Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1872-10-17
haste, instantly slipped in after me and re-

locked it.
81 found myself in the most beautiful
garden imagination can depict. A fountain
played IN the center, and flowers of the
most gorgeous colors bloomed in the splen'
did vases and urns that surrounded it.
Beyond it was rose arbor. Obeying the
old woman's motions, entered the door OF
this fragrant retreat.
"On the instant, two beautiful arms
were cast about my neck, and voice like
that of nightingale softly breathed these
words {:
"Oh, how long I have waited for you,
Joy of my souln
at was the girl whom / had seen at
the bazaar. knew her eyes and her
hands at once, aud | knew also that | had
met my fate. / loved her on the instant
as well as she seemed to love me"
Brother" said Dick.
81 can't make you understand that deli
cious emotion" SAID Tom, signing. "There
we sat together, talking as lovers wao had
been parted for years. She slipped ring
upon my finger. | gave her one from
mne. | vowed to bear her away to the
land where lovers were not the slaves they
were there, and she promised to meet me
at the little garden gate at midnight, when
in disguise. would convey her to place
Of safety, procure the protection OF our
cuunsul, with whom 1 was intimately ac-
quainted, and marry her that very night. }"
"Going it tast," said Dick.
Tom sighed.
Suddenly, as we sat there" said he,
"the old woman rushed into the arbor.
She whispered word to my beautiful
lady-love, who wrung her hands in terror" "
"Fly for your life = she said.
"lf Allah spares my life, will meet
you at the gate at midnight. If not, adieu
until we meet in Paradise"
"Tben the old woman seized me by the
arm, hurried me to the gate, pushed me
oat, aud locked it behind me.
"The garden vanished. saw my love
no more. sat bcwlldered upon rough
stone bench. 1t had been like story Of
the Arabian Nights thus far. How would
1T enc knew not.
Don't ask me what did with myself
during tie remaining hours Of the day.
know nothing of them.
"At midnight I sat upon the stone
bench again, clad in a coarse oriental dress,
but with pistol hidden beneath it. |
mad resolved rather to die than to allow
her to be torn from me. 1t was love at
first sight that felt, but years could not
have made it stronger.
81 waited. The moon arose round and
yellow in the sky. The ieathery heads
Of the date palms seemed to nod to me.
A strange bird uttered shrill cry. A
dog barked. I heard steps within the
garden, and shrank back into the shadow,
They were not the steps OF women. As
listened the gate opened, and four black
slaves, bearing q burden, emerged there
from. As the moonlight fell upon them,
saw that they held the sides of great
sack.
"They marched away toward the river.
As watched them, dreading | knew not
what, the old woman, with her hair dis
heveled, rushed out of the garden; and
wringing her hands, pointed after them.
{" Wat has happcned?' l shriekcd.
"She threw into my hands little note,
the counterpart Of the one had received
that day.
"I toreit open and read these words:
"Adieu tie Caliph has discovered all
| was his wife. The fate of an unfaithGul
wifi in this land is to be sewed up in bag
of lime, and cast into the river. AdIeu,
forever. MAZDA.
"With wild shrek l rushed after the
retreating slaves, and-awoke."
"Eh 2" said Ned; "awOke ;"
eyes" said Tom. "That was when
was down with that bad fever three years
ago, and Sam. had been showing me a
Turkish pipe, and my black haired cousin
Belle had read me to sleep with the
Howadji in Syria; and out of these three
things, an oriental pipe, pretty burnette
and an exquisite book, my adventure in
Damascus with the beautiful maiden was
born"