Willmar tribune., 1909-07-07
A STORY OF POMPE||,
b LEAH lNoERsoLL.

- e6N0 UUNS@NoVAo6s
copyright, 1903. by American Press Asso.
ciation.l
More than nineteen centuries ago a |
number Of pagan priests fled through
the streets Of the Greco Roman city
Of Pompeii and entered the forum.
Leaning upon the pedestal Of the
equestrian statue Of Marcus Aurelius
stood a young man, Aneus Verus, who
turned to look at the procession and
lamb they were leading to the sac.
rifice. His eye was caught by Ro-
man maiden who followed In their
wake.
"By Herculesw he said to himself.
1T seems to me that all the pretty
girls in this benighted town become
vestal virgins. And they are impor
tant, too, since these villainous priests
are not permitted to sacrifice even a
lamb to Jupiter without one Of them
In attendance"
AS the girl passed by the young man
she looked up and caught his admiring
gaze. At the same moment a marble
Cupid perched on a pedestal on the
line Of rectangle inclosing the forum
let fly an arrow and pierced the virgin
heart. The procession moved to the
upper end of the forum. climbed the
steps of the temple Of Jupiter and dis
appeared within its sacred inclosure.
What passed during the next few
days between the youth Verus and
the vestal Livia is buried In the dead
century. The story next takes up
how they met at night in the only un-
tenanted place In Pompeii vacant
space where during the day workmen
were building a temple to Venus.
There the young man, who had been
affected by the doctrines Of the new
sect Of Christians. persuaded the YES
tai that her gods were false, that her
vows were not morally binding. There
they loved, each conscious that If dis
covered a horrible fate awaited them.
Alas! One night when they were
clasped in each others arms a lean,
hungry looking priest, bespattered
with the blood Of his last sacrifice,
confronted them.
The next day, while the judges were
sitting in judgment on the elevated
porch Of the temple of Justice, the
lovers were drawn up through holes
from the prison directly beneath the
judicial chairs and brought before
them. There was nothing to be said
in their defense, and they were SEN
fenced, the man to be devoured by
wild beasts in the amphitheater, the
girl to be burned alive.
All this occurred In the year 70,
counting from the birth Of Jesus, who
had been put to death on the cross by
the advocates Of the waning pagan re-
ligion. During the trial Of the lovers
Vesuvius, a few miles to the north
ward and in view of the judges, was
emitting film Of smoke, accompanied
by an occasional faint groan as If con-
demnatory Of the trial of two young
people.
From that moment the attention of
the people was attracted to the vol
cano. A column Of something that
looked like pale gray smoke con.
tinued to issue from the crater, spread
ing out like gigantic mushroom.
Some time after the first explosion
ashes began to fall upon Pompeii.
Some of the people talked Of the scene
to take place in the arena on the NOR.
row, when Verus was to be given to
the lions. Others connected with Livia
were shuddering at the coming moment
when she would step upon her funeral
pyre. But most Of the knots stand
ing about in the forum, in the streets
and in the gardens in the rear Of the
rich mems houses were watching the
mountain and the column Of ashes is
suing from its summit
But they did not look long, for the
great canopy that had unfolded from
the bowels of the earth covered the
sky, shut out the light Of the sun and
enveloped the city in darkness. Then
an awful horror took possession Of the
throngs. A struggling mass of men
and women dragging their children
moved to escape from under that
frightful fall Of ashes.
Verus, sitting in his prison, heard the
bolt turn in the lock and, going to the
door, saw the dim form of his jailel
fleeing down the narrow passage lead
ing to the sea gate. Something white
fitted by him. He seized it and held
Livia. There was momentary Joy al
escaping from death by lions and fire
but it was quenched by the prospect
Of being smothered by ashes or poi
soned by noxious gases. Hand in hand
they plunged down the narrow pas
sage between high stone walls to the
sea gate and. passing through it, la
bored on to the shore. There they
found the Mediterranean, sympathiz
ing with its neighbor, angrily tossing
its waves. TO the northward the roat
led to the volcano; therefore, turning
south, they pushed on toward the littl
town Of Stabia.
Now they stumbled over obstacle.
covered by the volcanic deposit, nov
foundered through drifts Of ashes. Ii
via finally sank exhausted. Veru'
caught her and carried her in his arm
past groups Of men, women and chill
dren who were falling by the way, th'
dead here and there showing their din
outlines under the ashes.
Gradually as they receded from tn
mountain the way became lighter, ant
as Verus approached Stabia he saw
. the sails Of Roman feet But hi
object now was to get as far as posi-
| hlp not oY1v from tho maintain hi