Middletown transcript., 1911-07-08

clothes blood was hecked and
still dripping.
By what right? at last the hier-
arch hissed.
Levering looked towards the
king, praying that the answer
might come from him, and be as
it should. But Matazino stood
unhelpful as some scoWling
brown statue.
By what right? challenged the
priest yet more defiantly.
| By the right of an American
to depend his countrymen; Lev.
ering answered boldly.
But when the multitude began
to hiss and seethe; like some
vast dark coil Of serpents, he
lifted his voice, proclaiming i'm.
perionsly:
By the right, too of one who is
betrothed to the daughter Of
your king.
But certain courtiers and
others, leaders in the throng
behind, read something in their
sovereign's dark face.
Down with the stranger! they |
shouted, the alien who would do.
inmate US. His is the hostile blood. |
Let him have the knife in his
bosom, too-intruder and traitor!
Emboldened by these cries and
the kings impassivity, the hier-
arch Wrenched an arm loose and
aimed his weapon well at Lever
ing, who, however, proved again
too quick for him, and in another
moment had the sacrifcial blade
in his own possession.
But the ring of the priests and
acolytes began now to regather
and close quickly around the
three Americans; and the wilder
spirits in the massed throng;
pushing aside the inert courties
and officials, we're pressing for
ward to support the priests.
Esmond had a full minute in
which to realize that he had stalk
ed and lost all; that; in his effort
to save the unknown husband of
the woman he loved, he had
brought dead to himself and her.
But with that knife in his hand,
he would sell their three lives
dearly as he might be.
He did not see the Princess as
she clung to the king, imploring
some boon at his hands. But,
after a veritable age OF torture,
he heard the great smooth voice
of Matazino break out above the
rabble's mutterings. H
Let the Americans be con-
Quoted to the east wing of the
palace. For this Moon of May
there are other prisoners, alien
and hostile blood enough.
1t was a week later when
Levering received in his closely
guarded apartments a messenger
from the Princess, and opened a
letter which ran:
have read in your eyes, which
lie not, that you love her. l have
learned from her lips, which are
true, that long ago, in a far coun-
try where you and she we're
young together, she loved you;
but denied her love, because she
mistakenly deemed your purpose
unstable, your life insure Of aim.
It is not her husband but her
brother whom you saved from
sacrifice, and whom I have now
prepared to send away with you
and her.
The king, my sire, is pertur-
bed. irritated, suspicious. You
do not know him in this mood. I
shall say only that lam not will
ing 10 risk you there another
day within the palace.
Go I pray you. Follow my
trusty messenger; who leads you,
the guards think, to me for an in.
terview. But move speedily after
him past my portals, where the
others will join you. When my
envoy leaves you on the boat,
with the picked and faithful crew
of mine, take what the departing
one gives you from n e. Itserves
no good end here, but entails a
cruel annual rite, dark curse
upon my people. To you it may
bring the power to do good and
be happy. Am selfish in feel.
ing, also, that it will be like a
part of me keeping with you in
the great world I am not to
know in this existence.
Go. take her, be safe be happy.
Il you have thought that I loved
you, forget it, and ask not if
there came to me an hours temp.
tation to let her be sacrificed and
save you for myself.