The Meeker herald., 1909-05-08

D.sAAS
full. red lips. It is I as I was then
shiraz. the Egyptian maiden, whom
men called beautiful. Among Antony's
favorite captains see you and know
that you are Mario, of whom common
report has said that there ID none
Drawer in all the Roman legions. Don't
you remember. now. dearest Mafto?"
Yes. remember" he murmured.
"Cleopatra holds a golden cup, en-
crusted with gems. which she occas-
ionAlly raises to her lips. Antony gazes
upon her face with love unutterable
in his eyes, while his hand rests cares
singly on her bare shoulder. Now, =
space Is cleared In front Of them, and
six maidens glide swiftly. noiselessly.
into 1t. The musicians play q slow.
soft melody, and the maidens dance.
not as people dance in these days.
but the old dance Of the valley of
the Nile. As they glide and bow,
dip and rise. through the many figures
of the dance. their filmy. gauxe-like
garments rise and fall like waves of
the ocean. I, shiraz. am one Of these
dancers. Don't you see me?"
Yes. see you among them an
swered Harding, like one in q dream.
Il seem to remember that dance"
What follower
1T all seems so hazy and indistinct,
but I seem to remember carrying you
away, somewhere"
You did," she replied with a low,
happy laugh. II had resolved that
Mario. the bravest Of the Roman war
riors. should. for that one night at
least. be captive to my beauty and q
slave to my will, because, dear Mario.
loved you. So advanced toward
you. reckoning. smiling, inviting and
entreating you with all of the alluring
beauty of my face and form, scarce
concealed by my long. silken hair. See
the picture once more. Maddened by
my beauty, my smiles. and my ges.
lures, you. dear Mario. rush forward.
seize me In your arms and carry me
back into the crowd.
Then Cleopatra frowns. and her
attendants start back in terror. for SO
often has that frown meant death.
To see him thus show love for an
other, while in her presence. was an
insult to her beauty and her vanity
that she could not forget nor forgive.
Her face was dark with the storm
Of anger In her breast. Bind them
close together. face to face and
limb to limb she commanded in
q harsh. angry voice, and throw them
overheard In vain did Antony plead
for us and beg that she spare our
lives.
You fought and struggled desperate
ly. but were overpowered. You appealed
to Antony to save us, but he sat with
eyes averted. and made NO answer.
Quickly the slaves bound US together,
wrapping the cords about US from
head to foot, 10 tightly that we could
scarcely move finger. Then, lifting
u.s.. they threw Us overheard, FAR out
into the water. Down, down we sank.
while roaring filled my ears. and
many-colored lights seemed to dance
before my eyes. Afterward. the cool
evening air famed my face as we
rose to the surface. But 1t was for
only a moment, and the next, we were
again under water, dying the awful
choking. strangling death of those who
drown"
my God! stop!" cried Harding,
springing to his feet and tearing away
his collar as he gasped for breath. He
suffered all the agony that she had
described. and felt as II he were
strangling and choking.
His companion looked at him for .
moment as he struggled to regain his
usual composure, then arose and laid
her hand caressingly on his arm.
DO you love me now as you did
then, when l was Shiraz and you were
Marto?" she asked, gazing up into his
eyes.
Eyes, darling, do" he answered in
love. then, clasping her so closely in
his arms that she could scarcely
breathe. he kissed her tempting, cling.
ing lips, again and again, until the
frst mad riot of his love was stated.
After a short time, she looked up
into his face, and asked:
rs 1t not strange, dear Mario, that,
after 30 many centuries. we meet and
love again." Then, without waiting
for an answer, she continued: THE
gardens Of Naples are more pleasant
than the waters of the Nile; they are
more merciful than the caprice of
Cleopatra, for they let us love and live.
No cruel queen IL here to destroy Us
now, and, after centuries Of waiting,
happiness has come to US at last"
For an hour. Harding lay awake that
night thinking Of the happiness that
he believed the future held for him.
Then he thought of the weird mystery
Of what Sybil Ellison had brought be-
fore his eyes and to his mind. What
he had then seen and experienced
now seemed like dream. His we'll
balanced, practical mind had been
rudely shaken by this experience. and
sought some, practical solution of it;
Int he was unable to explain IL to his