Evening star., 1926-11-01
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6. BIZ Eugene MacIAnn.l

Antonius scowled and then burst
into laughter. Proceed" he said.
Tell me more Of the handsome man
you saw. What is his name?"
II do not know his name," she
confessed
Where does he live?"
"Ie is a stranger; I do not know
whence he came"
Where is he now?"
Il do not know; I saw him only
once"
The soldier was amused and showed
it. Women" said he, ARE alike in
every corner of the world. Show
them solid citizen, and they will dis
cuss marriage with him-until some
young fiedgling passes by, glances
back at them and smiles. After that
they will follow him to the ends of
the earth! The girls do that in Rome
also"
But l have not followed him."
she defended. II have not found
him again"
Antonius laughed again with a
shout. Maryam turned her head away.
IF the young man should come in
quiring. would my lord the soldier
tell him where my father may be
found?" she asked, at length.
Not l." said Antonius. II would
tell him the soldiers are in search Of
him and advise him to go to Tyre"
The girls eyes became round In hor-
ror. Then tears began to show.
''Tush. Tush"' he exclaimed. has
tily. do not weep. If 1 see him. I
shall give him your message. And
l am a fool for saying So"
Her grief promptly turned to high
delight. and she thanked him in a
quick rush Of words.
DO not thank me-" he snapped.
"It may be that I shall change my
mind again A young stripling-with-
out a name and living nowhere"
"NIv lord jeSts," she said. surely
he has a name and a home. AS l
think of it. he must be of a great
family-he carries himself so proudly"
"A peddler of trinkets more likely"
he answered "or-'
He was interrupted by the appear
ance of a soldier in the doorway. An
tonius looked up. Did you find the
Arabian woman?" he asked.
she has gone away" said the
other. I'VE went to the house of
Ezra the elder. He granted her shell
ter from the publican, and his servant
gave her an animal On it's back she
has fled. toward Bethshean"
"A wicked city" interposed Maryam,
land she will surely come to HARM
The two soldiers laughed More
likely Bethshean will come to harm"
commented Antonius. The woman is
a tigress-the only reason she did not
slay me in my sleep was that ! pro-
tected her from the publican"
surely not" the girl protested.
You do not know Laila." said An
tonius. But what is the matter with
Bethshean? I have passed through 1t,
and it seemed fair enough city"
1T is a city of Belial." said the
girl, earnestly. 1T is one Of the 10
wicked cities Of Palestine that follow
the ways Of Greece. The tongue IS
GreCian. and the gods
Il have had excellent entertainment
among the Greeks" said the soldier
at the door.
1T surprises me-" said Antonius,
that Laila should have settled here at
all. when she could have gone to Beth
shean. The Greeks do not care If
one is Arabian, Egyptian or jewish
so long as they have money to spend.
They are traders-they live by buying
and selling
My father has said," Maryam told
him. that when Laila came to Jezreel
she had nothing but the clothes she
Wore and was weary and fell by the
W3ySide. so the tOWnSpeople let her
use this house, which had been empty
for 40 years or more"
If l remember Bethshean." OBJ
served the man in the doorway, "she
would not have received 4 free dwell
ing there. She was wise to stay in
Jezreel."
Antonius' comrade was looking at
the heavy, costly trays on which
Omar'S servants had brought food. He
pointed at them now.
Give me those to sell in the mar
ket." he said, 'and each Of us will
have money TO spend"
Antonius considered this offer. ut
will be wiser not to take Them he
said at length. They belong to a
stranger who has strange powers and
Is rich-you might come to grief"
us he q Roman" demanded the
other.
Not a Roman-nor yet Jew.
said .AntoUiuS, nor an Egyptian. nor
d Tyrean.'
Then why should a Roman soldier
trouble himself about him? Let me
take the trays-they are worth many
pieces Of silver"
He stopped, noting the expression on