The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-19
THE CHALDEAN'S BALL.
From the Ne,o York Times.

your spirit. You neither smile nor jest
Where is thy blithe heart, thy winsome
ways Some evil besets thee Tell thy serv-
thousand leagues distant; knew that thou
vert unhappy. knew, and 10 am here"
Yes, ne was present and very much at
home. too; though l would have as soon
expected to see the Sphinx In a front pew
at St. Simon's as Eli Effendi putting his
narghile among my scant penates. During
my official connection with the interna-
tional court Of Egypt had met him in sin
gular fashion and rendered service TO him.
IL happened IN this wise:
One evening l was sailing on the Red sea
in clumsy sort of lugger, with two useless
natives as crew. The waters were tumultu-
Gus, a thickening haze obscured vision; we
were making land at utmost speed. Frantic
cries and gesticulations from my men
called my attention TO an object bobbing up
and down off our port bow. For all the
world it resembled a great Chinese idol in
its cross-legged serenity. AS it grew more
dtstinguishAble and uncenny my supersti-
uous helpers would have changed course and
fled before the wind over the waste into the
approaching night. but l would not. So
they cast themselves into the bottom OF the
boat, drawing their garments over their
heads, RrOaning and chanting and shouting
"Bismallah.n
On we bowled bravely. A Whit of most
fragrant Latakia foated by rue. AS We
gained the idol l saw that it was man
dressed in an eastern robe, which oltspread
about him and seemingly sustained him. for
he rode like cork. putting the while on a
nsrghile and exhaling vast volumes of
smoke from his mouth and nostrilJ. AS we
swept by l reached out and just caught the
tassel Of the strangers fez. The cap olung
like the bell Of en- air-pump. With infinite
difficulty l managed to drag It's owner
aboard and to keep my careening craft from
capsizing.
Iaroused my crew from dormant salaams
into action by a few vigorous kicks, and
when we were favorRbly nearing shore and
they were actually doing something, /
turned to my peculiar llotsam. He was
seated very comfortably on the thwart, not
half as wet as it seemed he should have
been, and still burning incense to the god Of
meditation.
~ thank Ralph Baine for assisting me-"
he said in excellent English. mot but that
l would have gotten along oil right, but it
was slow and quite damp aud my narghile
needed refilllnR. By the way, do you
smoke" And from the folds of his robe he
drew Cigar whose aroma might have
thrilled the souls Of the faithful in Calaya.
How do You know my namep gasped.
And where were you goingG And what
happened to youp
| II know your name, he replied, because
/ have knowledge. l was going wither we
are bound. Nothing happened to me be-
cause nothing ever happens. Question not
be content that you have befriended one
who will repay thousaudfold.n
During my stay at Alexandria l often
saw Eli Effendi, who was supposed to be a
secret agent of the Sublime Porte; and in
many ways l received benefits and priv
ileges which traced 10 his influence. He
was a mystery to me, and, as l found on in
quiry, TO all others Foreigners simply
knew, as 1 did, that he was wealthy and
powerful Natives avoided questioning
The most l could CLEAN was a whisper &C.
compauied by shrugs th0t Eli Effendi was
one of the initiated. When we became bet
ter acquainted even made bold to show
my curiosity to him. He did not repulse
me. for a reason which he doubtless COM
pretended, and talked as volubly about
mahatma as young girl about hers. On.
B.-The foregoing ID u joke-my hat. ma.
See q But from the mass of uniutelligible
jargon l could make nothing more definite
thar chaos.
In appearance. slso, was Eli Effendi mys-
FERROUS. He wore the RArb OF Turk of
high rank. but whether he WAS Copt, Mos1
lem, Jew, or HindU no one seemed to know
He spoke all languages With a like perfee-
ton. He seemed man OF 80, and of course
was pale and somber of face, with black
curly beard and unfatbomabls eyes in
which glOwed sparks of greenish fire.
Such had been my meeting and such was
the man who now sat beside me, whom,
since my return to Aberdeen, had we'll
nigh forgotten until, week previous, TO
my Rmazement l had come upon him, the
center of attraction at Mrs. Bullions re-
cepiiO0. as calm and impeTtur0 able as he
had floated on the raging waters over Pha-
raoh's discontinue. Aberdeen society had
claimed him as her very own on his arrival.
The Van Ettens had seen him at Paris
among the high nobility OF St Germain
The Bullions had known him at CONSTANT
nople during old Peter Bullion's service
there as minister. Already the bishop had
had him 60 dine, and was reported TO be-
intent on his conversion-Jhe dear bishop
who was so fervent sometimes be forgot his
CATERS. That this stranger insisted on
spending much of his time, despite such
Vaccinations, with one of as little conse-
0uenoe as myself showed his friendly in
terest, as now did his inquiries as to my
melancholy.
80, don't know" replied.
"A people most peculiar are you west
ne CDubiDu6us gu UOn'E KNOW
when you do know; and when you think
you know. you don't. You are uniformed
and childish. You make puppets of your
ideas and beliefs; some you wheel in
trundles, others you tuck carefully away in
bed. Now l comprehend the cause of your
signing, never fear.
"lt's that pretty little Patty Van Etten
whom you love, and who returns che senti-
ment; as IT, indeed, that made any differ
ence. Were we in my own country would
buy her for you gladly, but here the pur-
the taker and have a well-settled reputation
for wealth, and that you lack, my poor fell
low. But what then? You are young, gal
liant, talented; a lawyer with a fine prac-
tice. Why should you not marry this fair
creature since such you imagine is your
within of a momentp
"Her parents object. They have other
views. Theirs IS an old. proud family run
ming back to the first days Of Aberdeen.
They do not consider me her equal by birth.
Besides, it was long since arranged between
the Van Ettens and the Stuynes that young
Rudolph StuTne shall marry Patty"
"What That imbsoile who grins alike
at feast and funeral, and holds his walking
staff between his seeth as IL for nourlsh-
mentF,
/ nodded assent
''Why, we would keep him without the
gates Of the city. How your children imi-
tate your eldersl The FIRST days of Aber-
deem Why, but yesterday il was sand
Dlatn not worth a airing of baads Pride