The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-03-10
KADOUR AND KATEL.

TO Rippert'S sawmill on the Sauerbach,
and for five long weeks, racked by the
pain of his wounds and burning with
fever, he lived as though in dream.
At times he thought himself still in tho
thick of battle, shouting and leaping
through the flaxfelds of Wissem bourg,
or, again, he was away off in Algeria, in
the house of his father, the caid of the
Matmatas.
At last one day he opened his eyes and
became vaguely conscious of bright,
calm, white curtained room, with green
branches swaying outside its windows in
the soft, tempered sunshine, and near his
bed n silent little sister of charity, but a
little sister without beads or silver cross
or blue veil; only two heavy braids she
had, falling down over velvet bodice.
From time to time some one would call
out, "Katel! Katelr' and the girl would
go away on tiptoe, and the wounded boy
could hear in the distance sonorous
young voice, as refreshing to listen to as
the brook running under the sawmill's
windows.
Katlour- -Cherifa has been i'll a long
time, but the Ripperts have taken such
good care of him that his wounds are
healed, and they have hidden him so we'll
that the Prussians have not found him
to send him to die of cold in the Mayence
prisons. Now he commences to talk, to
show his white teeth and to take a few
steps around the room, letting one of his
sleevcs--the one with Il wide, gaping
hole III the midst of its embroideres-
fall empty over u well dressed and ban
daged but still impotent arm. Every day
katel carries Il wicker chair down into
the little sawmill garden for the conva-
lescent and finds for him the sunniest
corner, along the wall, where the grapes
ripen quickest, and Kadour, who, being
caid's son, was educated ut the Arabian
college in Algiers, thanks her in some
what barbarous French, well sprinkled
with bono beZeffs and macach bonos.
Without realizing it, the young Arab
is under spell. This easy gayety of
Frankish girl, whose life is as free as 4.
birds, without enveloping wells out of
doors or barred windows at home, aston
isles and enchants him. So different
from this is the clustered life of the
women of his land = the little white
masked, musk perfumed Moorish wom-
en-. Katel, on her side, finds Kadour Il
trifie too black, but he seems SO good, so
brave, and he does so detest the Prus-
Slams! One thing only troubles her. Off
there in that Algeria of Africa men have
the right to marry several wives. Katel.
cannot understand that at all, so when
the Algerian, to tease her, says in his
Jargon: "Kadour marry soon. He take
four wivcs-four!' Katel becomes very
angry.
'Oh, what wicked Kadour! What a
heathen.'
Then the Arab laughs IL hearty boys
laugh, but suddenly he becomes serious
again and is mute before the young girl,
opening upon her eyes so wide-so wide
you would thing he wished to carry her
away i'll their gaze.
1t was thus that the loves of Kadour
and Katel commenced.
Now that he is well, Kadour has re-
turned to his father, and you can mag
inc if there has been merrymaking in
his honor in the land of the NIatmatas.
The reed flutes and little Arab drums
have played their prettiest airs to receive
him. AS the old caid, who was sitting
before his door, saw in the distance
coming down the cactus alley this be-
loved son whom he thought dead, he
shook under his wooden burnoose rs
though with chill. For wholemonth
there was an uninterrupted series of diff
fas, OF fantasies, in the tribe. The caids
and agas of the neighborhood disputed
with each other the honor of having Ka-
dour-ben-C herifa for their guest, and ev-
cry evening in the Moorish cafes they
would make him tell them over and over
again of the great battles in which he
had taken part.
But all these honors, all this feasting,
do not make Kadour the happier. In
the paternal abode, surrounded though
he be by all the associations of his boy
hood-his horses, his dogs, his guns
there is something always lacking-Ka-
tells CHEEKY words and pleasant laughter.
The perpetual chatter Of the Arabian
women, N..ch used 10 cause his heart to
beat 50 oiii .ls HOW wearies and annoys
him. b., .oAscr ad1nires headdresses
OF coin, ..,. vl"c trousers of rose col
oreG s"'.. -ol., 10 him rather of long
br;;las .W,i. without pearls or
gauac ,-..pL.y lnterninSled with
tnrc:.us 49,, t-t.i the setting sun in
httl,. .v.rn.
But Il l-,,Go;r would? In the next
tribe 10 iis il.crc are beautiful black
eyes watching him from behind the
barred windows of the agas dwelling
beautiful eye: so elongated with kohl
that their every glance is an INDECENT ca
ress. But kadour no longer cares for
eyes like that. What he dreams Of, what
he l0nrS Con. il Lrntnl,.. LIN LII.