Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1917-06-07

and started to lead his guests into the
house for the feast. But a touch on
the arm made him pause. 1t was Mer-
bel. an exquisitely dressed fop, with
blond hair and high, shrill voice.
Good Jether," he pleaded, "for our
friendships sake, lend me hundred
shekels. To come to thy feast in better
raiment l had to promise payment for
this mantle.'
Jether, with careless laugh, handed
him hundred shekels in gold, where
at Tisha frowned Merbel, with low
obeisance, took the money and cried,
MAY Jether's children reign as kings
of Israel!"
Parsodias, the Mede, fierce, full
bearded nan, who wore jeweled
sword which never left his side, strobe
up to Jether: "Of thee, prince, I would
learn something. have heard thine is
a land where wild beasts roam. Dost
kill thy lions with bow or jave1in,
mounted or on foot?"
Jether, unused to city ways and
speaking only the truth as he knew it
in Judea, replied simply, ION foot, with
knife alone, have killed lion"
"a mighty lion?" cried Hadramut,
the Arabian. II shall reward thee,'
Prince Jether. Thou shalt have my
mare, the queen Of the desert. Naught
cares Hadramut for thy riches but
since thou art his friend and hath
slain lion single handed, thou shalt
have my mare. Between me and thee"
he added insinuatingly, as he held out
his hand suggestively, what is thou
sand shekels?"
Jether smiled and instinctively reach
ed into his purse. He drew out
handful Of coins and was about to
count out the money to Hadramut
when the ever watchful lola inter-
fered.
With one quick grasp he took the
money from Jether's hands and swept
it into his own capacious purse.
Keep thy tottering nag for one who
hath done thee wrong, for have seen
it," he cried. Shall Jether waste on
thee thousand shekels, when his best
friend is needy? Nay, good Jether,
let lola advise thee when thou dost
Jether, with a laugh, turned again to
Tisha. The men. with madness in their
brains, were thinking little of the prom
ised feast and much of the wine served
them by the Nubians, and of the beau
tiful women who lolled so languidly
about the garden upon the divans and
cushions. Within the house the strum-
ming of the harps and the beating OF
the cymbals made rough, weird music,
and as the darkness descended score
of lamps were lighted in the gardens
to cast strange and rosy light over
the picture of oriental magnlficence.
AS Tisha, clasped in the arms of
Jether, toyed with the scarf he wore,
Ahab, the servant of Put, who had been
waiting without the gate, approached
him.
Thy pardon, good MASTER" bowed
Ahab. prostrating himself before Je-i
ther. "A maiden at the gate asks It'd
ings of Master Jether."
"a maiden asks for me? Who is
she?' demanded Jether, curiously.
IL know not
How doth she look?"
AS one stranger to the city, all
clad in simple white. with eathern san
dals. She draws her veil before her
face and says, 'Canst tell me. my good
man, how fareth Master JetherY"
AS Tisha started to rise as if to see
the stranger, Jether held her by the
arm. Tisha paused and smiled Wears
she many jewels?' she demanded.
NAY, good mistress. none.''
"Then bid her come in" ordered
Tisha triumphantly. No need to fear.
this rival if she were indeed so plain
and unadorned. Struck by sudden
thought, she laughed and tore the
scarf from Jethers neck. Then as he
tried to recover it she ran round and
round the garden, laughing hilariously
as she waved the scarf in her hands,
circling the edge Of the fountain, leap
ing over lovers in their wooing and all
the time pursued by the laughing.
Jether, who wished to regain the scarf.
Just as they circled the fountain for
the second time and passed the gate
way slender girlish figure in simple,
white, with veil drawn before her face,
passed them. She gave sharp cry Of
pain as she bcheld the futtering scarf
in the hands of Tisha, with Jether7
laughingly pursuing her. She paused
and turned to Ahab.
"Who is she, SO strange SO fair?'
she cried, TREMENDOUSLY.
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 I an
nounce you:"
My name? Naomi"-the girl hest
tated. NAY, say nothing-1 am gone"
Ana in another moment she had dis
appeared. When ,Iether, who had dim
Iy seen the familiar apparition as he
Il Il