Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1918-07-25
pitaIity7 You are weary and hungry

pitaIity7 You are weary and hungry
Come !.
She led him by the hand, for II
would have needed brute force to pry
her fingers loose. She drew aside the
leather curtain that hung on bronze
rod near the bed, led him through II,
and let 1t clash to again behind them.
Now they were In the dark together.
and 1t was not comprehended~ in ner
scheme Of things to let circumstance
lie fallow. She pressed his hand, and
sighed, and then hurried, whispering
tender words he could scarcely catch.
When they burst together through &
curtain at the other end OF passage
In the rock, his skin was red under
the tan and for the first time her eyes
refused to meet his.
"Why did they choose that cave to
sleep inr' she asked him. us not this
q better one7 Who laid them theref'
He stared about. They were In d
great room far more splendid than the
first. There was great fountain In
the center splashing In the midst Of
flowers. They were cut flowers. The
"HiIls" must have been secured for
them within q day.
There were great cushioned touches
all about and two thrones made Of
ivory and gold. Between two couches
was table, laden with golden plates
and q golden jug, on pure white linen.
There were two goblets Of beaten gold
and knives with golden handles and
bronze blades. The whole room
seemed to be drenched In the scent
vasmini favored, and there was the
same frieze running round all four
walls, with the woman depicted on Il
dancing.
Come. we shall eat I" she said, lead
ing him by the hand to a couch. She
took the one facing him, and they lay
Hike two Romans Of the empire with
the table In between.
She struck golden gong then, and
native woman came In, who stared
ut King MS II she had seen him before
and did not like him. Yasmini nodded
to the servant, who clapped her hands.
At once came d stream OF hillmen,
ROBBED In white, who carried sherbet In
bottles cooled In snow and dishes fra
grant with hot food. He recognized
his own prisoners from the Mir Khan
Palace jail. and nodded to them as
they set the things down under the
maids direction. When they had fin-
ished eating Yasmini drove the maid
away with sharp word: he brought
an ivory footstool and set II about a
yard away from her waxen toes. And
she, watching him with burning eyes.
wound tresses Of her hair around the
golden dagger handle, making her jew
els glitter with each movement.
'"The gods OF India, who are the only
real gods. what do they think of 1t all |!
They have been good to the English,
but they have had no thanks. They
will stand aside now and watch q
greater jihnd than the world has ever
seen! love them, and they love me
MS you shall love me. too! II they did
not love both Of us. we would not both
be here! We must obey thein!"
None Of the East's amazing ways Of
courtshlp are ever tedious. Love
springs into being on an instant aud
lives Il thousand years inside an hour.
She left no doubt an to her meaning.
She and King were to love, rs the East
knows love. and then the world might
have just what they two did not care
tn take from II.
His only possible course as yet was
the defensive. and there Is no defense
like silence. He was still.
"T'he slrkar." she went on. "the silly
sirkar fears that perhaps Turkey may
enter the war. Perhaps a jihad may
be proclaimed. So much for fear!
know! have known for u very long
time! Aud have not let fear trouble
me at all"
Her eyes were on his steadily, and
she read no fear In his, either, for none
WINS there. In hers he saw ambition
triumph already -- excitement -. the
gamblers love Of all the hugest risks.
Behind them burned genius and the
devilry TINT would stop at nothing. AZ
the general had told him In Peshawur.
she would dare open hades gate and
ride the devil down the Khyber for
the fan Of II.
Listen, while tell you all from the
beginning! The sirkar sent me to dis
cover what may be this Heart Of the
Hills men talk about. | found these
caves--and this! told the sirkar a
little about the caves, aud nothing ut
all about the sleepers. Hut even at
that they only believed the third of
what said. And black in Delhi I
bought books. When had read enough
came back here to think. l knew
enough now to be sure that the sleeper
Is Roman and the Heart of the
Hills a Grecian maid. She Is like me.
That Is why know she drove him
to make an empire. choosing for be-
ginning these Hills where Rome had
never penetrated. have seen 1t all In
dreams. And because was'aA alone,
saw that l would need skill and much
patience. So began to learn.
"Times would 60 to Delhi and
dance there little. and little In
other places--once indeed before a