The Washington times., 1905-12-10
AVFN(FIGA1 1tL lUEIt1Lh of,lFTF,"
MlNIIX HRyTOEY I0)Iu
By H.ElDER fIAGGlARD

.NH SEOI
I speaking. Then blind with WEAKNESS.
we returned 10 the other chamber. and.
having removed our outer garments.
flung ourselves upon the beds and were
soon plunged in sleep.
| At some time in the night / woke
suddenly. at what hour 7 do not know.
as certain people wake. I among them.
when their room is entered even with
ont the slightest noise. Before / open
ed my eyes 7 felt that some one was
with us in the place Nor was L mis-
taken \ little lamp still burned in the
chamber. mere wick floating in oil.
and by its light / saw a dim. ghost
/ like form standing near the door. IN
/ deed. ! thought almost that il was a
/ ghost. till presently ] remembered and
/ knew il FOR our corpse-like guide. who
/ appeared TO be looking intentIy at the bed
on which Leo lay. or so l thought, for
the head was bent in tiiat direction.
/ At Arst she was quite still. then she
moaned aloud. low and terrible moan.
which seemed to well from the very
heart
So the thing was not dumb. as 7 haa
believed. Evidently IT could suffer. and
express its sufferings in a human fash
ion Look, it was wringins its padded
hands, as in an excess of Woe Now it
would seem that Leo began TO feel its
influence also. for he stirred and spoke
in his sleep. so low Ut first that could
only distinguish the tongue he used
which was Arabic. Presently. caught
a few words.
-Ayesha,~ he said. "Ayeshar'
The figure glided toward him and
stopped lie sot up in the bed stin fast
asleep, for his eyes were shut He
stretched out his arms as though seek
ing one whom he would embrace. and
spoke again in a low and passionate
voice:
..Ayesha, through life and death have
sought thee long Come 20 me, my god
dess. my desired
The figure glided yet nearer. and I
could see that it was trembling and now
ITS arms were extended also.
At the bedside she halted. and Leo
laid himself down again. Now the COW
erings had fallen back. exposing his
breast, where lay the leather satcheI
he always wore, that which contained
the lock of Ayesha's hair He was fast
asleep. and the figure seemed to TX its
eyes upon this satchel. Presently it did
mole for with surprising deftness those
white-wrapped fingers opened its clasp.
yes and drew out the long tress OF
shining hair. Long and earnestly she
cazed at it. then gently replaced the
relic. closed the satekeI, and for a little
while seemed to WEEP While she stood
thus the dreaming Leo once more
stretched out his arms and spoke. say
ing in the same passio1-laden voice:
Come to me, my darling, my beautl-
fui. my beautiful
f7ad
scream. like that of a scared night-bird,
the figure turned and fitted through the
doorway.
When 1 was quite certain that she
had gone. I gasped aloud
What might this mean. I wondered.
in a very agony of bewiiderment. This
could certainly be no dream; it was real.
for / was wide awake. Indeed, what
did it all mean? Who was the ghastly,
nunmy-like thing which had guided US
unharmed through such terrible dan
gers; the messenger that all men feared.
who could strike down a brawny saw
age with a motion OF It's hand2 Why
did it creep into the place thus at dead
of night. like a spirit revisiting one be-
loved? Why did its presence cause me-
to awake and Leo to dream? Why did
it draw out the tres=; indeed, how
knew IL that this tress was hidden
there? And why-ohi why, at those
tender and passionate words, did II flee
away at last like some scared bat?
The priest OrOs had called our guide
minister and swOrd-snar is, one who
carries out DEGREES. But what if they
were its own DEGREES? What Il this
thing should be she whom We sought.
Ayesba herself? Why should / trenbIe
at the thought. seeing that IL so. our
quest was ended. we had achieved2 OH
it must be because about this being
there was something terrible, something
unhuman and appalling. If Ayesha
lived within those mummy cloths, then
it was a different Ayesna whom we had
known and worshiped. Wen could
remember the white-draped form OF
observation-disclosures. and how,
long before she revealed her glorious
face to us. we guessed the beauty ana
the majesty hidden beneath that veil by
which her radiant life ana 1oveliness in
carnatob could not be disguised
But what of this creature2 [ would
not pursue the thought 1 was mistaken.
Doubtless she was what the priest Oros
had said-sOme haIf-supernaturaI beias.
TO whom certain powers were given.
and. doubtless, she had come to spy on
| us in our rest that she might make re-
port 10 the giver of those powers.
! Comforting myself thus. 1 fell asleep
again. for fatigue overcame even such
| doubts and fears. In the morning, when
they We're naturally less vivid. l made
/ up my mind that. for various reasons
If would be wisest to say nothing Of
what l had seen TO Leo. Nor, indeed.
did l do so until some days had gone
I by
When / awoke. the full light was
/ pouring into the chamber, and by il /
saw the priest Oros standing at my
| bedside. / sat up and asked him what
/ time IL was, TO which he answered with
a smile but in a low voice. that IL
| lacked but two hours of midday. adding
| that he had come to set my arm. Now
saw why he spoke low, for Leo waa
! still fast asleep