The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1891-01-16
KADOUR AND KATEL.

Kadour- ben -Cherifa, sergeant majo of
the Algerian sharpshooters, was believed
to be dying when he was carried into old
Rippert's sawmill on the Sauerbach. For
five long weeks he lived as in dream,
parched with fever and racked with the
pain of his wound. Sometimes he thought
he was in the battle again, shouting and
bounding across the flax fields and hop
gardens of Wissebourg; at other times
he fancied himself once more at home IN
Algiers with his father, the kaid of Matt
matas
At last he opened his eyes and became
dilnly conscious Of being in a cool, clean
room, with white curtains at the win
dows, and outside green branches way
ing, and light clouds passing before the
sun. Near his bed sat little sister of
charity, watchful and quiet, wearing in
deed no silver cross no rosary, no veil,
but, instead, two long braids of yellow
hair falling over black velvet bodice.
From time to time some one would call
"Katel, Katel!'' and the peasant girl
would go on tiptoe out of the room, and
then the invalid would hear clear young
voice which seemed to him as refreshing
as the sound Of the brook that ran muir
muring under the windows Of the mill.
Kadour was i'll for long time, but
the Ripperts took such good care of him
that his wounds healed, and they con-
cealed him so cleverly that the Prussians
were not able to send him to die of cold
in casemate at Mayence. Soon he be-
gan to talk, showing his white teeth; then
he took Il few steps round the room, with
one sleeve hanging empty and great
gaming hole in the midst Of the embroi-
dery, and his arm still bandaged and
helpless. Then he went every day into
the little garden, and Katel would bring
out little rug seated armchair for the
invalid, putting it down in the warmest
corner by the wall, where the grapes
ripened the earliest, and Kadour, who,
being kaid's son, had studied in the
Arabian college at Algiers, would thank
her in French, which sounded little
barbarous, mingled as it was with bono
bezeif and maeach bono
Without suspecting it the young Turk
was falling under aspell, The easy gay
ETY. of the French maiden, who lived as
free as a bird, her face unveiled even in
the open air, and her window unbarred,
astonished while it fascinated him. 1t
was SO very different from the walled
up life of his countrywomen, with their
white, lemon scented wells.
Katel, on her part, thought the
stranger little too dark skinned; but
he had such a frank face and he hated
the Prussians so! One thing displeased
her terribly, and that was that over
there in Algeria a man might have sew
eral wives. She could not understand
that, and one day when Kadour, to tease
her, said in his foreign jargon, "Kadoui
soon marry-have four wives-four"-
the girl exclaimed angrily, -Four wives
Oh the villain, the pagan!'
The Turk burst out laughing as glee
fully as child; then, suddenly growing
serious and silent, he fixed his grea
dark eyes upon her face. That was the
beginning.
Kadour, completely cured, went home
to his father, and one can imagine tht
festivities that were held in his homo
in the land of the Matimatas. The ree(
+ flutes and the little drums played thei
sweetest airs to welcome him, and whel
the old kaid, seated in his doorway, say
coming down the cactus walk the be
loved son whom he had thought dead h
trembled as if with ague under hi
white burnous. For whole montl
there was an uninterrupted series of diffa
and fantasies, all the Kaids and Agas o
the neighborhood disputed for the homo
of entertaining Kadour- -ben-Cherifa, an
every evening in the Moorish cafes h
was entreated to describe the battles L
| which he had fought.
But alas! all these fetes and honor
did not make him happy. In the mids
of the souvenirs of his childhood, hi
horses, his greyhounds, his arms an
all the splendors of his fathers mansion
there was one thing wanting-the ART
less, merry laugh of Katel. The littl
perpetual prattling of the Arab womcl
which had once made his heart bea
with pleasure, now fatigued and al
noyed him; he would not admire thei
orange flower wreaths and wide trousel
of a rose color satin, but thought onl
of pair of long braids having no peal
ornaments, yet shining like golde
threads under the setting sun in littl
Alsatian garden far away. And yet,
Kadour would but look about hin
he could see pair of beautiful blac
eyes made languid with kohl watchin
him from behind the grated windows
an old Aga's house not far distant, k
dour cared nothing for them; what
longed for was Katel's quick glanc
round the sick room to see If anythil
were wanting for his comfort; he sighC
for the blue eyes in which the hgl
played as brightly as in drops of Gle
spring water
Little by little. however, the tend
charm of those blue eyes, mingled wi
the memory of his convalescence al
the soft tempered air of France, fad'
from his mind. At last Kadour had fc