Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-07-04

him my husband has journeyed to
Teheran. We have time 10 divert our
selves for while.
"And with swift, burning words she
began to tell me, when coffee had been
served us by the same old hag who had
brough. mo there, speaking English
with n deep cultural accent, how
YEARLY the days passed for her and
how often she had seen me in my wan
behring's through the town. Her eyes
as she talked seemed actually to glow
red with passion, her hand closed tight
ly upon mine. and suddenly she threw
herself forward into my arms.
This fever of love had begun to
affect me; an exciting languor filled my
veins; l was fast losing my hoad, when
noise made itself heard in an inner
chamber. Instantly Nissa was upon
her feet, erect, shivering. Her half
abandon, her caresses, her sudden fear
succeeding each other SO rapidly | had
no time TO analyze my own impressions.
Yet | saw that, despite her fright, all
she did was done with that quick and
cat-like grace that made her so re-
markable.
"A SCOOhu NbOJh bilAof AiiCis w
fore | could speak or think, ran TO the
wall, caught from the panoply of arms
a keen edged dagger, slipped it in her
sleeve, and, with brief imperative
Wait you herer raised the arras
and glided from sight"
"And you waited?"
Eyes, though vaguely disquieted,
for the words of the sertip had return
ed to me, and | realized my great i'm
prudence. Besides, that noise in that
inner chamber, it sounded again; it
seemed like contention-a struggle
followed by dull silence and speedily
by the temperance of Nissa, erect
beneath the hangings She was pale,
very pale indeed, white as a statue APP
pliqued upon the vivid yellow of the
wall; but she smiled as she stood be-
fore me; she was still smiling as she
came TO meet me, the dagger still in
her hand, red and reeking"
WHAT"
"My God! yes-with Blood"
"'My husbands, she coldly ex
planned tossing the daggar from hel
into corner of the room; he suspect
ed. it seems. He'd have killed us both
/ preferred to forestall him. But
come she added; come, we are vast
ing time; assist me to throw his body
into the river.
Assist her! / assist this bella
| demonia to throw her husband
dead by her own hand-to throw
! him into the river! | remain
! ed immovable; horror had robbed IN,
! OF the power to move. She persisted
she approached me, her eyes scorching
me with scorn and anger.
Come she repeated, its easy
come, you must assist mem and she
pointed to the window. My faith! thi
was too much, the adventure too
oriental for even Partisan. Ithrus
her from me and, taken with mad, in
sensate terror, fed from the place.
How did | get out of the accurseC
hole? How did l thread along the
long, interminable passages? TO thi
day cannot tell. but in ten minutes
time | was crossing the city and run
ming as if legion OF devils ran at ny
heels
What u night! What n sleep o.
lead / slept when once in my owl
house and safe in bed behind barred
and triple-boltcd doors! When | rous
ed from this sleep the sun was high il
the heavens, my chamber flooded with
light, my body-no, both soul ant
body-wearied aud broken as by NOR
tai combat
What had happened TO me?
asked myself; what was going to hap
pen to me? For certainly man coult
never disappear without justice taking
hand in the game. Some one ha,
seen me, perhaps, in the house of As
soulla. The hag who had taken M
there would doubtless betray me. An,
the thought of being Implicated in thi
abominable crime made my hair stant
up with horror.
"What what could | do about it
Tell everything to the French legation
No, it would be useless, the legation O
France was going through one of it
periodical changes; the old official
gone or going, the new ones on tn
way. In short, the more | pondered
the more | turned and twisted tn
whole wretched business, the cleare
it became to me that my career wa
ruined. my usefulness ended.
"But, to cut it short-three day
had come and gone since that misera
BILE night, three days of constant an
poignant anxiety, and | had hear
not word of Nissa, Assoulla, or O
any one else. Something must b
done, and must go out; anything wa
better than this uncertainty, bounds
by tho four walls of my dwelling
The sertip-he was my friend wou
go and see him; perhaps / would con
fess to hin everything. 1t was moo
of the fourth day when l entered hi
cabinet, to find him, as always
stretched unon his divan, placidly pu
fling at his chibouque.
"'Ah, it's you! he said on seein
me come; and how have you bee
these four days past, and where hav
you been, mon ami?
"'At home l answered.: Il hav
not been we'll
NO, and you look it, responde
the sertip, regarding me fixedly
But apropos OF being at homo, tn
news-have you heard itp'
"'The-the news? No, / hav
heard nothing