Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1909-07-01
HERCULES WARNING,
BY r. A. MITCHELL.

ciation.]
In a garden behind one of the prin-
cipal dwellings of the ancient city
of IIerculaneum sat a youth and Il
maiden. Beside the girl, its base rest
ing on the marble seat. stood Il harp,
the strings of which she now and
again struck plaintively. Above them
to the east lowered the cone of the
NeSuvlan volcano. to the west repoSed
the pale blue waters of the Mediter-
ranean. while to the south We're viSi-
Die the tiled roofs of the temples of
the neighboring city of Pompeii.
"Ueraclea." said the youth gloomily.
this intention of your father to make
You u priestess in this religion of the
Egyptians will surely bring down upon
him the wrath of the true gods. Yet
it may he that YOU and shall go free
to we'd in 4 foreign land"
"IIave YOU consulted the o~racles.
Gavius"'
No: bur Hercules. from whom Your
city was named and whose name Your
father gave to YOU, last night appeared
to NE in 4 dream and told me this
"Oh. Gavius. he not deceived. There
is no hope. Tomorrow. as surely as
Jove dwells OF Olympus, l must go to
Pompeii to he initiated in the mysteries
in the temple of Isis there. My father.
like many others. is infatuated With
the worship of this foreign goddess.
and though l have wept and pleaded
with him he Will not forego his in
tent"
Trouble will surely come from this
slight to the true gods. The senate at
Rome has forbidden it."
Nevertheless there stands the EN-
pie at Pompeii on the slope near the
ampitheater, You may see its roof
Meanwhile the young man was re-
garding the summit of Vesuvius.
which was emitting titful puffs Of
smoke.
Il have not for several days." he
said. liked the looks of the mountain.
l fear the earthquake. Do you know.
Heraclea. have a feeling-perhaps it
has been planted within me by the
immortal godS-that in some way the
volcano is connected with our fate
that rather than see YOU a priestess of
a false goddess Hercules will emerge
from the crater, descend upon her
temple and destroy it."
And us. too. p~erhaps." replied the
girl. giving a frightened look UP at the
cone. which nj that uttered an
ominous srowl.
Enough of these melancholy words.
dear heart. With our approaching eter-
nal separation and the volcano mutter-
ing above US l am plunged in gloom.
sing the song l love so we'll. that old
cir brought by your ancestors from the
isles Of Greece. 1t may be the last
time | shall hear it"
The girl commenced to sing il q low,
plairtiye o. accompanying herself
on her harp. The air. though monoto-
nous. was sweet rising and falling at
intervals. The words We're a recital
OF their grief at their coming separa-
ton. The song served to deepen their
gloom. When it ceased Gayius clasped
Heraclea in his arms. and they. wept
silently. Then after an impassioned
farewell they separated.
The next day. as Heraclea. under the
guardianship of her family. was leav,
ing for the temple of Isis, Vesuvius
gave a shudder. then sent up that col.
mi from the bowels Of the earth
which destroyed the cities at its base
Gavius. maddened at the prospect OF
losing his love. collected u number OF
his friends who We're opposed to the
, worship of the Egyptian goddess
among them priests from the temple OF
J~upiter-and. sallying from his house
on the main street crossing Pompei
5 north and south. turned into the on
leading to the Herculanean gate. There
supported by his band. he stood ready
for a desperate attempt to rescue Her
aclea on hT entrance into the city.
! But Heraclea did not come. AT thu
hour appointed for her initiation botl
| Hercul2leu,A and Pompeii We're beins
covered by showers Of ashes and ear1l
rained down from Nesuvius. while tn,
: mountain roared and the earth quaked
: Iiav.us started 10 Herculaneum L
I Gle with his love. but in the darkness!
: lost his way. Painting. be lay stupe
! fed by gases from the volcano, bu
: was taken up by one OF his slaves an
: carried to the sea. Later when all Wa.
again serene he went and stoo,
:, on the crust above the buried Hercu
: laneum. There wandering, he was re
garded by those who were trying t.
: dig their way down to where the,
might recover treasures as having los
= his mind through the terrors attendin,
the late eruption. When night cam
they left him there and found hin
there again in the morning. The onl
words he was heard to say were:
20 Hercules, direct me-"
= On the evening of the second da
after the eruption as the twilight deeI
,. ened Gavius was still wandering abov
= the buried Herculaneum. The SEE
!, the mountain, the ground on which h
stood, were still. A stream had fowe
,, on either side of the site of the towr
Wandering aimlessly toward one Q
-