The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-06-15
SELIM THE FAITHFUL
OR A PERSIAN LOVE STORY.
, he Star of His Heart-The-S Shadow Of
Observation-Disclosures Fidelity
Of Trus Lows.

y Vdio uSOt shO PCOplt VI tHC COWH VA
Nalshapur were concluding the noon
prayer which each devout Moslem re-
cites before eating his second meal.
1t was in that prosperous period
when the expulsion 0f the Turks from
the province Of Khorassan was almost
an old story-one of the many legends
OF patriotic conquest told of the war
like Shah Abbas-and when the newer
invasion by as fierce foe was as yet
in the MISUNDERSTANDING.
The brilliant sun, now right over
head, drew a burning line along the
middle of lengthy streets, whose pro-
jecting roofs and overhanging balloon
les of latticed wood kept them at all
other times of the day in complete
shadow. Through the open gates
could be seen to the east of the city
stretch of dusty desert. From the
north and southwest broken hills,
clothed with gently swaying trees,
conveyed q pleasant suggestion OF
GOODNESS to the thirsty townsfolk. Re-
llected from these burning lines and
spots where the sun could intrudc only
Mt high noon, the light cleaned On the
softly Swallowed, richly colored walls
OF the prosperous persian city. From
the lusirous tiles of purple porcelain
encrustlng gorgeous mosques, on whose
walls the name of Allah was blazoned,
linked with thousand epithets, even
to the rags of beggar and peddler,
chastcned color glowcd everywhere.
But the focus of the city's heaped gor-
geousness was in the great market
with its many bazaars, where the pull
satlons OF the business were even now
slackening into the repose of noontide;
for it was then too hot even for an &C
climatized Oriental to work, and, the
hour having besn proclaimed, labor
rapidly subsidized.
A little longer than elsewhere its
hum and clattcr hung about the stalls
whele fruit and other kinds Of food
were sold. In the bazaar of the brass
workers the change from clatter to
hush was sharply defined. Most of the
brass.workers went homo to pray and
cat, and then to sip coffee and smoke
in the company of their wives. A few
who were lazy, or whose homes were
distant and unattractablc, bought food
at the cook-shops and carried it to the
stall of q popular merchant who kept
coffee and Kalian or hubble-bubble
ready for all corners.
One man rose from sitting on his
heels, put aside the lantern he had
been hammering at all the morning,
and reached down covered bassin of
curds and lump of bread from q
shelf, placing them beside the spot
where he was in the habit of sitting.
Then he looked out of the front of his
little shop as far as he could see up
and down the market, his large dark
eyes moving with slow reluctance, as
though to prolong the Illusion that
something that he knew would not be
there might have been conjured thith-
er by some friendly sprite.
His search ended, he hooked cur
tain across the open front of his booth
and hid himself and his doings from
sight. Yet, though he had put away
his ostensible employment, the lantern,
he must have gone to work again on
something, after very hasty meal,
for, from behind the curtain, came
clear the sound of his solitary hammer,
tap, tap-tap, tap, tap. Greedy of
money perhaps, grudging the rest that
others freely took; but no ono, it
seemed, troubled themselves very
much about him he was only Selim
the unsociable. There was nobody of
any account just now to be interested
in his movements; the brass-workers'
bazaar contained besides him only
dogs and boys, and only the boys were
awake; the dogs were as sound asleep
as good Moslems, lying all together in
heap, with heads resting on aud
ba ks against each other, and legs
sticking out very straight in every
direction. They complained a good
deal in their sleep, having perhaps only
time in their slumbers to realize the
full pathos of the numerous kicks and
disappointments that thcy underwent
when awake. Now and then one
would start and turn over, and there
would como fierce snarljng snaps from
those whom he disturbed.
The boys were left 10 look after
the various shops while the owners
werc away, boy being the only thing
that can remain energetic through an
Eastern MONDAY. They were mostly
noisy, squabbling little Perslans; but on
the steps of the largest and wealthicst
booth, wherein there was store of jew
els and jeweled work, sprawled largo
Egyptian lad-a picturesque black
guard from Cairo, in crimson fez and
white garments, with pair of turquo-
ise-encrusted pistols stuck in his waist
shawl. He affected superiority over
the rest, and smoked his hubble-bub-
BILE with a erown-up air rs he reclncd,
disdaining tho whispers and amuse-
ment about him. As big boy the
others accepted his professions; had no
been man they would probably have
conspircd 10 mako his life burden.
They conversed in suappish whispers,
intcrrupting one another continually;
he smoked lazily, rolling from time to
time crafty eye in the direction of the
booth of Selim the unsociable, at.
tractcd by the restless tap-tapping that
went on within.
A raid was being concerted on the
fruit and sweetmeat bazaars; three of
the strongest and sharpest lads were to
execute it, whilst the rest of the boys
looked after the brass workers shops.
A few final directions and explana-
tions, and the three boys sunk STEALTH
" out of sight, concealing their faces
as much as possible.