The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-06-12

! thought Of the distress Of Rachel and
dared
The first alabaster altar glistened
suddenly. out of the night Ike bank
Of snow. Kenkenes sandal grated on
! the sandy dust that lay thick on the.
/ floor. Not even the Keeper had en-
tered this crypt to remove the accu-
mulated dust of six years.
| In this chapel the signet had been
lost.
! Kenkenes set his light on the floor and
began his search. The first tine he
searched the floor he laid the lack Of
success to his excited work. The Sec
! ond time the perspiration began to
| trickle down his temples. Thereafter
he sought lengthwise and crosswise,
calling on the gods for aid, but there
was no CLINT c .'e jewel.
| At last, sick with despair, he sat
down to collect himself. Suddenly
across the silence there smote a sound.
For moment kenkenes sat trans
fixed, and in that moment the sound
came nearer. He remembered the in
junction of the old keeper. Human
or supernatural, the newcomer Iust
not find him there. He leaped behind
tie altar of Shaemus, e1tinguishing
the light as he did so. He flung the
corner Of his kamis over the reeking
wick that the odor might not escape,
but his fear in that direction was ma
terially lessened when he saw that the
stranger bore fuming torch.
On one end of the short pole Of the
torch was knot Of flaming pitch; Oh
the other was bronze ring fitted with
sprawling claws. The stranger set the
light on the floor, and the device kept
the torch upright. He crossed the
room and stood at the altar Of Neferari
Thermuthis
By the deeply fringed and volulni-
nous draperies and by the venerable
beard, ripping and streaked with gray
! the young sculptor took the stranger to
be an Israelite. AS Kenkenes looked
upon him he was minded Of his ia
the-, tae magnificent Mentu There
was tie bearing OF the conrtieE, VIII
the same wondrops Stature, the sane
massive frame But the delicate fea-
tpres of the Egyptian, the long, sim
fingers, the narrow foot, were absent.
In this mans countenance there was
majesty instead Of grace: IN his figure,
%
The stranger stood in profound med
itation. his splendid head gradually
sinking until it rested on his breast.
The arms hung by the sides. The at
titude suggested sorrow healed by
the long years until it was no more q
pain. but memory 50 subduing that
it depressed. At last the great man
sank TO his knees with movement
quite IN keeping With his grandeur
and his mood and bowed his head on
his arms.
Pressed down with awe. Kenkenes
followed bis example, and. although he
seemed to kneel on some rough cAisel
mark in the floor. be did not shift his
position. The discomfort seemed ap-
propriate as penitence on that holy
occasion.
After long tine the stranger arose.
took up the torch and Quilted the
chamber. lie went away more slowly
than he had cone, with reluctant step
and ayerted face.
] When night and profound silence
were restored in the crypt, henkenes
regained lis feet and, examining the
irritated knee. found the offending OBJ
ject clinging to the impression it had
made in the flesh. The shape Of the
trife sent wild hope through his
brain Cropping through the dark, he
found his lamp and lighted it with
trembling hands.
He held the lapis lazuli signct..
He die not move He only grasped
TIE scarab tightly and painted. The
sudden change from intense suspense
to intense relief had deprived him Of
the power OF expression. Only bis
physical makeap manifested its rebel
lion against the shock.
} he examined the scarab. The cord
BY which it ha; been suspended passed
through a snail gold r;ng between the
claws Of the beetle. Tbs had Worn
very thin and some slight wrench had
broken it.
Nh he exclaimed aloud. "It is
even as hal thought. But let me not
seem to boast when tel my father OF
it. 1t viii be victory enough for ne to
display the jewel and abashnlent enough
fer him t. Know he was wrong.
He ceased to speak, but the echoes
talked OF after him. He shsvered,
caught Up his light and raced through
the tomb irto the world again
/! vas near dawn. and the skies We're
palIid. H was hengly and weary. but
most impatient to be gone. lie Would
re1air to Jhebes and break bis fast
Thereafter he would procure the swift
est boat on the Nile and take his rest
while speeding toward Memphis
TIE inn Of tae metropolis was Ike an
fil4t the