Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1909-12-16
LARA
4F
B , MA KIM GoRKI
(copyright. BIZ short stories 60. Ltdl

WHOM mad worked all day. wandered
Gown 70 the Strand Laughing ana sing
ma. the girls voices blending sweet
~ with the gay notes OF a violin. The
ola siav woman, Issrgil. remained be-
nino, crouching in the shadow of the
vines. Time had bent and twisted her
TIL she was like one Of the brown
naro branches OF the vine.
see-there goes Larrai" she ex-
CANNED looked across at the
snifting clouds which the crooked
brown finger indicated; there were
many-one nearer the earth. sped
along faster and darker than its broth
ers.
No one is there" l answered
you are binder than IL. old Iser-
GIL whom time has forgotten. Don't
you see that dark form gliding across
the stopper" rs
looked again, and again saw moth
ing out the shadow cast by the clouds.
THAT is a shadow; why do you call
because IT is he. LARA worn to a
shadow. God knows II is time He
mas hved thousands of years-the sun
mas aired his flesh, blood and bones
ana the winds have worn them to dust.
Behold how God can punish the pride
of man"
Tell me how this came to be- 7
said. eager to hear another of the no.
cue legends of the steppe glowins
IKE jewels in the memory of the old
Slav nomad.
Many thousand years have gone
since this happened. Far beyond the
sea towards the sunrise, is the hand
OF great river, and in that land
every leaf and every blade of grass
gives shadow great enough for a
man to shelter himself against the
SUM- which is there cruelty hot-so
rich Is the earth of this country. A
powerful race of men once lived there
with magnificent courage and strength
and their women were beautiful as
fire
once an eagle shot down from the
SKY and stole one of their maidens
oiack-haired and mild as a summer
night Arrows sped after the robber
and his prey, but they fell back harm
less, to earth Then they sought the
maiden 1ar and near. but finding her
not, forgot her. as everything on this
earth is forgotten.
AFTER 70 years she returned weak
and exhausted, and a youth was with
her' 1.-the, beautiful and strong as she
herself had been 20 years agone. When
they asked her where she had tarriad
sne told them how the eagle has borne
her up to the lonely mountain heights
wnere she had lived with him as his
wife. ---7
This was his son, and hers. The
eagle-father was no more, for, as he
felt himself grow weak and old. he
scared one day high in the heavens
higher than before, folded his wings
In mid-air, and fell like a stone. dash
ing himself to death on the rocks.
Everybody gazed in wonder at the
eagles son and found him no better
nor no worse than tAey-omk ~
eyes were cold and proud "a a1p ~
eyes OF the king Of birds. They spoke
with him and he answered or not
as 1t pleased him. With the chief Of
the dan he talked as II to HIS equal:
this angered the bystanders and they
called him an unfeathered, blunt ar
row. an uncouth, untaught wight who
knew not where honor was due.
To which he answered proudly that
there existed no other like unto him.
and he owed honor, nor would show
1t to no one
The clansmen arose in wrath at this
and cried: He has no place among
usl Let him go his way, whitherso.
ever he Will
The eagles son laughed and went
with long, bold strides, to where a
| girl stood who had watched him with
unwaVering gaze, and embraced her
She was the daughter OF one of those
with most power to condemn him ana
though the stranger was beautiful ae
goa, she repulsed him because she
feared her fathers displeasure.
AS she turned from him the eaaIs.s
son struck her down and tramnled
her breast with his foot SO that tbc
blood spurted forth from her mouth
and writing like snake, she died
The beholders were stricken mute
and motionless with horror. Long thew
stood, gazing at the bleeding mouth
which seemed to cry for vengeance
upon him who stood cold and proud
beside his victim.
When they came to their sensas
they seized and bound the youth. feel
ing that to kill him at once were
too easy death penalty. And SO thew
met together in council to decide unon
fit punishment for this dark deed
After long parley, an old man. a sage
Of the tribe, said:
Let US ask him why he did this
thing
They put the question and he re-
| piled:
why should explain my actions ,
| THAT they be COMPREHENSIVE =,
us. You shall die, none the less. but
first let us know why you committee
this crime. To US remaining amons
the living, 1t could be OF use II
know
"'Mayhap, know not myself why
killed her. Perhaps because she re-