Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-09-13
HIS ADVENTURE.

ibid you ever hear of my oriental ad-
ventures" said Tom, perching himself up
on the counting house desk
"Your oriental adventure?" asked Ned
"Wcll, it's worth hearing" said Tom,
''if it did happen to me. 1t was when
was in Damascus, mere attache Of q
grave diplomatic party, boy of 90, who
might as we'll have been left at home,
suppose. +"
II had bought cigar cases and smoking
caps and tobacco bags and all sorts of
said Tom. II had slippers and
scarfs for my mother, and was buying
pipe of oriental style, with long stem,
and water bottle for the smoke to pass
through, when great puffy bag of black
silk which enveloped a lady paused near
me and squatted down before the shop
of a young jewel merchant for the pur-
pose of examining his bracelets.
''Only the eyes of the figure were Wis
ible, but they were blacker and more
beautiful than those Of any heroine of the
Arabian Nights Entertainments, and
they lit on me once twice, three times and
sent sensation through my heart to
which it was happily as yet a stranger.
behind the figure stood less carefully
yelled person of ali old female servant
That it was young beauty thus hid I'M
der the silken balloon had no doubt.
"The jewel merchant was busy with his
wares No one but the old woman saw
the beauty make little sign with her ex-
quisite hand, but she did it. The sign
seemed to say, Wait waited.
What 1 waited for hardly knew. My
repertory Of gesture is not large. No Eng
lishman's is. nodded a Yes 1t suf-
feed
''As she went away, guarded by her old
attendant, she repeated the motion.
"Wait, it said again.
"There was coffee house close at hand,
open to the street like all the other shops.
There I squatted on a cushion and slipped
and smoked.
II saw figure -pause-make a
sign to me. i,
cit was the old woman, the servant Of
my mysterious beauty. l flung coin to
the story teller and followed her.
''She went on for long while, until
began to think she would never speak to
me; but at last she paused under the
shadow Of the blank plaster walls Of q
house in u quiet part of the city, and sud-
denly letting down long wisp of gray
hair took from it letter-a little crooked
thing written on bright paper and
drenched with perfume.
81 little English know, it began
MY mother she English. wait for YOU
Come
"'Where shall I go?' asked Of the old
woman.
"She beckoned Again followed. We
walked ON, she going before, following,
until she paused before a white plastered
wall, in which was a narrow door. I'm
locking this, she motioncd me to enter,
and almost treading on my heels in her
haste, instantly slipped in after me and
relocked it.
IL found myself in the most beautiful
garden Imagination can depict. Beyond
it was rose arbor. Obeying the old wom-
an S motions, entered the door Of this
fragrant retreat.
"On the instant two beautiful arms
were cast about my neck, and voice like
that of the nightingale softly breathed
these words:
"'Oh, how long l have waited for you,
joy of my soul!'
1T was the girl whom had seen at the
bazaar l knew her eyes and her hands at
once, and knew also that had met my
fate loved her on the instant as well as
she seemed to love me"
Bother" said Dick.
II can't make you understand that de-
licious emotion" said Tom, signing.
There we sat together talking like lovers
who had been parted for years. She slip
ped ring upon my finger. gave her one
from mine. vowed to bear her away tC
the land where lovers were not the slaves
they were there and she promised to meet
me at the little garden gate at midnight. u
"Going it FAST" said Dick.
"Suddenly, as we sat there, the old
woman rushed into the arbor. She wills
pered word to my beautiful ladylovc
who wrung her hands in terror.
'''Fly for your lifc!' she said. If Allah
spares my life, will meet you at the gates
at midnight. If not adieu until we meet
in paradise.
''At midnight I sat upon the stone
bench again, clad in a coarse orienta
dress, but with pistol hidden beneath it
had resolved to die rather than to allow
her to be torn from me.
II waited. The moon arose, round ant
yellow, in the sky. A strange bird uttered
q shrill cry A dog barked. heard steps
within the garden and shrank back int
the shadow. They were not the steps O
women.
LAS listened the gate opened, and foul
black slaves, bearing burden, emerged
therefrom As the moonlight fell upoI
them I saw that they held the sides Of {
great sack.
"They marched away toward the river
As watched them, dreading l knew no
what, the old woman, with her hair di
sheveled, rushed out Of the garden, ant
wringing her hands pointed after them.
"'What has happened?' shrieked.
"She threw into my hands little note
I tore it open and read these words:
"'Adieu! The caliph has discovered all
1 was his wife. The fate of an unfaithfu
! wife in this land is to be sewed up in I
bag of lime and cast into the river. Adieu
forever. MAZDA.
with a shrek, rushed after the re
treating slaves and-awoke."
"Eh?" said Dick. "Awokc!"
Eyes," said Tom. ''That was when
was down with bad fever three years ago
and Sam had been lhowing mo u Turkisl
! pipe, and my black haired cousin Bell
| had read me to sleep with the 'Howadji Il
Syria, and out Of these things my adven
ture in Damascus with the beautiful
maiden was born. New York News.