Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-11-23
THE BLACK PEARL.
An Exciting story of Modern Life.
CHAPTER III.
Continued from last week.

Cecil played with them at ninepins aud
bat and ball he treated them to surrep-
titious peeps into the engine-room ; he
rugged up an nj frcsco swing for them in
the forecastle. But none of these things
delighted them 80 much as to listen to
his stories-wonderful stories culled from
that mine Of magic, Oriental lore--wherc-
in figured pearl palaces fathoms below
the sea, and fairy gardens susp pended in
the air /; beetle-eyed wizards and lovely
princesses dwelling in enchanted caves !;
ladies whose husbands turned into toads,
and gentlemen whose wives subsidized into
watcr-lilies.
| The children we're always ready to fore
go a romp for ono of these tales.
The vessel was within four days sight
OF Alden long, languid afternoon was
drawing to n close and Cecil, with the
boys grouped in various attitudes about
him, was stretched under the awning,
telling one of his most thrilling tales,
when the little seven-year-ol suddenly
plucked his sleeve, and whispered, "See
that strange woman? All the while you
talk, she looks, and looks, and looks 70
Cecil turned sharply to the indicated
spot, and saw he had been playing the
part of Feramooz to one more nearer than
he calculated on.
Behind him, but at an angle that COM
manded his face, was seated an Indian
woman, at the first sight of whose coun-
tenance he had to suppress an cxclama-
ton.
Her basilisk beauty fascinated him ms
no woman's beauty had ever done before,
but it was with the fascination of fear
Her black, unfathomable eyes fixed
1 l. -. t. -
that the closed and keenly-pointed lips
bore silently out
"Who could she be, and where could
he have seen her before ?" were Cecil's
bewildered thoughts. what chord Of
memory had she struck, with her mute,
imperturbable air and princess-like
mien?"
Though he stared at her for five min
utes at stretch he could not tell His
ponderings on the subject were cut short
by the voice Of one Of his young CON-
lpanions.
go on, Mr.. Chesterton. Never mind
about her T. said an adventure-hungry
lad, whose susceptibility to feminine
charms was at present in allegiance. "She's
only an nyah going back to her mistress.
Nurse said So Tell the rest of the
story"
Cecil complied but a certain shy con-
seriousness, which was new feeling to
him, clogged the flight of fancy's wing,
and made the rest OF the narrative COM
paratively tame.
THAT amt such a sumner as the 9TH
ers were" pronounced the male audience,
as it was called off for tea.
Chesterton felt the criticism was Just.
The nyah's eyes had been upon him all
the time.
When the boys scampered away she
still kept her seat and Cecil, unable to
bear her silent scrutiny longer, approach
ed her, and said, in Hindustanee, II
suppose you did not understand much Of
the story You heard p
"Yes, sahib l understand every word, !"
was the prompt reply, spoken in English.
ut amused mo. should like to be a
child, and listen always when you tell
tales. Will you object?"
There was no malice. Mt any rate, in
that petition, nor yet in the beseeching
look of her lustrous eyes which accom-
panied it. The young Englishman Won
dered how many zenanas in the land he
had left behind him could boast of 80
lovely an inmate. And yet she was only
an ayah!
"You are welcome to listen whenever
you like" he snid, kindly. "Do you
travel alone p
l. "All alone, sahib. 60 to my Mamra
Qady) in Alexandria. 1 have served her
since was a child"
"That accounts for the good English
you speak," responded Chesterton, mar
veLing mich how a woman born to servi-
tude came to have hands aud foot of such
exquisite delicacy, and form at once SO
supple and 80 majestic.
|, Later on, he related his establishment
, to the captain, who laughed, and said,
"You are not the first to find discrepan.
, cy between Miss Musjeeda's looks and
: her station. She was put on board al
, Trincomalee two days before you, you
know; and by the time she'd been on
deck half m hour, by Jove, there was
!, such hubbub kicked up about her that
WAS Just about to read the Riot Act
suppose she found 80 much admiration
oppressive for she went below before we
: . ran into Columbo, and hasn't shown hei
i nose since till to-day. But she has beer
queening it pretty considerably in hel
cabin, I can tell you. The stewardess is
, lquite huffed at the airs she gives her.
! SELF"
t "She's constructed on rather grand plan
G for domestic. What moles her coun.
! trymen must be to let such beauty sc
away to service among strangers y
= The next morning he and the boys were
r playing game OF modified bowls, when
: Musieeda once more joined the group.
I, She brought with her a jar of native pre-.
y serve, by means of which she promptly
made royal road to the younger gentle
i mems affections.
"She was fond of children she said
4 and having once gained the good will o.
/ the three little boys, she took such live
v ~ share in their amusements that her So
e ciety was sought after almost us eagerly
y as Chesterton's.
To him, her constant presence was natu
rally an embarrassment A very hand
some woman can never be an object o
n Indifference to young man, however
4 high barrier caste and creed may cree
/ between them.
o But as he supposed she sought thei
= society because her white sisters treated
> her coldly, he did all he could to concea
!, the constraint that her presence imposed
y on him.
d As for Musjeeda herself, she soon los
j. all shyness in the Englishman's company
# though she never forgot her dignity
J, Ayah though she was, that chung to he
g through all varieties of mood, and di,
1t more than anything else to keep alive ii
e Cecil's memory the dread that seized hir
: when first he saw her.
y She was very beautiful but someho'
y he always felt that it was the beauty G
the basilisk, which only charms to de
y stroy. He was wonderfully fascinated
= but he was never in the least danger {
:. falling in love with her.
e, Meanwhile, the Warren Hastings la
" put into Alden for fuel and water, and WI
Il preparing to steam out of it, when thei