Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-23

address communications to the princess,
my daughter, apparently presuming her
you employ woldsi which I won't take
from you. Degning! Does the tom-tit
condescend to the eagle? 1t was my whim
(Which must resume on my turn home)
and masquerade Ia this o---of-the-way
little corner, for a while, as a mere travel
ing artist. But in birth, station and power
to mention your Interesting family"
The prince. byia nervous jerk of the ell
bow. upset the nargileh, which the Nubian
deftly caught and replaced.
I've been studying your little principal
ity," resumed the other. with a friendly
disposition to do something to improve it.
me she might be the means of my helping
you. I'm unmarried, and though 1 could
get a wife worth a dozen of her in New
York or Chicago, to say nothing of Boston.
vet 1 believe in occasionally crossing the
higher strains with humber blood, and I
nave had thoughts of honoring you and
exalting her by union with myself"
A dozen things rushing at the same In
slant to get uttered at his highness' single
trying to escape from a burning theater.
nothing at all. Meryon went on.
But serious objection has arisen for
which you are primarily to blame, and
which you must remove if 1 am to go on
with the scheme. Terah-though I'm con-
fident she is a good little girl and person.
ally incapable of evils. nevertheless.
conventionally speaking, damaged goods.
And it's your fault
The novelty of his sensations was hyp-
nothing the prince. His eyes rolled out
wards. and his breathing was stentorious.
But he no longer attempted to address the
meeting.
'Qui facit per alum, facit per Sc" the
american continued: you are to blame for
the crimes of your head eunuch. for you
ought to have known better than to intrust
such a clumsy beast with such delicate re-
sponsibilities. Either from brute careless
ness or worse, this fellow, Hatipha, the
other day, suddenly sprung Terah me.
with her countenance in a condition which
l shudder to describe. It-she-I-in short,
her veil was down.! Here Meryon bowed
his head upon his knees. and tremors shook
his frame.
Inarticulate gurglings came from the
princes lips. Drops of sweat formed be-
meath the rim of his turban and ran down
into his beard. This was a great day for
him. never to be forgotten!
Anyone less magnanimous and char
liable than l would have turned his back
Upon her and you forever" the artist went
on presently. such an outrage upon an
unsuspecting guest can hardly be too Sc
verely resented But compassion for Terah
who was really as much shocked as l was
and friendship for YOU led me to forbear
l caused word to be sent to her that, on
certain conditions, I would try to overlook
the matter And am now here. prince. to
tell you what the conditions are
His highness, with eyes goggling on va
cancy. stretched out his arms in front Of
him and rapidly closed and extended his
fingers. 1T Is uncertain whether this indi-
Gated that he wished to catch hold of an
elusive word. or of something more sub
stantial. Either way 1t was expressive.
What l require said Meryon. with
stern impresSiveness, sis your straightout
apology; and to prove its sincerity, 1t must
take the form of delivering up Hatipha into
my hands. to be annihilated as I see fit"
Having thus delivered himself. Meryon took
another cigarette from his case. signed to
the Nubiln for light and added COM
posedly: Il have spoker"'
The spell upon his. highness was broken.
A confused roar proceeded from him, which
perhaps set out to be a sort of laugh, but
went on Ike the cry of the tiger thirsting
for meat He clapped his hands against his
thighs. kicked off both his slippers (Which
the Nubian of the fan impassively restored
to him, receiving in acknowledgment vio-
other sysmptoms of strong feeling. Grad
ually the waves of emotion became less agi-
tated. and allowed him to employ human
methods of SPEECH. ,,
"Meryoa Pacha," he said, 81 have been
indignant. heard reports of you which
made me wish to kill you. You have Ssoken.
and made things look different. L ar}fssnore
Indignant than before. and somebody must
be killed but Jam willing it should not be
you. You have spoken Of Hatipha; it shall
be! I will discipline him. l will draw off
his hide in strips an inch wide. Il will burn
out his eyes with hot needles. i will tear
feet. Will rub his carcass with red pep
per and sirup. impale him upon a stake ten
feet long. and set him in the public square
for the flies to eat. Yea, by the beard Of
the prophet. he shall be taught etiuuette."
Meryon unused and shook his head THE
punishment is too light he finally said.
Ordinarily l might be satisfied with it, for
l am more forgiving and tender-hearted
than woman. But this dogs offense de-
mands some really adequate penalty. l
think must have him boxed up and sent
to New York to be naturalized and run for
mayor on his record. 1t is necessary, too,
that my own countrymen should see that
my honor is indicated. 1 will think It
over. In the meantime let him be shad-
owed"
rs the penalty you made a very terrible
one? asked the prince.
Meryon smiled YEARLY. Merely to read
the account of it in the newspapers is pun
fShment enough for most crimes" he re-
piled. Il hate to infiict IT.; but mercy is one
thing, weak indulgence to sin, such as your
proposition would amount to, is another.
And from the reputation of the woman l
marry every shadow of stain must be re-
moved"
"As to that" said the prince, whose ma
tural suavity was returning, though 1
suppose what you say of yourself and your
nation Is true. still 1 could easly-very
easily-have your head cut off, and say to
your people (when they came to ask that
you had been killed by somebody else. But
I. too. am tender-hearted, and what you
say about the princess is certainly true, for
Hatpha himself told me so-and other
things, So 1 should like to have you for a
son-in-law, especially if it would benefit
MY kingdom. But how would it benefit it?''
Well looking at it strictly as financial
measure, l should say it would benefit you
about lac of rupees worth a year, very
likely Inore-what with the summer visi-
tors. the boom in trade and the new OPEN
ings for unmarried ladies'" After a pause
he added But, mind you, l haven't yet
promised I'll take her. My system got a
bad shock that day. and l may never get
over it,
The prince was silent for a long time
doing more thinking than was perhaps
good either for him or Meryon. AT last he
said:
Allah is great. Man knows little. and
sometimes lies. Your words, Meryon Pacha,
may be truth or not. You wish to live;
you also wish think, to marry my daugh-
ter: but whether you desire the good of my
kingdom is yet, hidden from me. But
there is a way, If you choose. to prove it,.
"Yes?" returned Meryon, in an Indifferent
tone.
YES This morning have news that the
prince, my nearest neighbor, is going to