The Washington times., 1905-12-31

the Hesea; yet from my very heart
thank thee for them; those sweet words
OF trust and faithfulness to thou know
est not what. Learn now the truth, for
may keep naught back from thee When
/ unveil it is decreed that thou must
make thy choice for the last time on
this earth between yonder woman, my
rival from the beginning, and that Aye
sha to whom thou art sworn Thou
canst reject me If thou wilt, snd no III
shall come 10 thee. but many a bless
ing. as men reckon theu-power and
wealth and love. Only then thou must
tear my memory from thy heart for
then I leave thee to follow thy fate
alone, till ct the last the purpose OF
these deeds and sufferings is made
clear.
BE warned. No light ordeal lies be-
fore thee. Be warned / can promise
thee naught save such love as woman
never gave to man, love that perchancs
Il know not-must yet remain unsat-
isfled upon The earth
Then she turned TO me and said;
"Oh, thou. Holly, thou true frieno.
thou guardian from Of old, thcu. next
to him most beloved by me. TO thy clear
and innocent spirit perchanee wisdom
may be given that Is dsaied to US, the
little children whom thine arms protect
Counsel thou him. my Holly, with the
counsel that is given thee, and l will
obey thy words and his, and. whatever
befaIIs. will bless thee from my soul
Az, and should he cast me of, then In
the land beyond the lands, in the star
appointed. where all earthly passions
fade, together will we dwell eternaliy
in friendship glorious, thou and
alone.
For thou wilt not reject: thy steel.
forged in the furnace of pure truth and
power. shall not lose it's temper In these
small fires of temptation and become a
rusted chain 10 bind thee to another
woman's breast--unIil il canker to her
heart and thine"
"Ayesha, Z thank thee for thy Words
1 answered simply. '-and by them and
thSt promise of thine. I. thy poor friend
for more never thought 70 beam a
thousandfold repaid for many sufferings.
This 1 will add. that for my part 1
know that thou art she whom we have
lost. since, whate'er the lips that speak
them. those thoughts and words are
Ayesha's and hers alone"
Thus | spoke. not knowing what else
70 say, for was filed with a great 10y,
calm and ineffable satisfaction. which
broke thus feebly from my heart For
now knew that 1 was dear to Ayesha
as / had always been dear TO Leo; the
closest of friends. from whom she never
would be parted What more could I
desire?
We fell back: we spoke together.
while they watched US silently. What
We said L do not quite remember, but
the end OF IL was that, as the Hesea
had done, Leo bade me Judge and
choose Then into my mind there came
clear command from my own con-
science or otherwise, who can say7 This
was the command, that 1 should bid
her TO unvei:, and let fate declare It's
purposes
much more. Like that woman, whoever
she may be. whatever happens, I VIII
not blame you, Horace
Good I answered; II have de-
cided." and. stepping forward, I said:
We have taken counsel, He's. and IT
Is our will. who would learn the truth
and be at rest. that thou shouldst un-
veil before us. here and now"
L hear and obey" the priestess an
swered, in voice Ike 10 that OF
dying woman; only, / beseech you
both, be pitiful TO me, spare me your
mockeries; add not TO the Goals of your
hate and scorn to the fires OF a soul
in hell, for whate'er 1 am, I became il
for thy sake. KaIHErates- Yet-yet I
also am athirst for knowledge; for
though ] know all wisdom. although I
WELD much power. and II, indeed. it
can live beyond the horrors OF the
grave?'
Then. rising slowly. the Hesea
walked, or rather tottered, to the un-
rooted open space in front of the rock
chamber, and stood there quite near to
the brink of the flaming gulf beneath.
Come hither, Papave. and loose these
veils," she cried
Papave advanced. and with a look OF
awe upon her handsome face began the
task.
Papave was not tall woman. yet as
she bent over her / noted that she
seemed 10 tower above her mistrss, the
Hesea.
The outer wells fell. revealing more
within These fell also. and now be-
fore us stood the mummy-like shape,
although it seemed 10 be of less stature,
Of that strange being who had met US
in the Palace Of Bones. So it would
seem that our mysterious guilds and the
high priestess. Hes. were the same
Look, Length by length the wrap
pings sank from her would they never
end? How small grew the frame with
in? She was very short now. unnatur-
ALLY short for fullgrown woman, and
OH 1 grew sick az heart. The last
bandages uncoiled themselves like shay
ings from stick; two wrinkied hands
appeared. II hands they could be called
Then the feet--once / had seen such
on the mummy OF a princess OF Egypt.
ard even now, by some fantastic play
OF the mind. 1 remembered that on her
coffin this princess was named The
Beautiful"
Everything was gone now, except a
shift and a last inner veil about the
head. Hes waved back the priestess.
Papave. who fell half fainting 10 the
ground and lay there covering her eyes
with her hand Then uttering some
! ! thing like a scream she fripped this
veil in her thin talons. tore II away.
aud with a gesture of uttermost de-
spair. turned and faced us
Oh. she Was-nay, l will not describe
her. 1 knew her at once, for thus had
, l seen her last before the Fire OF Life.