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Copyricht. 1904< by the VBMH vj) ^oreassseac? qa-aMag?1* CHAPTER m. THE MESSENGER. OIIE next day Menin was bend? ing over fresh sheets of papy? rus, and wi? ci* his son entered and stood beside him he raised Ids head defiantly. "I have- another royal obelisk to deco? rate,* he said, fixing the youn?* man .with a steady eye, "of a surety--with? out doubt-inevitably-for the thing is aH but ready to be set up at On." Before Kenkenes could ask for en? lightenment a female slave bowed in the doorway. "The Lady Senci sends thee greeting .and would speak with thee. She is at the outer portal in her curricle," she ?aid, addressing Mentu. vine great man sprang to his feet glanced hurriedly at his ink stained fingers, at his robe, and then fled across the court into the door he had entered to change his dress the day before. Kenkenes smiled, for Mentu had been . a widower these ten Nile floods. The slave still lingered. "Also is there a messenger ror mee, .master," she said, bowing again. ."&>? Let him enter." The man whom the slave ushered in a few minutes later was old, spare and bent but he was alert and restless. His eyes were brilliant and over them arched eyebrows that were almost white. He made a jerky obeisance. "Greeting, son of Mentn. Dost thou remember mei" The young man looked at his visitor JPor a moment ' ""I remember," he paid at last "Thou -art Ranas, courier to Snofru, priest of On." .'Mine errand is urgent I am come ?rom Asar-Mut to thee. He bids thee prepare for a journey before present? ing thyself to him." "Mine uncle is gracious. Salute him ?br me and tell him I obey." The old man withdrew. _When Kenkenes crossed the_court a .-Ut?eT?mel?t?r," ne mTFliis father": ' - "The Lady Senci brings me news mat makes me envious," Mentu began j -at once, "and shames me because of j . thee:" j Kenkenes lifted an expressive brow ; at this unexpected onslaught "Nay, -aow, what have 1 done?" ^Nothing!" Mentu asserted emphat? ically, "and for that reason am I wroth. The Lady Senci's nephew, Ho> tep, is the new chief of the royal -?cribes." call that good tidings," Kenkenes replied, a cheerful note in his voice, *^and worth greeting with a health to Hotep." The artist regarded his son scornfully for a moment "I have this moment been summoned ty my holy uncle, Asar-Mut, to go on a journey, and I know not when I re ton," said Kenkenes. ..Humph!" the elder sculptor re? marked. "Asar-Mut has kingly tastes. The couriers of priests are.not usually ?rf the nobility. But get thee gone." Tile pair separated, and the young man passed into the house. When, half an hour later, Kenker.es 'entered a cross avenue leading to a great square in which the temple stood, "he found the roadway filled with people, crowding about a group of di? sheveled women. These were shrieking, wildly tearing their hair, beating them? selves and throwing dust upon their "beads. Kenkenes immediately sur? mised that the^e was something more tnan the usual death wail in this. He touched a man near him on the -shoulder. "Who may these distracted women ' "tie?" he asked. "The ni others of Khafra and Sigur ? and their women." ."Nay! Are these men dead? I knew ' 3hem once." "They are by this time. They were ! to be hanged in the dungeon of the "nocse of the governor of police at this i "nour," the man answered, with mor- j 3>ld relish in his tone. Kenkenes look? ed at him in horror. "What had they done?"" he asked. The man plunged eagerly into the nar- ! lari ve. j .They were tomb robbers and robbed j independently of the brotherhood of ! thieves. They refused to pay the cus- I tomary tribute from their spoil to the ; chief of robbers, and whatsoever booty ? Crowlteg atout a_Q-QUD of disheveled <$> A Romance of the Days When the Lord Redeemed the Children o f Israel From the Bondage of Egypt By Elizabeth Miller -<$> <*> Bobbs-Merrill Company they got they kept, every jot of it In? numerable mummies were found rifled of their gold and gems, and, although the chief of robbers and the governor of police sought and burrowed into ev? ery den in the middle country, they could not find the missing treasure. Then they knew that the looting was not done by any of the licensed rob? bers. So all the professional thieves and all the police set themselves to seek out the lawless plunderers." "Humph!" interpolated Kenkenesex I pressiveiy. "Aye, and it was not *ong with all I these upon the scent until Khafra and Sigur were discovered coming forth from a tomb laden with spoil, and in the struggle which ensued they did murder. But the constabulary have net found the rest of the booty, though they made great search for it and may have put the thieves to torture. TVho knows? They do dark things in the dungeon under the house of the gov? ernor of police." Kenkenes stalked off toward the tem? ple, his shoulde.-s lifted high with dis? gust. Presently the avenue opened into the temple square. The shadow of the great structure darkened its approaches before it was clearly visible through the grove. The devotee entered a long avenue of sphinxes-fifty pairs lining a broad highway paved with polished granite flagging. Within the overarching portals Ken? kenes was met by a novice, a priest of the lowest orders, to whom he stated his mission. With a sign to the young i man to folLvw, the priest led the way into the tepflple. In a moment, Asar-Mut, high priest to Ptah, appeared. He wore the priest? ly habiliments of spotless linen, and, like a loose mantle, a magnificent leop? ard skin, which hung by a claw over the right shoulder and, passing under the left arm; was fastened at the breast hy a medallion of gold and to? paz. He was a typical Egyptian, but thinner bf "Dp and "severer *?i counte j nance than the laity. "Kenkenes, I would have thee carry j a message for the brotherhood. 3e thy j i journey as quick as thy perception. I ? ask thy pardon for laying the work of . a temple courier upon thy shoulders, j but the message is of such import that I would carry it myself were I as young and unburdened with duty as thou." "I am thy servant, holy father." 'T know, and therefore have I cho? sen thee. My trusted courier is dead; the others are light minded, and Tape is in the height of festivity. They might delay-they might be lured into forgetting duty, and," the pontiff low? ered his voice and drew nearer to Ken? kenes, "and there are those that may be watching for this letter. A noble? man would not be thought a messen? ger." "I understand," Kenkenes said. "Go, then, by private boat at sunset, and Ptah be with thee." He put a doubly wrapped scroll into Kenkenes' hands. -"This is to be delivered to our holy superior, Loi, priest of Amen." Kenkenes bowed and withdrew. CHAPTER IT.. THE PROCESSION OF A1TEN. mHEBES DIOSPOLIS, the hun? dred gated, was in holiday at? tire. The great suburb to the west of the Nile had emptied her multitudes into the solemn commu? nity of the gods. Besides her own in? habitants there were thousands from the entire extent of the Thebaid and visitors even from faraway Syene and Philae. It was au occasion for more than ordinary pomp. The great god Amen was to be taken for an outing in his ark. For once the magnificence of the wondroti-j city of the gods was set down from its usual pre-eminence In the eyes of the wondering spectator, and the vastness of the multitude usurped its placa The bari of Ken? kenes, seeking to round the island of Band lying near the eastern shore op? posite the village of Karnak, met a solid pack of boats. The young sculp? tor took In the situation at once and, putting about, found a landing farther to the north. There he made a portage a?-ross the fiat bar of sand to the arm of quiet water that separated the is? land from the eastern shore. Crossing, he dismissed his eager and excited boatmen and struck across the noon heated valley toward the temple. The route of the pageant could be seen from afar, cleanly outlined by hu? manity. It extended from Karnak to Luxor and, turning In a vast loop at the Nile front, countermarched over tho dromos and ended at the* tremen? dous white walled temple of Amen. Between tho double ranks of sight? seers there was but chariot room. The side Kenkenes approached sloped sharply from tho dromos toward the river, and the rearmost spectators had small opportunity to behold the pag? eant. The multitude hore was less densely packed. Kenkenes joined the crowd at this point. Here was the canaille of Thebes. Kenkenes slackened his paco when he recognized the character of these ! spectators, and, after hesitating a ino- ? mont, he huug the fiat wallet contain- j fog the message around Iiis neck inside j bis ka mis and pushed on. Every foot of progress he essayed was snarlingly - diluted .ur''* KHrfc of-?rc ?-! sive stranger was guessed by bis si perior dress, when ho was given moody and ungracious path. But 1 finally met ah immovable obstacle i the shape of a quarrel. The stage of hostilities was suificien ly advanced to be menacing, and ti young sculptor hesitated to ponder, c the advisability of pressing on. "WM he waited several deputies of the coi stabulary, methodically silencing ti crowd, came upon these belligerenl in turn and belabored the foremost in1 silence. The act decided the youn man. The feelings of the rabble wei now in a state sufficiently warlike 1 make them forget their ancient respe< for class and turn savagely upon hh should he show any desire to force hi way through their lines. Therefore h gave up his attempt to reach the ten pie and made up his mind to remai where he was. At that moment several gorgeous li? ters of the belated wealthy rammed path to the very front and were S? down before the rabble. Kenkene seized upon their advance to prccee also and, dropping between the firs and second litter, made his way wit little difficulty to the front With th complacency of a man that has ran and authority on his side, he turne up the roadway and continued towar the temple. He was halted before h had proceeded ten steps. A litter rici ly gilded and borne by four men cam pushing through the crowd and was di posited directly in his path. But for the unusual appearance o the bearers Kenkenes might hav passed around the conveyance and COE tinued. Instead he caught the COE tagious curiosity of the crowd an< stood to marvel. * The men were sta] wart, black bearded and strong of fea ture and robed in no Egyptian gart They were draped voluminously h long habits of brown linen fringed a the hem, belted by a yellow cord wit] tasseled ends. The sleeves were wid* and showed the wristbands of a whit undergarment. The headdress was i brown kerchief bound about the brov with a cord, also yellow. While Kenkenes examined them ii detail a long, indrawn breath of won der from the circle of spectators caused him to look at the alighting owner o: the litter. He took a backward step and halted amazed. Before him was a woman of heroic proportions, taller, with the exceptioi of himself, than any man in the crowd Upon her, at first glance, was to be dis cerned the stamp of great age, yet sh< r-was as straight as a column and hei hair was heavy and midnight black Hers was the Semite cast of conn tenance, the features sharply chiseled but without that aggressiveness thal emphasizes the outline of a withered face. Every passing year had left its rjark on her, but she had grown old not as others do. Here was flesh com? promising with age - accepting its majesty, defying its decay-a sublunai assumption of immortality. There was no longer any suggestion of femininity; the idea was dread power and unearth? ly grace. Of such nature might the sexless archangels partake. "Holy Amen!" one of the awed by? standers exclaimed in a whisper to his neighbor. "Who Is this?" "A princess from Punt [Arabia]," the neighbor surmised. "A priestess from Babylon," another hazarded. "Nay, ye are all wrong," quavered an old man who had been looking at the newcomers under the elbows of the crowd. "She is an Israelite." "Thou hast a cataract old man," was the scornful reply from some one near by. "She is no slave." "Aye," went on the unsteady voice, "I know her. She was the favorite wo? man of Queen Neferari Thermuthis. She has not been out of the delta where her people live since the good queen died forty years ago. She must be well nigh a hundred years old. Aye, I should know her by her stature. It is of a truth tbe Lady Miriam." At the sound of his mistress* name one of the bearers turned and shot a sharp glance at the speaker. Instantly the old man fell back, saying, as a sneer of contempt ran through the rab? ble at the intelligence his words con? veyed: "Anger them not They have the evil eye!" Kenkenes had guessed the national? ity of the strangers immediately, but had doubted the correctness of his sur? mise because of their noble mien. If he suffered any disappointment in hear? ing proof of their identity it was imme? diately nullified by the joy his artist soul took in the stately Hebrew wom? an. He forgot the mission that urged him to the temple, and, permitting the shifting, restless crowd to surround him, he lingered, thinking. This proud disdain must mark his goddess of stone in the Arabian hills, this majesty and power, but there must be youth and fire in the place of this ancient calm. A porter that stood beside him, em? boldened by barley beer and the grow? ing disapproval among the onlookers, cried: "Ha, by the rags of my fathers, she outshines her masters, the brickmaking hag!" Kenkenes, Tho towered over the ruf? fian, became possessed of a sudden and uncontrollable indignation, He picked the man on the head with the knuckle of his forefinger, saying in colloquial Egyptian: "Hold thy tongue, brawler, nor pre? sume to flout thy betters!" The stately Israelite, who had taken no notice of any word against her, now turned her head toward Kenkenes and slowly inspected him. Ile had no op? portunity to guess whether her gaze was approving, for the crowd about him, grown wean of waiting, had be come quarrelsome and was loudly re? senting his defense of the Hebrews. The porter, supported by several of his brethren, was already menacing the young sculptor when some one shouted that the procession was in sight Kenkenes once more turned toward *un ^wfttkfRg between the ! crowds and the marching soldiers, in? different to the shouts of the spectators, lost in contemplation. But the proces? sion moved more swiftly than he, and the last rank passed him with half his journey yet to complete. Instantly the vast throng poured out into the way behind the rearmost soldier and swal? lowed up the sculptor in a shifting mul? titude. For an hour he was hurried and halted and pushed, progressing lit? tle and moving much. Before he could extricate himself the runners preced? ing the pageant, returning the great god to his shrine, beat the multitude back from the dromos, and once again Kenkenes was imprisoned by the hosts, and once again after the procession had passed he did fruitless battle with a tossing human sea. But when the street had become freer he stood before the closed portal of the great temple. The solemn porter . scrutinized the young sculptor sharply, but the display of the linen wrapped roll was efficient passport In a little space he was con? ducted across the ringing pavements, under the vaulted shadows, into the presence of Loi, high priest to Amen. He spelled The lileraTTc writings upqn the outer covering of the roll which the young man presented to him and asked with some eagerness in his voice: "Hast thou traveled with all speed?" "Scarce eight days have I been on the way. Only have I been delayed a few hours by the crowds of the festi? val." "It is well," replied the pontiff. "Wait here while I see what says my brother at On." He motioned Kenkenes to a seat of i?la?d ebony and retired into a curtain? ed recess. In a few moments the old priest darted into the apartment, his wither? ed face working with excitement. "Go! G?r he cried. "Eat and pre-t pare to rotura to Memphis with all speed. ? Thine answer will await thee here tonight at the end of the first watch, and Set be upon tlj.ee if thou delayest!" Kenkenes, startled out of speech, did obeisance and hastened from the temple. [TO BS COJNTLN UZD.3 $100 Reward, $100. The readers of this paper will be pleased to learn that there is at least one dreaded disease that science has been abie to cure in all its stages, and that is catarrh. Hall's Catarrh Cure is the only positive cure now known to the medical fraternity. Catarrh being a constitutional disease, re? quires a constitutional treatment. Hall's Catarrh Cure is taken inter? nally, acting directly upon the blood and mucous surfaces of the system, thereby destroying the found tuon of the disease, and giving the patient strength by building up* the the con? stitution and assisting nature in do? ing its work. The proprietors have so much faith in its curative powers that they offer $100 for any case that j it fails to cure. Send for list of testi? monials. Address F. J. Cheney & Co., Tole? do, O. Sold by all druggists, 75c. Take Hall's Family Pills for con? stipation. A hearing will be held before the State supreme court on April 27 on the constitutionality of the income tax law. The hearing will come up on petition of J. O. C. Fleming, a prominent merchant and banker of Laurens, whose attorenys Wednesday secured a temporary injunction from Chief Justice Pope restraining A. C. Power, county auditor of Laurens county, from taking any further steps toward enforcing the terms of the said act against the petitioner until the question of its constitutionality has been determined. Cured of Rheumatism. *Mr. Wm. Henry, of Chattanooga, j Tenn., had rheumatism in his left arm. "The stregth seemed to have j gone out of the muscles so that it was useless for work," he says. "I ap- ! plied Chamberlain's Pain Balm and wrapped the arm in flannel at night, and to my relief I found that the pain gradually left me and the strength re? turned. In three weeks the rheu? matism had disappeared and has not since returned." If troubled with rheumatism try a few applications of Pain Balm. You are certain to be pleased with the relief which it af? fords. For sale by DeLorme's Phar? macy. W. A. Schr?ck," of Camden, has won a damage suit against the Western Union Telegraph Company for non? delivery of a telegram under the mental anguish act. He receives $225. A Woman Tells How to Relieve Rheumatic Pains. *I have been a very great sufferer from the dreadful disease, rheuma? tism, for a number of years. I have tried many medicines, but never got much relief from any of them until two years ago, when I bought a bot? tle of Chamberlain's Pain Balm. I found relief before I had used all of one bottle, but kept on applying it and soon felt like a different woman. Through my advice many of my friends have tried it and can tell you how wonderfully it has worked. Mrs. Sarah A. Cole, 140 S. Xew street, Dover, Del. Chamberlain's Pr.in Balm is a liniment. The relief from pain which it affords is alone worth many times its cost. It makes rest and sleep possible. For sale by DeLorme's Pharmacy. A reduced rate of gas and electric lights has gone into effect in Charles? ton. _ Tiii* May Interest You. *Xo one is immune from kidney trouble, so just remember that Fol . y's Kidney Cure will stop the irre? gularities and cure any case of kid? ney and bladder trouble that is not beyond the rench of medicine. Si fcfirjtjs D,rug "'tore. STATE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. i Annual Meeting to Occur April 16, 17, 18. at Bennettsrille. The annual meeting of the State | Medica! Association will be held at Bennettsville on April 16, 17 and IS, and promises to be the largest gath? ering of the association within its" history. A number of distin? guished physicians from other States will be present, among whom are Prof. Deaver, of Philadelphia, who will deliver a lecture on gall stones; Dr. Chetwood, of Xew York, and Dr. Bettom Massey, of Philadelphia, both of whom will address the meeting. As delegates from Sumter, Dr. C. P. Osteen, of Sumter, and Dr. F. M. Dwight, of Wedgefield, will attend the meeting and by reason of the fact that Dr. S. C. Baker is a member of the State board and Dr. "Walter Cheyne, secretary of the county as? sociation, both of these gentlemen will be in attendance. The scientific programme of the meeting is said to be also the largest one prepared for any previous meet? ing and embraces 44 distinct papers. *"Good for everything a salve is used for and especially recommended for Piles." That is what we say about DeWi?fs Carbolized Witch Hazel Salve. That is what twenty years of usage has proven. Get the original. Sold by all druggists. Lucy Lipsey, the negro woman who shot Dr. Linder at Union, has jump? ed her bond. Bitten by a Spider. ?Through blood poisoning caused by a spider bite, John Washington, of Bosqueville, Tex., would have lost his leg, which became a mass of run? ning sores, had he hot been persuaded to try Bucklen's Arnica Salve. He writes: "The> first application reliev? ed, and four boxes healed all the sores." 25c. at Sibert's Drug Store.. ORGANIZING A LYCEUM. Movement to Have a Series of Lec? tures by Distinguished Speakers Next Winter. Mr. J. F. Entzminger, representing the Alkahest Lyceum Bureau of At? lanta, is in the city for the purpose of organizing a local lyceum and ar? ranging fer a course of lyceum lec? tures during the fall and winter sea? son. He has made only a partial canvas of the business section of the town, but the hearty encouragement he has received guarantees that the lyceum will be organized with a mem? bership sufficiently large to defray the cost of the entire course. The following are the attractions proposed: October-The Temple Male Quar? tette. November--John Temple Graves. January-Maro, the Magician, and Saxophone Quartette. February-Edwin R. Weeks Co., Impersonator with Violinist and Pi? anist. March-George R. Wendburg or Champ Clark. Of course, the Alkahest Bureau has on its list many other lecturers and attractions and if the executive com? mittee of the local lyceum, when or? ganized, should desire other attrac? tions than those above named, a change can be made. The cost of the entire series of at? tractions to lyceum members will be $4 for a double ticket admitting two persons to each lecture or entertain? ment. The organization of the lyceum will be an excellent thing for Sumter and it is to be hoped that a sufficient number of members may be en? rolled to fill the Opera House. PAY OF R. F. D. CARRIERS. Statement as to the Recent Increase and an Explanation of the System of Carrying Packages and Solicit- . ing Orders. * Washington, April 7.-The fact that there seems to be a general im? pression that^the rural carriers of the mail are 'badly underpaid, as well as prohibited from earning something on the side, led Fourth Assistant Post? master General DeGraw to make the following statement: "Realizing that it would be just to increase the pay of the rural carriers, and at the same time protect the mails from being padded with matter upon which no postage was paid, the postoffice department increased the salaries of the men from $600, which ? they were then receiving, to $720. In my recent report I recommended that there should be a further in? crease of salary to $900, the begin? ning of the fiscal year, July 1. "This should enable the carriers to ! be fairly paid 'and to have the means ~ necessary to pay for the maintenance of their horses and vehicles, but the question of carrying packages and of soliciting orders required careful thought and discrimination necessary to make it agreeable to the general public, as well as to have such pro-^p cedure conform with the postal re? quirements. "A carrier is entitled to carry any package in bulk larger than that which the postoffice department will take, but he is not allowed to receive remuneration for his services ;:rom * the person who sends the package. In all cases he must collect for services from the recipient of such package. "There was great complaint on the part of the various newspapers in certain localities against the carrier > favoring one newspaper more than ? the other and thereby increasing the circulatorr of the favored one to the detriment of the other one, and inasr muc as the carrier was in a position, to solicit and deliver newspapers as a side issue it is reasonable to believe that he could readily incraese the cir-\ culation of any newspaper in his ter? ritory. "Also if a carrier were allowed to collect from a merchant who desired to ship goods to local patrons by means of the carrier would inflfiuence the carrier to try to increase the bus :n-=s of the merchant having such facilities for delivering and at any rate vould cause people to buy at the . store if ^uch merchant, because it would ce convenient. "This would necessarily work a ^ hardship with the merchant who did."* not employ the carrier as a delivery agent, and for that reasn it is best that all packages carried by the car? rier which do not conflfiict nor com? pete with his regular mail business be collected for at their destination. "During the early part of the win? ter carriers resigned in great num? bers because the pay was deemedVoy them inadequate, but since the latest increase has been assured by Con? gress there have been no more resig? nations than are usual, that is, of the 37,000 carriers there ^re usually an average of 60 resignations per week." -News and Courier. Gentle and Effective. *A well known Manitoba editor, writes: "As an inside worker I find^ Chamberlain's Stomach and Liver Tablets invaluable for the touches of biliousness natural to sedentary life, their action being gentle and effect? ive, clearing the digestive tract and the head." Price 25 cents. Samples free. DeLorme's Pharmacy. ^r?ft^^^ It means me^^^BT "^j hottest-aiid cleanest / ? Qi^^STp an7 stove. This is B ^^^^^^Jr~"-^ [~^\ Perfection Oil Stove |/ Vjgives the instant a | Jj Jj VJ ! Eghted match is ap- I , ff ll \ pued-no delay, no | . IV trouble, no soot, no g. * dirt. For cooking, the 1 F NEW PERFECTION I I Wick Blue Hame OU Cook-Stove I is unequaled. It gives quick results because its M I heat is nighly concentrated. Cuts fuel-expense I in two. Made in three sizes. Every | stove warranted. If not at your deal- fl H er's write to our nearest agency. j=| ms ^e *^$?&ffi/??Tk J nm Ti ls the best ??T^j ?&\C?:^^^^'*fP lamp for f~ \ p| ^G&^ all-round household use. / \ H Made of brass throughout and beautifully nickeled. ( j\ Perfectly constructed; absolutely safe; unexcelled \?jte3 / in light-giving power; an ornament to any room. Every lamp warranted. If not at your Jm^^f-=???=a*4 dealer's, write to our nearest agency. ^^^^^^ ^***^?Zr ik OIL COIVIPANY ^?lk H ??v3x^ (INCORPORATED^ S^=^\