Warren sheaf., 1906-01-11

! AASAS 40 AOAS, BIC Sd1O. NOuC
hither. I am moved to tell thee"
Masanath obeyed with hesitation and,
pausing in the doorway Of the inner
hamber, heard the story Of the Is
raelite. Great was her perplexity and
her sorrow when she heard the name
Of Kenkenes spoken calmly and with
out grief. They did not know he was
dead! She held her peace till the story
was done.
'"The time for the Egyptians return
Is long past, but he will come soon.''
Deborah concluded.
Masanath slowly turned her head
and looked at Rachel. This, then, was
the love Of that dear, dead artist for
whom Memphis mourned and had
ceased to wait. Masanath choked. back
her tears and said:
"Ye need not molder in this cave. /
can hide you In Memphis"
NAY, we will await him here"
But the Nile will be upon your
refuge In three weeks. Ye would starve
II ye drowned not" the Egyptian pro-
tested earnestly.
1T may be We shall not wait 30
long," Rachel Pee in.
Masanath looked at her while she
thought busily. III tell it, I break a
heart. But II they hide here. they die. -
After little sigh she glanced at the
wine In one of the small amphorae
"Mayhap the plague Is past" she said.
limiting, "and am athirst"
Rachel took up another jar and went
forth. The hairy creature In the cor
ner, tethered to the amphora rack.
slipped his collar and followed her.
: As soon as the 1sraelite was gone
Masanath went into the inner chamber.
Standing by the old woman, who lay
upon a mattress set on the top of the
sarcophagus, she said hurriedly:
! "Ye may not remain here. Kenkenes
he Is dead"
"How did he dep
"By drowning. His boat was discov-
cred battered and overturned among
the wharf piling at Memphis some
weeks agone."
|
ment, and then she shook her head.
"He is a resourceful youth, and he
may have procured another boat and
set this one adrift to deceive his en-
emies. Yet the time has been so long
it may be, it may be-"
| "None in Memphis doubts it. His
father hath given him up, and his
I IN,
But we may not lose this moment in
surmises. Wilt thou go with me into
Memphis-if this sending is with
drawn?'
''There is no other choice" Deborah
answered after some pondering. Ken
kenes offered us refuge with his IA
ther, but Rachel hesitated to accept.
The sorry news must be told her ere
she would 60"
NAY; keep it from her yet awhile" "
"How may we?" Deborah asked help
lessly.
Listen. am q householder In
Memphis for year. The place Is Sc
cure from much visiting, and only my
trusted servants are there. They will
not tell her; none else will. As thou
sayest, the young man may not be
dead. And, furthermore, I may as
we'll work good out Of an evil cannot
escape. I am betrothed to the heir of
the crown Of Egypt
| Deborah flung up her hand, drawing
away in her amazement.
'Thou! A coming queen over the
proud land Of Mizraim, a guest in the
retreat Of enslaved Israeli
| Masanath bent her head. Eye In
your want and distress are not more
poor or wretched than I. But enough
Of this. would have said that If
wed the prince can ask Rachels free
dom at his hands,
$50 thou canst," Deborah said eager
~, but before she could continue Ra.
chel appeared at the outer opening, the
amphora held by one arm, the ape by
the other. Her face was alight with a
smile that seemed dangerously akin to
tears.
Here Is water, clean and fresh, but
the Nile Is bank full of the plague. It
was Anubis that showed me!'
After seven days the horror on the
waters was gone. It went as miasma
Is dispelled by the sun and wind, as
pestilence Is killed by the frost-un'
seen, unprotesting. The lifting Of the
plague was as awesome as its coming.
Rachel and Masanath carried the
punt, the boat Of Khafra and Sigur.
and launched it on the clean waters.
Then they prepared themselves and
Deborah and Anubis for a journey,
and ere they departed eMasanath, at
Rachels bidding, wrote with a soft
soapstone upon the rock over the por-
tai of the tomb the whereabouts of its
Whilom dwellers:
"Her whom thou seekest thou wilt
find at the mansion of Har-hat in the
city"
At sunset Rachel, all unsuspecting,
was sheltered in the house Of her en-
emy.
CHAPTER XIX.