Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-03-06
A BAG OF JEWELS.
MY jewels!"

my jewels!"
The exclamation came from beneath
the heavy. dropping white mustache of
tho pasha-the white pasha-General
Templeton.
YES, general. your jewels! We
want to see them!'
The speaker was lovely girl, quite
creole In her dusky beauty. AS she
spoke she approached the reclining SOL
der from behind and placed about his
swarthy neck pair Of arms like col
umns of smoked ivory.
The doughty general clasped the
wrists with his sunburned hands, and
drawing the willowy creature onto his
lap as he swung in the hammock re-
piled:
II am sorry, verna, but | cannot
show them to you. Your mother asked
to see them yesterday. They are not
here. How did you know had jewels,
child?"
''Oh, we heard So And the hint was
dropped that you came by them in a
very romantic way"
The snowy head Of the veteran was
laid back in the hammock and his pierre
ing eyes were fixed upon the full moon,
just rising over the liquid boulevards
of Venice. 1t was perfect night. The
soundless voices Of a million lights, tell
ing of the great floating city's gran
deur, spoke from all sides, and then an
swered back as they danced in the rip
ping waters. Nothing else disturbed
the poetic quiet of the night but the &C.
casionaI splash Of a gondolier's sweep
and the sweet laughter Of this bevy Of
lovely women who were assembled up
on the portico of the Palais du Regina
Tell lis all about 1t, won't you, I'M
Gle? Come here, girls! Hear General
Templeton tell us storyl"
Handsome Verna was always leader.
Directly the passengered hammock
was surrounded by half a dozen as
handsome women as ever an Italian
moon shone upon. The SCARED veteran
thus environed drank in the aroma Of
animated femininity, smiled admiring-
Iy at the several upturned faces and said:
How much this reminds me of the
very night received the jewels Ve1na
wants to see and hear aboutl And prob
ably 1t is in association of ideas that !
find a willingness to do what ! never did
before-relate how they came into my
possession. have an idea. ladies, that
when conclude my narrative you will
feel disappointed. but my story has a
moral, and II you absorb it, and the
point OF my experience is not lost upon
you. then will not regret having made
you my fair confessors.
IL was in command of the foot forces
Of his majesty, crossing a corner OF
the desert. The march was very ia
tiguing, the outlook dismal, and l must
confess, soldier as ! was, l felt very
much discouraged. 70 add to my de-
preston had not heard from my fiancee
in some weeks, and found my mind
dwelling more anxiously upon her daily.
may indicate the Importance Of my
mission by adding that while was
making all possible haste to relieve
Meldon Pasha had buttoned in my
Jacket the entire outline Of our cam
paign, which was to deliver to Meldon
in person from the minister Of war.
Might came upon US as we entered a
piece Of palm forest. We halted and
made camp. Late in the evening SOL
der came to my tent and informed me
a lady desired to speak with me. was
very weary and utterly deiected--really
lovesick, am ashamed to say"
The grizzled veteran looked down into
the fair faces about him as he said this,
but they were absorbed in the story and
expressed none of that hurt he imagined
they would indicate at bis last remark.
Such thing as visit from lady
in that remote locality aroused my curl
osity, and glad to have chance to talk
with one because she was Of the same
sex az my absent love l followed the
soldier to the very outskirts Of the
camp, where found an Arabian horse
OF peer less majesty, and standing beside
MIN 4 Moorish girl, who so closely re-
sembled my affianced ! uttered cry of
astonishment. This seemed to delight
the little woman greatly. They have
such naive ways about them and are
such clever Judges of human nature.
She instantly exclaimed:
~ remind the pasha of some one.
AT the same moment she motioned
me to dismiss the soldier.
II did so.
~ confess. madam said, your
resemblance to dear lady friend in
England is very pleasing to me-.
Then she piled her arts as only the
educated Moor can. Never suggestion.
but such lunguishing sweetness and in
toxicating grace and winning articles;
they are indescribable.
IN. Pasha. she said in purest
French. 4 have come to you upon an
errand of mercy, for bring you deliv-
erance from this life Of deprivation.
You are a young man, and bring you