River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-12-10
From the Days of
the Gladiator 3 3
ByHARRY LAWRENCE BAKER
Copyright, 1908. BY Daily story Pub. Coz

Copyright. 1908 by Daily Story Pub. Coz
THE crowds were filing out of the
great temple after the ceremonies
OF the holiday, and it was a happy
populace, for had not Bimellah, the
high priest, only an hour before alb
solved them from all their sins by Of
fering a sacrifice to the sun-god of the
blood of 20 slaves, whose hearts, cut
out by the high priests own hand, had
been piled on the altar stone dripping
with blood, and the fires had consumed
them quite, and with the vapor.5 that
arose fled all their sins and trespasses:
The chariots ratified by, the children
sported under the date-palms, ard
never had the sun seemed to shine so
brightly on all Egypt as to-day. But
in one home there was no rejoicing, no
gayety, for woman's pertidy had de-
stroyed the chastity of home, sold a
mans honor for gold, and left him
desolate by fleeing with another. Da-
ronda, the gladiator, Daronda the
great, had been outwitted by his wife
bride of only two months, who had
listened to the lying tongue of an
other, had crept upon her lord while
he slept and had plunged a jcweled
dagger deep into his neck, almost sew
ering his head from his body, and
while he lay gasping had gathered his
gold and with his perfidious friend,
Antonio, had fed, leaving him dying.
And friends returning from the festi
vities, hearing the groans of DaTonda,
entered the door, which was ever open
to great and small, and found him
gasping out his life, and as they raised
his head from the stone floor, with set
eyes and hating speech he swore an
awful oath of vengeance-sWore by the
sun-god, swore by the moon and stars,
TO never tire on their track, but like
a relentless scourge, would he follow
them through all eternity to the grave
and beyond, never ceasing until with
his own hand he avenged the wrong,
and with one last vehement curse on
the head of one who but few short
weeks before he had taken for wife. he
breathed his last.
The ball room at Roylston's was gay
with flowers, music and the happy
laughter of people to whom dull care
was stranger. The evening was still
young and the greater part of the
guests had not yet arrived There was
an air of expectancy among those as
sembled, for two important arrivals
were expected, one, Clarabel Roylston,
q niece of the host, who would make
her debut at the ball given by her
uncle, the other was man of title
coming from far over the sea TO lay
the new world his first visit, and
much speculation in polite way was
INDUCED in by those who preceded
them. Suddenly commotion DIT the
entrance drew their attention and the
pompous butler announced the arrival
of the young debutante, and they
crowded around her as she made her
entrance upon the arm of old Craig
Roylston, who strutted round with his
charming young charge as proud as
peacock.
She was a slight, girlish little wo-
man, scarce 20, with an olive COM
plexion, raven hair and black, flashing
eyes. In truth, she resembled a paint
ing of an Egyptian flower girl, dressed
simply, but in taste, and the heretofore
reigning bellies were compelled to re-
tire on their laurels and give way to
this new divinity, around whom the
gallants crowded, oblivious to the pres
ence of any other woman in the room,
and her conquest was undispute1 The
evening wore away, with feet tripping
to the May waltz, until late hour,
and the coming of the mysterious no
bleman was almost despaired of when
again the stentorious voice OF the
butler announced 'the Prince Heka-
lides," and old Roylston hurried for
ward to welcome his distinguished Wis
itor, who he had never seen, but who
had been introduced through his bank
ers and had written Roylston a letter
asking him to look after the prince
while at Newport and introduce him
to the select society of his own
sphere, and the wishes of ones bank
ers are not to be sighted, and besides
one doesn't entertain a real live
prince every day. And so the unknown
foreigner had been invited to attend
this, Miss Roylston's first ball And
as he entered the ballroom a hush
fell over the hitherto somewhat noisy
assembly. Everyone had seemed so
lively until now, and the entrance Of
this strange foreigner seemed to put
a damper on the erstwhile exuberant
throng. And as he came down, bowling
right and left, it seemed, as Jack