News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1917-05-09
HYDE PARK. VERMONT

/ as she waved the scarf in her hands
circling the edge Of the fountain, leap
ing over lovers in their wooiug and al
the time pursued by the laughing
Jether, who wished to regain the scarf
Just as they circled the fountain fol-
! the second time and passed the gate,
way a slender, girlish figure in simple
white, with veil drawn before her face
! passed them. She gave sharp cry OF
pain as she beheld the huttering scarf
in the hands Of TiSha. with Jether
laughingly pursuing her. She paused
and turned to Ahab
"Who is she. so strange, so fair?"
she cried, tremulUusly.
Ahab bowed low at the mention of
the wonderful Tisha.
1.-THE joy of all Jerusalem-the most
beautiful the most superb. Tisha,
whom all men worship-Tisha, the
beautiful. BY what name shall an
nounce you?
My name? Naomi"-the girl hest
tated. NAY, say nothing-I am gone"
And in another moment she had dis
appeared. When Jether. who had dim
ly seen the familiar apDarition as he
dashed by and had scarcely recognized
it, came to the gate to see the girl who
had asked for him the Sinking Ahab
told him the maiden had made mis-
take. AS Jether, his eyes half filed
with tears for a cause he knew not,
again wound the scarf around his neck
nNicha Ct,1a InhfpI him and oclya6
"What dost thou see?"
"Nothing-a sudden thought" he re-
piled softly, "a memory drifting on
the waves of wine. Perchance l SEEM
ed to see a maiden knew among the
hills at home. Who was she? Won
der was it all but dream, or did | see
Naomi standing here amid all the
wickednesS of Jerusalem? Naomi
wonder"
Tisha climbed upon a cushioned di-
van. raised goblet of wine far above
her head. ere she drank. and cried,
"This night is dedicated to love"
An answering chorus of approval
gave mighty echo, and Tisha leaned
over Jether and kissed him.
Put" she suddenly called, where
art thy boosted dancing girls? We
would have entertainment, music,
wine and dance"
Put clapped his hands thrice and
gave a signal to Ahab, who motiOned
to one of the Nubians. Within the
house the sownd of music now grew
louder and louder, as the musicians
thrummed their harps and clashed the
cymbals. The soft voices OF lovers
were drowned in the crash of the
musical instruments and the thrum-
ming of the harp strings. Then with
in the gate glided half hundred or
more dancing houris. fair of face, bare
foot. clad in soft and flowing garments
which were scant. yet picturesque, dis
playing many bare limbs and ivory
shoulders. Round and round they
whirled. while Put and the wealthy
young men Of Jerusalem gazed admir-
iRgly and applauded at intervals. Fast
er and faster grew the dance as with
one accord the young women faced
the statue Of the BabylOuiun lshtar'
and finally in an ecstasy OF auorauoh
all cast themselves PROSTATE upon the
ground before the image. Then the
music changed. A weird. mystic, bar
barrie note swept through the air. The
leader of the dancers rose and clapped
her hands. Through the gateway came
a group of fantastic Arab boys, moth
ing but a skin or a bit of tunic cover
ing their dark. swarthy bodies. On
hands. with feet in air. they pranced
around through the maze Of the dan
GERS. A gaunt Arab boy beating
drum added a fierce and oriental touch |
to the strange dance.
Suddenly above the babel Of the mu- |
sic and the voices Of the lovers and the |
cries Of the dancers rose a shrill, pene- I
trating, commanding voice. 1t came |
from without the garden. lnvolunta-
rily all tile dancers ceased. The revel- |
ers paused, wine still untasted in the |
goblets. All shrank instinctively as |
fran a nameless dread.
"A doom upon this house and all |
within it, cried the voice.
A panic seized the superstitiOus wOr- |
shippers Of idols
-