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

now, mon ami. and in the orient hus-
bands are pnt cOmplaisant; in Paris
well, it would pass More than this,
your unknown is not unknown to me;
she is called Nissa.'
4" 'Nissap
"'EXactly, and charming as tho name
may be the husband is just the reverse.
He is very wealthy merchant OF the
old tnubourgs, celebrated for his vio-
ience and his jealousy. His mother
was originally English, but he is truly
oriental in ways and manners. He
would kill you like dog
"'And the name OF this Blue Beard
OF Ispahan and his dwellingg
'Astoulla, and he lives in the build
ing on the banks of the river at the
end Of the bridge, but | advise you not
to seek his acquaintance
land Nissa, the wife; what say they
OF Nissar
"Oh, thou Partisan! when / have
told you, too, that YOU are now in the
orient, where we do not occupy our
selves with women! If we do it's east
ly arranged-we simply tie them in a
sack and throw them in the water.
Horrible! horriblep
Not at all, said the sertip indif-
ferently; formerly We added u living
cat TO the sack TO claw the face OF the
victim in the excitement OF sulfocation.
This, however, thanks to the influence
OF Europe, we do no longern
"a little discourse that somewhat
chilled my ardor and made me pre-
occupied and thoughtful, despite the
] ,,ss,, 10 Lodi 4 In
which Mehmed-Aga proceeded to en-
terrain me. i saw always before me
the slender, rounded outlines OF the
figure bending from the litter, the
white and jeweled hand that had drop
| ped the handkerchief and voice, an
/ obstinate voice, louder even than the
song of the man1olins, sang in my ear
! like the refrain of ballad: 'Nissal
Nissa! the adorable Nissar
"And, par example. the whole night
| long | suffered with nightmare, dream.
! ing that | was vis-a-vis with huge
tomcat whom they called Astroulla,
and who tore and clawed continually
at my visage. | reused with relief al
10 the next morning, afrectually dis.
enchanted.
"Disenchanted for three hours pre-
cisely-that is, till the moment when,
| seated upon my terrace in the evening
| twilight, | saw u woman come into the
court by the lower door, a hideous OLD
bag, who desired to speak with me,
but who arrived beside me without
waiting to hear if | would receive her
"'Are you brave?' she said to me in
exccrable English that | could with
difficulty understand; have you the
courage of the king OF the hills? II
So, she added, answering the fatuous
smile with which |, like all men, in
variably reply to similar questions, i!
so, I've a walk TO propose TO you. The
night it is darll-no one will see you,
and you have only to follow me. Half.
way the road | will bandage your eyes,
and you will swear TO me not SO seek
TO see where | conduct you. Do you
agree?"
"'Agree? yes" responded, ana
gave the promise, pushed by an IRE,
sistible impulse, without the slightest
hesitation. Daylight, you compre-
bend, had obllterated even the mem
DRY of my unpleasant dreams, and
heard anew that siren whisper 'Nissa
Nissar
This hideous bag had come from
Nissa of this | was sure.
lin five minutes time we were OF
the way.
"a mad, reckless and absurd ad
venture! | grant it true, but there are
absurdities that one does not reason
about, particularly when-en bonnie
fortune. And Nissa, this unknown one
exercised over me, | know not wha
mysterious empire. | had never 81
much as seen her face, yeti longed
for her madly-her flaming glance hac
fired my heart!
1--WE had nearly arrived at the turn
ing to the bridge of Djoulffa before my
guide drew handkerchief from he
pocket and bound my eyes; from this
on, naturally, | saw nothing, though
knew that we were crossing the watel
by the freshness of the air and the
voices OF the walkers on either side o
me-
"And no one saw you or stopped
you?"
mo one stopped me. to n certainty
as for the other, | never gave it f;
thought. L walked like man IL
somnambula, nothing visible to m,
but the gracious, supple body of IN,
enchantress, her soft aad feline curves
her reckoning hand, her fulgorant
devilish eyes!
'At the end of the bridge we turned
to the right, still keeping to the banb
of the river. / knew this. for | hear,
it rushing hurried and tumultuous, anC
its waves every instlnt tapping anC
breaking against the stones of thu
arches, and soon. for second time
my conductress halted, key grated il
a lock, voice directed me TO
Mount
81 mounted five, six, eight steps, Il
find my feet upon thick and yieldin!
carpet. At the same instant thu
bandage was drawn from my eyes.
1.-The chamber into which | had en-
tered was a small one, dimly lightet
by copper lamp, and with the walls
contrary to tho usual fashion in Per
sian dwellings, entirely concealed b,
draperies of vivid yellow Musica
instruments and varied collection o
jeweled weapons hung en- panoply up
on one side of the room ahd cassolet