The Portland daily press., 1895-11-09
A HAREM COQTETTE.

When the department. of fine arts sent
me to Persia to write up the province OF
Irak-Adjemi, began by taking up my
quarters in Ispahan At the end Of three
months had finished my task, but If |
had returned home at once the depart
ment would never have believed that was
man of any depth. was just about
bored to death, when luckily there was a
change of governors. The shah sent, in
place of the former governor, his cousin
Malcolm Khan He had travelled in
France, accompanied by Mehmed-Aga, his
officer of ordnance. Mehmed-Aga had the
rank of general, or, rather, that OF sertip,
to use the Persian term.
Remembered him well-a young man Of
about 80, gentlemanly fellow, something
of a SWELL who dined with me several
times in Paris You can appreciate my JOY
in meeting him again away off there. In
week the aga and were inseparable.
One morning was dreamily riding
through the city, giving myself up for the
hundredth time to the feeling that was
in fairyland Imagine immense avenues,
arcades and shaded by gigantic plane trees
at whose feet are streams of running wa
ter. I was nearing the kiosk of Tchechel-
Sutoun, when saw at the street corner a
woman in a litter AS general thing,
Persian women on the street are like moth
ing SO much as bundles They are yelled,
OF course, or, rather, they wear upon their
heads kind of striped curtain, which
,<xh ft,axx
an whom I met did not entirely conceal
her figure, which was slender and graceful,
and l could see her large eyes cleaning
like Goals of fire. My horse was walking,
and l made him follow very slowly the
bearers of the litter. 1t seemed to me that
the unknown looked back once or twice.
but, after all, as adventures of this kind
in the east are somewhat unsatisfactory,
paid only slight attention to the matter.
l had almost forgotten the occurrence
when, two days after, / again met the lit
ter This time was not alone. Mehmed-
Aga was walking with me. At the first
glance I recognized the yelled lady and
especially remembered those extraordinary
eyes. AS before she looked back, but this
time the action was more pronounced. /
glanced at the aga, but he pretended to
nave uOjlGSu VO Wd1hCo ebiOiiS
in this way for about ten minutes, when
the litter suddenly turned toward the
Dioulffa bridge. This bridge is one of the
most beautiful sights in the world. 1t has
33 enormous arches and spans that capri
ciouS stream, the Zend-Dehroud. The
bridge is somewhat of popular resort for
evening promenades, and SO hesitated
about following my unknown openly for
f-;, Pr1tf hnro ID
no hesitation on her part. Suddenly she
leaned half way out of the litter and drop
ped her handkerchief upon the pavement.
picked it up.
During the rest of the walk the aga was
silent, biting his mustache with preoc-
cupied air. When we reached the palace,
he said, "Come in, and when we were
alone in his study he began:
my dear friend, 1 made no comments q
little while ago. but instead of keeping
that handkerchief pressed tenderly against
your heart you must throw it into the
fire."
"You wish me to do sop
ST do not wish that you should have
your throat cut and be thrown into the
river am in charge of the police Of the
city, and am responsible for you to the
ETGuCn l6RdUlOu. IOl ftbUOhlSAlIlS PCO-
pie, you Parisians! You think yourselves
always upon the boulevards. We are in
the orient, my friend, and in the orient
husbands are not to be trifled with. At
Paris it may be different. Your unknown
is not unknown to me. Her name is
Nissa"
s'Nissa"
eff the name is charming, the husband
is not at all SO. He is one Astoulla, very
wealthy merchant, famous for his violence
and his jealousy. He occupies that house
on the river bank just at the end Of the
bridge. His mother was of English de-
scent, but his own manners are wholly ori.
entail He would kill you like dog"
"And Nissa?'
Formerly" said the aga, "unfaithfui
wives used to be sewed up in sacks and
thrown into the river. But we are civilized
now. Once live cat would have been
put in the sack. When maddened by the
water, the cat would tear the woman's
face. This is no longer done. At least,
the cat is left out. The influence of
Europe he added dryly.
This little conversation somewhat damp
ened my ardor. Moreover, Mehmed-Aga
had the good taste to drop the matter
there. I dined with him, and in the even
ing he called in musicians who played for
us eastern melodies. But was preoccu-
pied Constantly before my eyes that
graceful figure was bending out OF the lit
ter, and little hand was dropping hand
kerchief A persistent voice was singing
in my ear, like the refrain of ballad:
"Nissa! Nissal" Naturally, suffered all
that night from nightmare. l dreamed
that some one had given me an immense
cat, named Astoulla, which was trying to
tear my face. 1 walked at II the next
morning, completely disenchanted.
In the evening was alone upon the ter
race, in the rear of my house. when hor-
rible looking old woman suddenly entered
from the lower door.
care you bravet" she said
[ smiled with that self conceit which a
man always feels when asked such ques-
ton. She continued:
81 came to propose to you walk. Tt ia
night No one can see us. You are to
follow me- When half way, shall blind
fold you, but you must swear to me not to