St. Paul daily globe., 1890-11-10
MODERN CLEOPATRA.
The Very Remarkable Tale Of
a Princess of the Nile
Region.
She Got Men in Love With Her
and Then Put Them Out
of the Way.
How a Young Frenchman
Tried to See Her in the
Garb of q Female.
He Barely Got Away With His
Life--One Lover Thrown
Into the Nile.

/ believe it was Talleyrand who said
hat "the Turkish government was a
leSpotiSm tempered by assassination, !"
and surely assassination has ever been,
and is, the order of the day in Turkey.
Oh, if the draWbridge at Bouiack could
sell how many of the heirs of the Egypt
an dynasty were precipitated there
through methodical accident-the bridge
being left open as the train approached
or if could number the various vic
Tins who were consigned TO the bosom
OF the Nile at different periods, what a
startling revelation there would be! No
wonder, then, that the gates of their
palaces are always strongly guarded.
Common gossip reports that even
Nagha HannUm, paSha'S daughter.
was 4 great contributor 10 that classic
stream, owing to her position and Pc
culiar idlosyncrasy. 1t is SAID that this
lady had the same influence with her
father, the great pasha, as Lady Hester
StanhOpe with her uncle, Pitt, and her
ntrigueS almost riyaled those of Cath
crime III. 1t is. moreover, said that she
was charminglys beautiful and lnSin-
latingly captivating.
There has ever hung over the East
Teil of myStery-it may be from the
warmth of the Oriental imagination and
is own eXtravagant creations. or from
The SecluSion of the women, WHO, as
hey became unfamiliar objects, seemed
% be the very NenuSeS and PeriS of the
World of fables. The reserve of tie
men themselves, leaving their better
halves to an ObllViOuSneSS from all the
world, is calculated to excite the Curl
0Sity of the community at home, and the
;eSt of the world abroad, and to invest
he fair sex with the most improbable
charms. The difficulty of immediate
Danger of single interview eXcites the
oye of adventure.
Once upon q time a young italian
lObleman was so carried away with the
personal charms of this modern Cleo
patra, the Pasha's daughter. that he
actually ran the gauntlet. Encouraged
by successful intrigues during carni-
vals in his native land, where his meta
m0rphOSiS from manhood to womanhood
was always completely carried out with
out the least detection, on his arrival IN
Cairo the rash youth sought an inter-
view with this Peri of the Nile, and OBJ
tanned it as disguised female Of dis
ainctiOn travelling for pleasure.
On the appointed day he was seen in
carriage in feminine attire, accom-
panied by Il female interpreter and pre-
ceded by two SayisSes (Ur runnerS) to
clear the way, as becomes perSOnages
Of distinction, driving furiouSly toward
The Sh ubra palace in the citadel. The
guards at the gate, who lay sprawling
II the full enjoyment of their nOontide,
1nder the influence of hashish, were
somewhat surprised at the sudden ap-
partition of these guests, and were slow
10 realize the fact, for nothing is so diff
sult and distressing as TO wake from a
Dreamy lethargy. They at length woke
ap and, seeing that the intruders were
females, handed them over to the
enuchs, who took charge of them and
led them into the fIarem.
The count was duly received by her
hfghness and grandly entertained. as
became lady of distinction. Etiquet-
ical set phrases were gone through:
Sweetmeats, coffee, sherbets were duly
served; dancing girls were brought i'm,
female orchestra introduced, etc.; but
all the while her highneSs seemed to be
absorbed in her guest, whom she was
studiously scanning.
At length, all of a sudden, she rose,
and taking hold of her guests hand. in
Vlted her to accompany her 10 the gar
den. During their perambulations, not
wlthstanding the delicate form, the small
hands which she was holding,
and the general feminine make
up OF the youthful adventurer, the
instructive faculty of the princess re-
vealeo to her that things were not ex-
actly as they appeared, and that the
current of electricity circulating
through her fingers was of an opposite
nature. So when the girls in attend
ance were at some distance her high
ness arraigned her guest abruptly by
saying: young man, you have acted
your part very well, indeed! but l am
astonished at your temerity, tor had
you been discovered you would have
been cut to pieces by those stern guar
dians Of the harem. What can be your
motive for such daring enterprise?''
Question your own reflection in the
glass. My princess" replied the rash
youth. "and you will there find the
answer which this tongue is incapable
adequately to eXpreSs!"
''Ah, see! You are on a romantic
venture. Well, L receive You to-mor-
row at the palace on the Nile. Take
this rose"-plucking one from the plant
-"and display it at the Eozbekeeyeh
square, where one of my negro attend
y
presence"
The next day young man, with dis
tlngue appearance, delicate form and
elegant toilet, was seen perambulating
through Eozbekeeyeh. tiOurishing red
rose in his button hole.
1t was not long before one of those
ominous-looking sable guardians of the
barem accoSted him, and. with a re-
5pectful salaam, signed to him to fol-
l6w.
They neared the Nile. On the bank
stood the palace. looking more like
fort than residence. Its ponderous
gate was opened with prodigious KEY,
and locked again after they had entered.
They walked through narrow and wind
ing passages and between massive
walls. At last they reached a large
hall on the grounG floor. Here our hero
was left alone by the sable eunuch. In
surveying the apartment he discerned
the object of his adventure majestically
reelined on downy couch, reSplendent
with golden embroidery.
With mocklng laugh she refused to
let him approach her further than to
kiss her hand, and then consigned him
to the charge of a Misunderstanding
native, who beckoned h III away. They
proceeded through long, narrow, wind
ing and mysterious passages; but .evi-
IDENTITY no longer the same that led to
the outer gate. Finally they arrive be-
fore gate; the weird guide opens it
with solemn clank of the bolt. They
enter and proceed as before, silent and
sullen, till they reach another gate. 1t
also is opened, presenting to view the
milky stream of the Nile. The young
man is thrust out and the gate closed
upon him. At the threshold be is seized
by two ruffianly-looking individuals,
who endeavor to garrote him. Then en-
sues death struggle.
The young man, who had wisely pro-
vided himself with dagger, instinct
lively resorted to it, and, drawing it
forth, defended himself as best he could.
He succeeded in disposing of one of his
Rssailants; but the other, enraged at the
temerity and prowess of the youth,
grappled with him and leaped with him
into the stream, as the crocodiles do
with their prey, evidently to render him
helpless and gain an advantage over
him. for the fellahin are noted for their