American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-05-16
Ssleet Storll.
AN ADVENTURE IN ALGIERS.

Algiers is the Paris of Africa, or rather
not portion of Africa, but part of
France. that has been created by the ar
mics in times of peace as it has been con-
quered in war by the French arms.
Algiers is like Paris, of course, but in
becoming French it has not lost all its
oriental peculiarities, and in this it is as
much more attractive than Paris as ro-
nance is than real life.
When | was ordered to remain in Al
giers with my regiment coming from
Marseilles, came with most delightful
amticipations.
l was a young lieutenant then and my
success with the fair sex in various gar
rison towns where | had been, gave me
most brilliant ideas in regard to the adj
ventures that would befall me in Algiers
Hours, with eyes like stars, envcloped
in cachemire, covered with diamonds,
living in pal .ces with fountains of rose
water and bowers of orange flowers rose
before me. Indeed, the officers talked so
much and so eagerly about the charms of
the eastern women, their passion and
their devotion, that [ felt ready to risk
my life to OBJ ain sight of one of these
lovely creatures who haunted my dreams.
Now this was to be the romance of my
life. The reality was already all arran.
ged and settled in Europe-and to :ell
the truth, though my Imagination was in
Algjors, my heart was in France with the
girl to whom had been betrothed since
my infancy Like all Frenchmen, knew
that | could marry only the young lady
who would be thought by my parents to
be suited to me in station and fortule.-
| knew that only such a wife could suit
me, and had not the slightest idea that
my eastern romance would interfere with
any of my engagements, not even with
my love.
For loved my betrothed, though |
had not seen her since she was child
The daughter of an old friend of my
fathers, she had been brought up by her
mother in the strictest seclusion, and in
my wandering soldiers life, had not seen
her for six years. But this was my last
years probation; at the close of the au-
tumn | was to return to Marseilles Ce-
cile was to come with her mother beneath
my fathers roof and we were to be mar
Tied.
Dear little Cecile: had always treas
ured her memory as she appeared to me
when last | had seen her-a sweet little
girl with short white dress, and the tin,
lest little feet imaginable, in red satin
slippers.
1t so happened that at one Of the cafes,
| made the acquaintance of an intelligent
ond rich old Sew merchant, who, from
the first, appeared to take extraordinary
interest in me. He amused me with
tales of oriental life and manners told
me the legends of the country, and, in
fact, seemed to be living page from the
Arabian Knights.
In return / told him all the circumstan-
ces of my life, my military adventures,
and even in moment Of extraordinary
confidence went SO far as to tell him about
Cecile aad our future marriage. This
was done rather to give him an idea of
our Europeaa dustoms than with any idea
of coniding in him. | scarcely felt the
indelicacy of talking about Cecile, be-
cause he was SO utterly a stranger to her |
| had been some weeks in Algiers
watching anxiously for an adventure.
when one day note was put into my |
hand. II was highly perfumed, and tied
instead of being sealed, with a gold
thread. 1t was written N most elegant
hand and was in the purest Freaeh, and |
it bade me repair at niae clock to one of |
the mosques, where most important
revelation would be made 10 me. Here
was an adventure at last In the excite |
ment of the moment I rushed to the old |
Jew.