The Washington times., 1906-02-18


were the austerities of winter, with it's
harsh winds, and in their place spring
cofnpanioned by her zephyrs, gIided
down the vale singing her song Of love
and life.
There, In this high chamber, in the
presence Of the living and the dead,
while the last act of the great tragedy
Unrolled itself before me. looking on
Ayesha. that forgotten scene sprang
into my mind. For on her face just
such a change had come. Hitherto,
with all her Ioveliness. the heart Of
Ayesha had seemed like that winter
mountain wrapped in its unapproacba-
bic snow, and before her pure brow and
icy self-command aspirations SANG
abashed and desire died,
She swOre she loved, and her love
fulfilled itself in death and many a
mysterious way Yet it was hard to
oeheVe that this passion Of hers was
more than spoken part, for how can
the star seek the moth, although the
moth may seek the starr Though the
man may worship the goddess, for all
her smiles divine, how can the goddess
love the man?
But now everything was altered.
Look! Ayesha grew human; ! could see
her heart beat beneath her robe and
hear her breath come in soft. sweet sobs,
while DER her upturned face and in her
alluring eyes there spread itself that
look which is born Of love alone. Radi-
ant did she seem to grow, sweeter and
more sweet. no longer the veiIed hermit
OF the caves. no longer the oracle Of
the sanctuary. no longer the VaIkyrie Of
the battle plain, bat only the IoveIiest
and most happy bride that ever glad
dened a husbands eyes
She spoke. and IL was Of little things,
fer thus she proclaimed the conquest
OF herself
'tF1e,' she said, showing her white
robes torn with spears and stained by
the dust and dew of war; "ie, my lord.
what marriage garments are these in
which at last ! come TO thee. who would
have been adorned in regal gems and
raiment betting to my state and
thine p
I seek the woman, not her garment"
said Leo. his burning eyes fixed upon
her face.
Thou seekest the woman. All. there
il lies Tell me, Leo, am woman or
spirit2 Say that ] am woman. for now
the prophecy OF this dead Atene lies
heavy on my soul. Atene who said that
mortal and immortal may not mate
Thou must be woman, or thou
wouldst not have tormented nee as thou
hast done these many weeks"
II thank thee for the comfort of thy
words. Yet was 1t woman whose breath
wrought destruction upon yonder plain?
Was it to a woman that Blast ana
Lightning bowed and said: We are here
command US. we obey?' Did that dead
thing''-and she pointed TO the shat
tered door-''break inward at a We
mans will? Or could q woman charm
this man TO stone?
oh! Leo. would that I were woman
tell thee that I'd lay all my grandeur
down. a wedding Offering AT thy feet.
could I be sure that for one short year
I should be naught but woman and
thy happy wife
Thou sayest that ] did torment thee.
but it is [ who have known torment, l
who desired to yield and dared not. Ay.
I tell thee. Leo. were ] not sure that
thy little stream Of life is draining dry
into the great ocean Of my life, drawn
thither as the sea draws its rivers. or
as the sun draws mists, cen now 1
would not yield. But I know, for my
wisdom tells it me. ere ever we could
reach the shores of Bibya, the i'll work
would be done. and thou dead OF thine
own longing, thou dead and I q Wild
owed who never was a wife.
Therefore, see! like lost Atene, I take
the dice and cast them, not knowing
how they shall fall. Not knowing how
they shall fall, for good or i'll I cast
and she made a wild motion as of soms
desperate gamester throwing him last
throw.
So Ayesha went on, "the thing 10
done, and the number summed for ay.
=
have made an end of doubt and fears.
and come death, come life. I'll meet it
bTavely.
"Sav. how shall We be wed? I have
it. Holly here must join our hands:
who else? He that ever was our guide
shall give me unto thee, and thee to me-
This burning city is our altar. the dead
and living are our witnesses on earth
and heaven In place of rites and Ger
emoniaIs fer this first time / lay NV
Iips on thine. and when It's done. fo-
music III sing thee a nuptial Cnaut OF
love such as mortal poet has not writ
ten nor have mortal lovers heard.
Come. Holly. do now thy part and
give this maiden to this man.
Like one in a dream I obeyed her
and took Aycsha's outstretched hand
and Leo-s As I held them taIs. ] tell
the trutf-it was as though some ire
rushed through my veins from her to
him. shaking and shattering me with
swift waves of burning and unearthly
bliss with the fire. too. came Elori-
Gus visions and sounds of mighty music.
and a sense as though my brain. filed
with OVERLOOKING life must burst asun-
der beneath its weight
] Joined their hands. I know not how:
[ blessed them. / know not in what
words. Then I reeIed back against ths
wall and watched
This is what [ saw.
With an abandonment and a passion
so splendid and intense that it seemed
more than human. with murmured
cry of Husband Ayesha cast her
arms about her Iover's neck and draw
ing down his head TO hers so that the
gold hair was mingled with her raven
locks. she kissed him on the lips.
Thus they ciung a little While. and
as they chung the gentle diadem Of ligbZ
from her brow spread to his brow
also and through the white wrappiagz
of her robe became visible her perfecs
shape shining with faint fire With q
little. happy laugh she left him. saying:
Thus. Leo Vincey, ehi thus for the
Secoud time do | give myself t0 fhes