May 1932
207
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
m HANDMAID , / l L LORD
it®
By GRACE LIV INGSTON H ILL
“ She is resting now,” explained the woman in a guarded tone. “ She has had a hard evening. I have persuaded her to try to sleep. Perhaps in the morning she can see you.” “ I must see her at once,” demanded the stranger gruffly. “ It is important!” and he slid a foot within the crack of the door and looked furtively behind him up and down the dark street. “ Is it—about— ?” the woman lowered her voice to a whisper. “ Yes!” said the man. “ About her Son. Jesus! Won’t you call her?” “ Oh! has something more happened?” The woman’s hand went to her heart. “ Plenty!” said the man harshly. “ Let me come in. It is not well that I should be seen here. I must speak with Mary at once. Make haste, for the time is short!” He pushed roughly inside the door and made it fast behind him. “Who?” asked the woman peering into the dark face by the light of the tiny lamp which she held high, and whose wick was almost spent. “ Who shall I say is come?” “ No matter!” said the man turning his face into the shadow. “ Tell her it is one of His friends.” “ I do not think I have met you,” the woman hesitated. “ I have been with her all the evening.” “ Won’t you make haste?” snapped the man roughly. “ It matters not who I am. I bring her important news. I must see her at once. If you will ndt call her, I shall
1 t w a s long past midnight and the city of Jerusalem was sleeping. Even the far dim stars seemed to have withdrawn, and great silence was abroad, as if the earth were waiting for some momentous catastrophe that was to break on the morrow. Down a narrow dark street in the more crowded por tion of the city a stealthy figure walked, drawing his rough coat about him and shivering as he stole along, watching each cross street furtively either way and skulking out of sight into a doorway whenever other pedestrians appeared. He was startled even at a gaunt dog that stalked across his pathway and drew out of sight until he was gone. Half way down the street he paused beside a plain, in significant house tucked between two larger ones. Slipping close, he stood a moment listening, cautiously peering around the corner of an arched doorway into a paved passage between the houses, and then gave three taps twice repeated upon the door. Though they were cautiously given, yet they reechoed throughout the narrow street, and the visitor withdrew into the covered passage and kept watch until he heard one coming to open the door. Presently a crack of light appeared below the doorway, and a glimmer in the lattice above. A low voice demanded who was there. For answer, the visitor tapped rythmically with the tips of his fingers a bit of code that seemed to be understood, for the door was opened a crack, and a woman’s voice asked once more, “Who is it ?” ; “ Is Mary, the wife of Joseph, staying here?” asked the stranger sidling closer to the door.
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