The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-04
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estes, accompanied still by his faithful
 Pylades, repaired to the palace and said
 to the porter at the gate that he had
 arrived with most important news for the master of the house. Word being brought to Clytemnestra that two
 strangers with important tidings de-
 sired an audience. she bade them be
 brought before her. Disguised as he
 was, and the dusk which had now fall
 en aiding his disguise, Clytemnestra
 did not recognize in the stranger her son, Orestes. Speaking in a disguised voice and with the Phocfan accent he said that he had come to tell her that Orestes had died at the Phocian court and King Strophius desired to know whether his body was to be sent back to sleep with his ancestors in Argos
 or was to remain where it had been entombed in the strange city,
 | Clytemnestra pretended to be much | disturbed at the tidings, but could not | conceal from Orestes the secret joy
 which she felt. She bade the messen- ger be served with refreshments, and his friend-or page, she knew not which. she said-likewise. q will con- fer" said she, with the master of the palace, whose kindness shall console
 my loss.". Soon Aegisthus came to the
 visitors and began to question them
 closely concerning their news
 But hardly had he begun the inqui-
 sition when Orestes, infurated at the
 sight of his mothers paramour and the
 instigator of his fathers murder. drew
 his sword and plunged it into his side Aegisthus fell to the earth calling for
 help. The palace was at once alive with
 frightened courtiers and servants Amid the confusion came running Cly-
 temnestra, demanding what had hap pened.
 "Ah." she cried when they told her strange messenger, T feared trick Where is an ax? Quick, give 1t here; will follow up my own work and slay my son as I slew my husband. It Is vic-
 tory or whole defeat for me now" Ores
 tes, fresh from the staying of Aegisthus
 came upon her in her fury 'Holdy' he cried, 'nor think to escape a just doom
 See, I have done with thy lover" Woe Is me!' cried Clytemnestra, the woman for moment getting the better of her
 my lord! my love! my proud Aegisthus!'' p Lovers forsoothr retored Orestes, lone
 tomb shall be your bed and death shall
 hold thee true to him. ''Ah, my dear
 child" walled Clytemnestra; and she be-
 gan pleading for life with her son, whose resolution wavered. He would probably
 have spared her had not Pylades called
 out to him to remember the commands of the oracle; to remember how his fa- ther died. 'So be it," cried Orestes, "come, will slay thee at his side" And dragging Clytemnestra to where the body of Agisthus lay. he killed her.
 | In all this bloody work the people of the palace had not interfered They rec- ognized Orestes as their lawful; king and
 as the avenger of Agamemnon, But the deed of niatricide. nevertheless, filled them with doubt and horror. Orestes. himself,
 now that he had obeyed the commands ofsApollo, was half crazed as he thought upon what he had done. Hear ye," said he to the people who crowded around him. "I know not the end of all this. l am as one whose horses have run away with the chariot and whirled him whith-