The Washington times., 1920-02-01

that hour. Yet the curse feii ID
its season. since In her day, doubt
A not. Aphrodite had strength, as,
indeed. under other names. she
has and will have while the world
endures, and for sught ] know De-
yond Il. Do they worship her now
Ia any land. o Allanr'
mo; only her statues. because
of their beauty. though Love is
always worshipped."
"Yes, who can testify to that
better than you yourself. 0 Aiian'
II he who is called Zjkali tells me-
the truth concerning you In the
dreams he sends? AS for the
statues, l saw some OF them as
they left the masters hand In
Greece. and when | told him that
he might have found better
model, once / stood for one myself.
II IL still endures IL must be the
most famous OF them all, though
perchance Aphrodite shattered IT
i In her Jealous rage. You shall tell
me OF these statues afterward;
1. mine had q mark on the left shoul-
der like a mole, but the marble
was imperfect, not my shoulder, as
! can prove II you wish"
Thinking 1t better not to con.
tinue this discussion, I remained
silent, and she went on:
From Cyprus ! went to Egypt.
and there. to be rid OF men. who
wearied me with their sighs and
opportunities, also to acquire more
wisdom of which she was the mis-
tress, l entered the service OF the
goddess Isis, Queen OF Heaven.
vowing to remain virgin forever.
Soon I became her high priestess,
and in her most sacred shrine upon
the Nile l cOmmuned with the god.
dess and shared her power, since
from me she withheld none of her
secrets.
$50 II came about that though
Pharaohs and high priests held
the sceptre, II was / who ruled
Egypt, and In my day 1t was great.
Yes, kings would come to seek
counsel from me and to kiss my
feet where / sat throned, dressed
in the garb of Isis and breathing
out her power. Yet Of It all l grew
weary at the last, as men vii.
surely do of the heavens that they
preach, should they chance to find
them"
"Why?" I asked.
Because in their pictured
heaven all things lie to their hands,
and man. being man, cannot be
happy without struggle, and wo-
man, being woman, without victory
over others. What Is cheaply
bought or given has no value.
Allan; to be enjoyed 1t must first
be won. But bade you not to in
terrupt- me and break my line Ct
thought"
! asked pardon and she went on.
Here in Egypt 1t was that the
curse of Aphrodite fell upon me.
Yes, and the curse of Isis. also,
so that these twin maledicti0ns
have made me what l ana lost
soul dwelling in the wilderness
waiting the fulfilment Of fate
whereof I know not the end, for
though I have all wisdom, all.
knowledge Of the past and much
power, together with the git of
life and beauty, the future is as
dark to me as night without It's
moon and stars.
"Hearken. this chanced to me.
Though 1t be to my shame / tell
1t you that all may be clear. At
the temple Of Isis on the Nile
where / ruled, there was q certain
priest, a Greek by birth, vowed.
like myself. to the service of the
goddess, aud, therefore, to wed
none but her, mean in the spirit.
He was named Kallikrates and a
man of great beauty, such one
as those old Greeks carved in the
statues of their god Apollo. Never,
think, was man more beautiful
in face and form, though Of intelli-
gence he had but little, as often
happens to men who have all else,
and well-nigh always happens to
women, save myself and perhaps
one or two others that history tells
Of, doubtless magnifying their
tabled charms.
Now 1t chanced that the Pha,
raoh Of that day had daughter,
the Princess of. Egypt, a fair VIC
man in her fashion, though some
what swarthy, who came to the
temple to spend moon there com.
muning with the goddess, or rather
with me who held her sceptre,
since she knew not the secret
bridges whereby alone a few can
cross the gulf which lies between
us and that immortal. This Amen
artas saw the priest Kallikrates,
and becoming enamored Of him, as
dark women are apt to do Of those
of a higher and fairer type. cast
her net about his foolish senses I
by such arts as are the heritage
even OF the humblest of our sex
Learning of the thing and know.
ing 1t for sacrilege, I sent for the
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