The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-01-22

THAT was on the morning when
Naomis David told his mother he
was going to marry the Gentle
dancing girl who died and was
brought to life again"--
The busy. clucking voice trailed
off-or seemed to. David. standing
by the street wall q pace from the
archway, heard again In spirit the
hoarse appeals Of a leper, Ramas
one word, Master" and again II
seemed to him that Astarte. white
as death and golden as fire. lay at
his feet on the torn mattress with
livid lips that had been robbed OF
breath. and the sky above him was
that OF clear saffron morning.
Someone paused before him, and
he looked at this man, and their
eyes mingled. Then the man
stopped and Rama uttered little
cry Of pure Joy.
With a sharp, incoherent utter.
ance, he drew q hand, palm out.
ward, across his eyes. His braced
shoulders sagged. Some energy
had been suddenly and definitely
withdrawn from him-the energy
: urging him to kill.
Every tense muscle relaxed--as
they had relaxed that night ON the
Mount OF Olives when the giim.
mering figure moved toward him
down hill between the olive trees.
That figure did not seem to bear
any>feiation 10 the scourge-tattered
body OF a mute man nailed to q
gibbet.
No, ne could not kiT--the fame
had died and there remained only
n handful OF ashes. An immeasur-
able heiplessness enveloped him.
He stood for a long time In the
one place. Several people passed
him. He was quite purposeless.
The inertia OF despair seemed TO.
eat inward 10 the very heat OF
him as quicklime eats through
flesh and bone.
The impending darkness deep
ened--its suggestion OF thunder
was 80 imminent that the rigid aif
seemed to be listening for II Ike
a .motioniess sentient creature IN
a wood OF Fear Through the lat.
tice OF hanging window the light
OF q lamp, kindled In an upper
room, trickled. smoky-yellow.
lord, spare us all! How dark
IT'S got. I'll have TO light the
lamps-just as II hadn't enough
to do"
Hasty, yet dragging. sandalled
feet struck sound from the cobbles
Of the house court-clip-clap, CLIP
clap.
The physical darkness invaded
David's onscfousness--it met the
spiritual darkness that was already
there. and the two became one.
And this dual night widened out.
ward from. the Hill Of the Skull.
His will stirred. II was as
though one betrayed by Fate should
fling wide his arms to all that he
had held off from him with his
last shred of strengthen embrace
ramelessly terrible as the union OF
manhood with the destroying
sphynx, the inhuman esctasy OF
self.surrender to the forces Of
death. ,"
Light had been filched from him.
Very we'll! The darkness should
possess him as sable waters lave
the limbs Of swimmer in mid.
night sea. He experienced a
species OF exultation that was In
its essence more terrible than de-
spsir.
Where there is no hope there
can be no further suffering of any
kind. The lover in whose breast
her brazen claws had fastened
pressed his lips with a ferocity
transcending that Of passion to the
mouth of the sphynx. y
He moved. He traversed street
after street.
The obscu-ity was that Of q pre-.
mature nightfall. The lilies above
the doorways showed pallid as the
linen bands that enwind the dead.
Desertion reigned everywhere,
for everyone expected the stab OF
lightning and a deluge OF rain. The
city had the appearance of a. town
that has been decimated by pestil.
ence and stands empty under the
still.lowering> wrath that has smit.
ten II.
At the Damascus Gate the
Roman sentinel, leaning on his
spear. cooked an anxious eye up
ward.
A long. hollow wailing, thrice
repeated. drifted out under the
heaven that was now q uniform
violet pail. The ram's-horn trum;
pets of the Temple announced that
the slaughter OF the many thou.
sands OF unblemished male lambs