The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1917-08-25

Just as the spoken words had no
part in the vision, yet the whole was
into it. There was no connecting link
between each scene, each dissolved
into the other, and all were one
She faded into mist, in swirl of
graceful drapery, and he frowned
again. A long line of men-at-arms
stood before him, grim as he and as
discontented. They leaned on spears,
at ease, and that seemed to annoy him
most of all. A spokesman stood out
from the ranks and addressed him,
with gesticulations and head so far
| thrown back that his helmet plume
stood out like a secretary's pen behind
him. He was. not a Roman, although
there was something Roman about
his attitude and armor. None Of the
mer-at-arms was Roman,
They demanded to be led home,
wherever home was. Ut was as plain
as if there spokesman had shouted it
into Kings ear aloud) And he re-
fused them bluntly. proudly.
Two men brought him a native
woman, each holding an arm and
thrusting her forward between them.
She was not at all unlike a native
| woman of today, either in dress or
sullenness; she had the beak and the
keen eyes and the cruel lips of the
Hills" They showed her to him,
and it was quite clear that they COM
pared her to their own women, left
behind; the comparison was plainly
to her disadvantage.
He wasted no argument on them,
but his scorn made the two men fade
away, and the woman with them. Yet
he had no scorn for his 1ined-up fight
ing men, and SO could act none. He
ordered the spokesman back to the
ranks, and the man obeyed. He gave
another order. and the long line stood
at attention, spears straight up and
down, and their round shields like
great medallions on d wall. He or
dered them away, but they stood still.
Then he did a truly Roman thing.
He got his harness off-unbuckled and
took off the great bronze corselet, in
which he lay dead In another cave.
He threw it down-tore open the
white shirt underneath-and held his
arms out, He bade them come and
kill him. He bade them drive their
spears into his unprotected breast.
There was not a movement down
the line of men. They stood as a
cliff looks at the tide. He dared them
He called them cowards-women-
weaklings, afraid Of blood. But they
stood still. He strobe up and down
the line, seeking a man with heart
enough to plunge a spear into him,
and no man moved.
Then he stood still before them all
again and wept, because they loved
him and he loved them. And then she
came, not dancing this time, but bare
footed and walking like poem of the
early days of Greece. She picked up
his corselet and buckled it on him,
making him hold up his arms and
kneel while she slipped it over his
head. And the grim men-at-arms hove
their long spears up in the air and
roared her an ovation, bringing down
their right feet with a thunder all to-
gether.
Ave-"
But the mist closed up and then the
crystal was clear again. 1t was Yasi-
minis voice that spoke. King looked
up into her eyes, and they made him
shudder, for he had never seen eyes
like them. Her hands still clasped his
own, burning hot. She was more ter
rible than khinjan.
Il never saw that before" she said.
1T is because you are here. We shall
see 1t now! We shall know 1t all!
We shall know whether it was she
who killed him, or whether his own
men took him at his word. We shall
know! Look again! Look again!
His eyes seemed unable to obey his
own will any longer. They obeyed her
voice. He gazed into the crystal,
and it clouded over. But although he
obeyed her. the crystal obeyed him
and answered at least in part the
questions his Imagination asked. He
was not conscious of asking anything,