.l
He Obeyed Orders.