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

cret, for I am beset. and would lot
have my rescue by the Pharaoh thwart-
ed
81 can send thee a messenger" the
jailer answered.
The solid section of wall swung shut
behind him, and the great bolts shot
into place.
Some time later the bar ratified down
again, and the jailer stood without,
scribe al his side At a s:gn from the
jailer the latter made as though to
enter but Kenkenes stopped him.
Il have need Of your materials only"
he said, but the fee shall be Yours
nevertheless. The man set his case
on the floor, and kenkenes put ring
OF silver in the outstretched palm.
sFail ne not in faithful messea-
GER" the prisoner repeated to the jail
er. The official nodded, and the door
was closed again.
Eenkenes sat on the floor beside the
case, laid tie cover back and, taking
out materials, wrote thus:
To My Friend, the Noble Hotep, greet
ing:
This from Kenkenes whom i'll for,-.7e
| cannot wholly possess while he may call
thee his friend.
I speak to thee out of the prison at
Tape, where I am held for stealing a
bond maiden and for executing a statue
against the canons of the sculpeor's rit-
ual The accumulated penalty for these
offenses is great. Ny plight is most Sc
rious.
The plying gods have left me one
chance for escape If fail shall nlolder
here for my counsel is mine. and the
demons Of Arnenti shall not rend it from
me
The tale is short and miserable But
for the necessity I would not repeat it,
for it publishes the humiliation of sweet
innocence
Suffice it to say that the offended is she
of whom we talked one day on the hill
back of Nasaarah; the offender is Har-
hat, who hath buried me here in Tape.
One morning he saw her at the quarries
and, taken with her beauty, asked her at
the hands OF the Pharaoh for the hateful
est bondage pure maidenhood ever knew.
/! She fed from the lninions he sent to
take her and came to me in that spot on
the hillside where thou and did talk
There the lninions found Us, and by the
evidence they looked upon l am further
charged with sacrileSe
Thou dost remember the all powerful
signet which my father had from the
Incompatible Pharaoh. Ee lost it In the
tomb of the king. three years ago, aban-
| doning the search for it before I was as
sured Il..5t Il was not to be foI;.lI
So strong was my faith that the siSnet
| 49, tt,af
| overlook her l came to Tape at once to
look again for the treasure. found it.
But by some unknowable mischance
mine enemy discovered my Whereabouts,
and a third Elinion. who escaped my
wrath before the statue that morning.
appeared in the city and caused me to be
(! delivered up TO the authorities on the
charges already named.
| She is hidden. and I have provided for
her protection. as well IS I may. against
the wishes Of the strongest man IN the
land For her immediate welfare am
not greatly troubled. But alas! would
! !Je NTH ic:. T..ou s:l"z.est, Z ny S@oSe3',
the hunger ard heartache @ such separa2-
Goa.
Il The P!,araoh honor ,sot The sigret
/ here:., i.s..osed. tell ny fatber OF ny
pI;a!1t. let me i:3ow the decision OF tae
:l::..s. a-.d taen I SHAH trust 70 tie IA
thors for liberty.
OF this contingency I would not speak
at length It may be tempting the caprice
OF the Seven Sisters to presuppose such
misfortune.
Let not ny father intervene for me. He
shall rot endanger himself further than
| have already asked Of him.
But remember thou this injunction most
surely. That il shall be last and therefore
freshest in thy memory, put this at the
end Of the letter.
Put the petition herein inclosed into the
Pnaraoh's hands. For my life's sake, lex
it not come into the possession OF any
other.
I shall write no more Ny scant elo-
orence must be saved for the king.
Gods, but it is good TO nave faith IN
friend salute thee. kENkENES.
The letter to Hotep complete, Ken
kenes took up another roll and wrote
thus to Meneptah:
To Meneptah. Beloved Of Ptah, Am
bassador Of AInen. Vicar Of Ra, Lord
Over Upper and Lower Egypt greeting:
At this point he paused. His power
OF expression, aellast Ut the magnitude
Of tie stake laid on its successful use.
.
him. He feared dat words could not
be chosen which would justify his sac
ri,ege or prove his claims to Rachel
greater than Har-hat's. Meneptah
would be hedged about with prejudice
against his first cause and deferred by
the prior right Of Har-hat in the sec
ond. The last man that talked with
the king nodded him. Flattery alone
might prevail against coercion. 1t was
the one hope.
Kenkenes seized his pen and wrote:
This from t;ay subject, Kenkenes. the
son of Mentu, thy murket.
give thee a true story, Defender OF
Women.
There is a maiden whose kinsrnen died
Of hard labor in the service of Egypt.
Not enc was ,eft to care for her. OF all
her house she alone remains They died
In ignonl;ny. Shall the last remnant OF
TIE unhappy family be stamped out III
dishonor?
II one came before thee seeking to IN
e,,I+ ;rrocerrc o-,d another begging leave