Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-16

strongest man and fiercest of his cian-the
wolf of the Brahnis'.-had turned Sheep
dog even in his heyday. and learned the
tricks my lady of the slumbrous eyes chose
to teach him.
Even Mahommed the old, the wise, the
master Of men, felt something of the magic
as he sat gazing at her; but he had anti
dotes-age, knowledge and the power Oh II
and guile; aye the guile of Sheitan himseif.
And the girl knowing him to be the only
man she could not dominate honored MIN
above all other men, followed his guidance
continually and drank in eagerly much OF
the wisdom, and, perhaps. some of the guile
that made her protector what he was. She
might easily have followed him as wife or
slave, for her heart was. strangely CAIN.
but this he had never seemed to seek, at
least as yet, but had waited and watched
the stars.
He had lain with the beasts of the desert
long nights, ever watching and tracing out
in the heavens the ways of fate He had
read the rise and fall of kings and peoples
in the starry hieroglyphics; had seen the
pregnant planets, forming patterns heavy
with fate reach a perfhelion where, II a
man had force enough and wisdom to d.
rect it. he might seize his destiny with poth
his hands and swing far out and UP 10 the
summit of his desires. He had watched
these chances come and go; seen the mo-
ment of power and calmly let 1t swing by
to the weakest aphelion. trying his own
strength and patience against time when
a stronger pattern should form which wouio
justify the greatness of his desires And
10. at last the combination was forming.
slowly but surely, as though his Will had
had the drawing of it. and he determined
to throw in his lot with the stars now-to
size his fate strongly and prove the wis
dom of his previous waiting All TINS ana
more he had said; and now Loda, the girl,
sat brooding over his words.
She herself had vaguely felt crisis COM
ing and. strangely enough. she drew back
from it half fearfully and she begged the
old man to wait again till an even more
favorable transit should occur.
But he shook his head and his eyes grew
fierce as an eagles Thou knowest not
what thou dost counsel: child. l nave
waited for this-aye, waited, 1t seems, a
thousand years. / have lived and worked
and passed behind the veil and come again,
and ever come Just too late or much too
early for my hearts desire. Thou hast
come and gone like shadow ever just pc
You'd my reach. l have watched thy golrS
out and coming in, and have willed the
more beautiful and made thee more wise,
life by life. till today thou art pearl OF
great price. knowing good ana evil anu LOW,
IL thou wilt be strong and follow m We
will eat together or the Tree VI iio ~
never part again
She sat for some moments with her chin
in her hand, as though carved in maroie,
with brows drawn straight ana haru anu
ewes that stared unsee.ngly, Wnlle Slowly
the warm blood drew back and left her
cheeks all Wilderness. And the old man.
knowing her well, held his peace and wait
ed on her vision
At last she shivered and then threw up d d
round white arm, as Though TO Waru oil
some evil, and cried out
There is danger, my lord!
She left her chair and knelt by his side
appealingly Let it go, my lord; let IL go!
See. take me as I am. | will follow thee
and serve thee as ] may. l do not under
stand the hearts desire. but am not
enough?'
her beauty were as nothinS-h>S Dfdih was
quick with her warning.
What is it, child-the shadow?
Eyes, my lord; but it is radiant
shadow" -
Eyes. 1t was he"
"Ah-hi' Ii was a long drawn sigh of re-
lief; and he drew the girl up and kissed her
forehead and then threw back his head
with an lmDerlouS gesture she Kne" %
well, as he cried:
Verify the gates of paradise fling wide
when Yah Mahommed winds the horn l
tell thee Loda. the danger makes the v-c-
tory sure. Look back, beyond the ven as i
have told thee, and thou wilt see this
shadow this man. ever threatening US, both
thee and me. All! there was time when
he was great and We were small; he
prince, and thou and l. Loda mine, naked
slaves. Dost remember how he knelt TO
thee one evening among the shady tama-
risks and-whsper, Loda-how L sent MN
down to hell?
And ever since, III an my lives, ne iia9
sought thee out and lost himself IN thee.
It's his fate to serve thee; thou hast set
thy foot firmly on his neck, and thou shalt
take from him all he has to give, poor fool
even his power of loving. And I-dost thou
not see, child am old; this body is nearly
spent. None can remember when 1 came.
or how, but many look to see me go. Curse
them, the fools! Why. the very wallis OF
hell would rock and fall if Yah Mahommed
went that way! But I-no, will not go!
will stay with thee beloved; and this man,
this shadow thing, shall serve the way.
Thou shalt call him, Loda. He is even
now close to thee. l have seen him in