The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-08

see the strange flower and procured per mission from the king for Croesus, Hys- taspes, the chief priest, Oropastes, and two other nobles to visit the gardens that night and see the lily bloom. As they stood there looking at the wonderful flow CT Boges suddenly called out to a man who was standing in the moonlight by the window of the house of Nitetis. The fig ure turned and fled into the shrubbery. but all saw, as plainly as if it had been day, the face and figure of the Prince Bartja. They stood astonished. while the eunuch ran into the shrubbery a little way and came back to say that the fugi- tive had escaped.
 The eunuch carried the news of the nights happening to the king, adding that after he had seen Bartja disappear he had searched the pavilion and found the Egyptian lying unconscious upon a couch. The fury of Cambyses was such that he fell down in one of those fits of epilepsy to which he was more and more subject as he grew older and which finally ended in at least partially destroying his reason. When he had recovered he ordered the arrest of his brother. and when Darius, Gyges and two other nobles swore that the prince could not have been in the hanging gardens at the time specified, as he was entertaining them at feast in his own gardens all that night and had not left them for minute, they, too, were arrested. The testimony of Croesus was given with great reluctance but he could only say that he had seen some one whom he took to be Bartja at the window of Nitetis's house. Bartja, Darius, Gyges and their companions were ordered away, loaded with letters, placed in strong prison and ordered by the king that they be executed next day.
 While this judgment was being given by the fnfuriated king trembling slave was dragged into the presence of Boges. The slave had letter which, he said had been given him by his mis- tress, Nitetfs with instructions to place 1t in the hands of Prince Bartja. The letter was torn from him. It was m Green, and in 1t Nitetis reproached Bartja for his neglect of her sisters love and begged that he would come to see her if possible, as she had much to tell. him. The unfortunate letter was, however, so worded that it might easily be construed as a reproach to Bartja for throwing over Nitetis herself for his love for Sappho.
 Insane with wrath the king caused the head of the unfortunate messenger to be stricken off at once. and when Croesus ventured to expostulate with Cambyses he ordered that former king of Lydia to be taken at once to prison and to be executed at sunrise. Then he issued this decree: "The adultress Nit cites, daughter of the king of Egypt Is to be punished for her evil deeds with all the severity of the law, as fol- lows; She shall be placed astride an ass and led through the streets of Baby lon, so that the people in the town may see that ACambyses punishes a judges punish the meanest beggar woman. When the sun sets the shame less woman is to be buried alive.
 The condition of Nietis since she left the banquet hall had been pitiable. She felt that net had been woven about her from which she could not escape. If she Could only see the king and plead her innocence-but that was denied her. Yet in all her suffering there came to her one thought which brought with 1t sense of consolation: "Cambyses kills me because he loves meg' She had in her bedroom a box of ointment for the skin, which she knew would cause death if taken in ternally in any considerable quantity. She resolved 10 take her own life rath- CT than to suffer public humilla- tion.
 Now, the plot of Boges had been thus concluded. The youth Gaumata was In person so strik.ngly like Bartja that if they were dressed alike 1t was impos-