The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-23
SERPENT OF OLD NILE

..t.. west of Cairo Is known 20 every
WIS.,. ina Egypt. received visit from
rrs.ishmcn who knew his tastes.
-.ruaso was TO invite him TO a cir
.I..a had been touring in India, and
... had lately arrived in Cairo. And
..p.sra. requiring little persuasion in
,+..,8f the attractions detailed to him,
,..,rpquied his visitors that night
N.vt day the Pasha's only surviving
-...s Ralziyah. who had not seen her
hand for twenty-four hours, called to
s..orasence a particular man servant,
r,,.5 whom she had brought with her
~. c3ustantinOple on her first entrance
irtatha harem.
..n,e the pasha has not returned, ."
ill.,, said. you shall now relate what
81 last night. Who We're his com
F.T1e Englishmen whom you saw walk
i-rio tbe gardens, and two others who
tgl moi come here with them"
Ind these two?"
Were Morton, the katib at the English
,,osrIate and his friend r-Osman the
Ymblshl'
or5a dark flush sutfused her face.
and this girl whom they went to see,
,,to starts up, after a lapse of twelve
wears. as my rival in every sense, what of
aTbey call her Miriam"
"We0t'
81 Ike Yourself in earlier time, the girl
s9snake charmer and dancer"
"Ti5 knew before Make me not i'm
rari,Dt Describe her person"
ri need not do so, - said the man calm
lH .
.Because you mean to see her yourself
yogmean to Judge of her face and form,
N bea critic of her skill, to witness the
irpressiou she has made on your hus-
hand and on others because have al
r.9dv arranged for you to do all this
yorself undiscovered
THAT night, indeed, Rakiyah, attended
by Nurad, both carefully disguised, stood
among the spectators attracted by the
artist The Pasha's wife looked on a wO-
man quite fifteen years younger than her
sell. distinguished by an order of beauty
which Rakiyah, with a sinking heart, felt
that She had never seen equaled-a woman
coing through her various featS with an
ease and grace which the unknown OBJ
server might indeed, have rivaled on oc-
cgsion i'm earlier days, but never surpass-
ed. Rakiyah glanced from the performer
10 the ouloohers. Her husband sat far
away to her right-the most prominent
among circle of joyous and
vigorous applauders. A little away
Engishman, with a quick-eyed, good hui
mored face that beamed with frank
pleasure Next to him sat a young man,
handsome. with the grave, dark beauty
of the Orient, but with neither it's heavi-
ness nor It's efeminacy. He was dressed
in the uniform of captain in the Egyp-
tan army, which set off admirably his
alert and graceful figure. His eyes were
fixed with profound absorption on the
cir. IN the arena. And when that girl
sweryed her head in his direction, which
happened more than once, it appeared to
Radyah that communicating lights of
intelligence cleaned in the eyes of both.
The Pasha's wife gazed long at the Egyp-
tan officer Then she turned a glance
upon her servant, who seemed to divine
ereyery movement, and they both arose
without waiting for the end of the per
1omance and went away.
For six days Rakiyah remained seclud-
ed in her apartments, untroubled by the
conversation Of her husband, and speak
ing 10 no one else. 1t seemed as if she
would no more care to look upon the light
Of day Hardly did she betray sign of
life And amid the unutterable darkness
and solitude and torpor of her spirit,
,Nuad stood unannOunced before her.
What passed between them in a two
hours exchange of condolences, at first
constrained, then more and more vehe-
ncnt and unreserved, etfectually dis
PEELED her languOr. Her eyes blazed
with an mhOlV fire. Her whole frame
wrthed and trembled with new and
terrible life. She painted forth a command
to him TO 60 and do her will, and he left
ner
Next morning he once more came sud
denly upon her
Your husband will be here within an
hour he said with an abruptness that
was ha5itual TO him.
You have seen the snake dealer2" she
exclaimed in an agony of impotence.
And have chosen the snake"
"One that will serve its purpose?'
ut has eaten nothing for many days
j. not an animal 1t is an incarnation
OF herccness, vOraCity, and slaughter"
I'll is large and strOngl'
~ viii not say that it could crush one
OF the blocks Of the great Pyramid to
powder in its embrace, " answered Murad,
with grim smile; land yet ] should not
care to be responsible for the safety of
lhe mlghtiest elephant that could be OPP
posed TO it,"
'A'l'' iADfN lily nus bdllAl llCSb many
nights he has been doubtless at the cir
GUS"
Yes"
This doomed creature has drawn
her usual following of spectators"
"Au that you are interested in. |
lnm6 You know the Pasha's object in
coming now"
What is it,"
Shall indeed tell you?"
She brought her smiling, murderess's
lace nearer TO his.
III there be in it that which should
EEeye me- she said, "do not spare me.
IL there be wrong or humiliation threat
e4ed TO me have one follower at least
VINO VIII chance the worst to see me
avenged
be sure Of that, rejOined the servant,
iMIy9 but slight increase of resolution
III ms Enthusiastically firm tones.
~, Haay, then, why is my husband com
10 tell You that before week is gone
-" ne means to marry this performer"
SaIG the man, leaving her while he spoke
WIN the suddenness with which he had
entered
n 10 was less than an hour later that
tiohEah, radiant with smiles, prodigal of
I9 lthdereSt careSSes, received her hus-
Lo"u He preached to her, somewhat
GyAJaungly, the project named by Murad.
sue laughed away his doubts and wei
W.aed with delight Miriams proposed
IE4fance into the harem-"one trained
iNe herself, with tastes and accomplish
"'Nls ike her own"
And indeed ucoAi - Oh in11pH