Christian fiction; Second Advent -- Fiction; Tribulation (Christian eschatology) -- Fiction
"He has come back, Mirry, darling!"
At the first sound of the voice that spoke, she leaped to her feet,
crying: "Isaac! Isaac! Forgive me, dear, that I----"
She got no further, his arms enclosed her fair form, his hot lips gave
and received love's pure caress, and when at last he spoke again, it
was to say: "God has given us again each other, darling, and nothing
but death must ever part us again."
The hours passed and to them they seemed but as minutes. He had much
to tell of the flight of the Believers, as he termed them, and had many
words of message from her father.
The morning comes early in Palestine. At the first blush of dawn they
stole out of the vineyard, to where his motor waited. They had eyes
only for each other, as, hand in hand, they moved through the morning
twilight. Then, with a bewildering suddenness, from the off-side of
the motor, a dozen crouching men sprang out.
Five minutes later, amid the mocking, jeering laughter of their
captors, they were being taken to the city--only not together. Miriam
was forced to ride _in_ the car seated by the side of their betrayer,
the man whom she hated, and whose love-overtures she had scorned and
repulsed. Her wrists and her ankles were bound with cords, and she had
been lifted into the car, bodily, by the man of her hate. To humble
her and to shame her, the cur had kissed her again and again before her
captive lover, then with a carefully judged malice, he had seated her,
by his side, on the seat that _faced_ the rear of the car, so that her
captive-lover would be further tormented by the sight of her, compelled
to accept his, his rival's, caresses.
Isaac Wolferstein was cruelly bound, fastened to the rear of the car,
and made to stumble over the road, and often to be dragged, when the
pace of the car carried him off his feet. Once or twice he almost
fainted, for the soles of his feet were skinned--his captors had
purposely divested him of his shoes and socks. The ants found out the
bare, bleeding feet and added torment to his pain.
The city was astir as the car entered. The news was shouted from the
car, that one of the accursed, who defied "The Lord, Apleon," had been
captured, and was to be tortured in the Broadway.
* * * * * *
The great open space was crowded with people. As, of old, the Roman
populace gathered in holiday, theatre mood to see the Christians
tortured and slain, so had this great concourse gathered about the
beautiful Miriam, and her handsome lover Isaac Wolferstein.
One of the Kiosks, from which "Covenant" brands were worked, was
opened, and the spring instrument was brought out. Apleon's chaplain
was there, and in a voice heard clearly by everyone at the farthest
remove from him, he asked:
"Isaac Wolferstein, will you worship "The Lord Apleon?"
Wolferstein was hoarse with pain and thirst, but lifting his head
proudly, he looked the "_False Prophet_" full in the eyes, as he cried
fearlessly:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account