Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-10

ot OBJECTS; blossom that the mercst breeze
could have tossed about at will. But Una
Iouhu u as heavy much metal or stone :;
ana this with the climbing together OF its
IeaNes as they were moved by her touch,
revealed the startling character of subter.
rahean botany. She was disappointed at first
10 ma that this was not in the ordinary
sense OF the word flower at all but regret
was QUICKLY followed by curiosity AS 10 the
actual nature of the strange growth she held
IN ner hands Its unusual weight beed the
ucncacN OF It's outward appearance: the fires
that mad clothed its leaves with living tints
u, uyihs seemed TO have left behind the pallor
oI ashes. Nevertheless II retained a strange
subtle beauty, odorless, undefnable
1t might be rare kind of stalactite.-
except that stalactite had not it's soft bril-
llancA--or sheaf Of gems one of the many
that strewed this subterranean valley. What
eNer II was II reminded Una. however family.
OF the glories Of the outer world-and she
cherished IL for the first time more than for
us own beauty. Narva. reused for the first
tlme from the spell OF her own thoughts,
shook her head in disapproval Of what Una
had done. Evidently she questioned her right
10 pluck the flower, for she motioned to her
to throw It away.
The queens garden :" she exclaimed in
tones of rebuke
AS this was the first definite intmation OF
their whereabouts, Una was quick to seize
upon II. This mysterious queen. then. OF
whom Narva had vaguely spoke before. was
really mixed up in their present expedition.
She recalled Narva's hint that in some way
ma was to be OF assistance 10 her. and she
wondered whether this meant that they were
bringing rescue of some sort to the queen.
possibility of high adventure she was far too
young not to relish. A queen. moreover who
cultivated jewels-or something very like
them-in her garden worthy the best
flowers of romance. At any rate, Una felt
new 2est in the enterprise she was on and
began TO chafe at Narva's lelsurely dignity
1T Is plenty of time" said the old Indian
sternly, noting her impatience. Have care"
AS she spoke she pointed straight ahead
where the first direct rays from the mountain
peaks flashed downward. Illuminating the
massive building. just below the tower
crowned summit that at a distance had So
completely won tnas admiration. Seen close
at hand. this building gained in beauty Most
of the cave dwellings, like the one Inhabited
by Narva, were followed out of the walls
composing this underground world. The
palace, however, stood alone, surrounding
a spacious court, in the center of whicl
played a fountain whose Jets of water re-
hected in a sheaf of myriad diamonds the
light glancing athwart it. The dazzling effect
emphasized the architectural majesty of the
building thus illuminated. This building was,
Tor the most part, two stories in height,
ornamented by innumerabe turrets. with
square central tower rising above arched
entrance, the irCn-bound doors of which
seemed stout enough to withstand siege.
II was Dullt tnrOugnOut OF stone, OF deep
yellow TINT. vivid, glstening, unlike anything
Una had seen in the cave. So radiant 1t
seemed, so full of light. adorned with such
delicate tracery wherever the design of the
architect admitted the play OF ornament, it
might have been a fairy palace each stone
of which had come into place over night
with the waving of a wand Narva pointed
to a hcart-shaped tablet just above the
arched entrance. upon which was carved. in
dark red stone, the figure of a condor. similar
design IN ha that he tn,
gateway to the inhabited portion or the cave.
TT is very DID," she said. at is the
palace OF my people many hundred years
an perhaps Observation-Disclosures the Spa niards
drove them off the earth. Long ago. in those
days, our kingdom was not in a cave. But
here, always, was the secret palace of the
zipa. Yes, we lived among the mountains
then, and this was our place of refuge when
us. 1t was here that our first Zpa was
brought for safety. He was only few
weeks old then. Hunters, lost on a high
mountain, had found him in the nest of a
condor.
How he came there no one has ever known.
But his skin was perfectly white, not like
ours that he could not have been born
from one of our race. Perhaps a god had
left him for the condors to take care of-or
perhaps It was condor. flying far out of
sight of the earth, who found him in some
hidden place in the sky and brought him down
here to be the ruler of the earth. But here
he was guarded, here he grew up. And when
he became a man, and conquered the people
who used to fight with US and destroy our
cities. and rob us of our wealth, and make
slaves of us, he founded this empire Of Chib-
chas And 1t was after that, when he was
old and had not much longer to live, that
he built this great palace to be the secret
home of his children whenever their enemies
became too strong for them. And over the
gate of the palace, where you see. he placed
his brthsign. the Sign of the Condor-the