Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1895-11-20
A HARLEM COQUElTE

When the Department of Fine Arts
sent me to Persia to write up the prov
ince of Irak-Adjemi, | began by taking
up my quarters in Ispahan. At the end
of three months l had finished my task,
but if | had returned home at once the
department would never nave believed
that l was a man Of any depth. l was
just about bored to death when, luckily,
there was Il change of governors. The
Shah sent in place of the former gov
ernor his cousin, Malcolm-Khan: He
had Travelled III France, accompanied by
Mehmed-Aga, his officer of ordnance.
M~ehmed-Aga had the rank of general,
or, rather, that of sertip, to use the Per
sian term.
| remember him well-a young man of
about 80, a gentlemanly fellow, some
thing of q swell, who dined with me sew
eral times in Paris. You can appreciate
my JOY in meeting him again away off
there. In a week the Aga and | were
~inSeparable.
One morning I was dreamily riding
through the city, giving myself up for
the Tooth time to the feeling that | was
in fairyland. Imagine immense avenues,
bordered on the right and on the left
with arcades, and shaded by gigantic
plane trees, at whose feet are streams of
running water. | was nearing the Kiosk
of Tchechel-Sutoun, When [ saw at the
street corner q WOman in q litter. AS a
general thing, Persian women on the
street are like nothing so much as bun
dies. They are yelled, of course, or,
rather, they wear upon their heads a
kind of striped curtain, which covers the
face. Oddly enough the woman whom |
met did not entirely conceal her figure,
which was slender and graceful, and [
could see her large eyes cleaning like
Goals of fire. My horse was walking and
| made him follow very slowly the bear
ers 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,
I paid only slight attention to the mat
ter.
[ had almost forgotten the occurrence,
when, two days later. | again met the
litter. This time l was not alone. Meh-
med-Aga vas walking with me. At the
first glance | recognized the yelled lady,
and especially remembered those extra
ordinary eyes. As before, she looked
back, but this time the action was more
pronounced. [ glanced at the Aga, but
he pretended to have noticed nothing.
We walked along in this way for about
ten minutes, when the litter suddenly
turned toward the Djoulffa bridge. This
bridge IS one Of the most beautiful sights
in the world. 1t has thirty-three enor-
nous arches, and spans that capricious
stream. the Zend-Dehroud. The bridge
is somewhat of a popular resort for even
ing promenades, and so [ hesitated about
following my unknown openly for fear
of compromising her. But there was no
hesitation on her part. Suddenly she
leaned halfway out of the litter and
dropped her handkerchief upon the pave
ment. [ picked it up.
During the rest of the walk the Aga
was silent, biting his moustache with a
preoccupied air. When we reached the
palace he said: Come in" and when
we were alone in his study he began:
My dear friend, [ made no comments
a little while ago. But instead of keep
ing that handkerchief pressed tenderly
against your heart, you must throw it
into the fire."
You wish me to do so?"
4 do not wish that you should have
oUr throat cut and thrown into the
river. | am in charge of the police of
the city. and l am responsible for you
to the French legation. You are aston
ishing people, you Parisians! You think
yourselves always upon the boulevards.
We are i'll the Orient, my friend; and in
the Orient husbands are not to be trif1ed
with. At Paris it may be different.
AON1 IL ID " 1lA11O IL W liz
Her name is Nissa."
"NiSsa?'
IF the name is charming, the hus-
band is not at all so. He is Astoulla, 4
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 descent, but his own manners
are wholly Oriental. He would kill you
like Il dog"
And Nissa?"
Formerly" said the Aga, 'unfaithful
wives used to be sewn up in sacks aid
thrown into the river. But we are civil
been put in the sack. When m%addened
by the water the cat would tear the
WOman's face. This is no longer done.
At least, the cat is left out. The infu-
ence of Europe he added dryly.
This little conversation dampened my
ardor. Moreover, Mehmed-Aga had the
SGod taste to drop the matter there.
| dined with him, and in the evening he
called III musicians, who played for us
Eastern melodies. But [ was preoccu-
pied. Constantly before my eyes that
graceful figure was bending out of the
litter and a little hand was dropping a
handkerchief. A persistent voice was
ballad: "Nissa! Nissan Naturally, [
suffered all that night from nightmare.
| dreamed that someone had given me
an immense cat, named Astoulla, which
was trying to tear my face. | walked
at II o'clock the next morning, com
pletely disenchanted.
= = = 4
In the evening I was alone upon the
terrace, in the rear of my house, when
4 notwithstanding old woman suddenly
entered from the lower door.
Are YOU braVe?" she said.
l smiled with that self-conceit which
a man always feels when asked such a
question. She continued:
4 came to propose to you a walk.
1t IS night. No one can see US. You
are to follow me. When half way I
shall blindfold you, but you must swear
to me not to attempt to find Il where
[ am leading YOU"
l promised. The day, you see, had
passed over my fears, the effects of the
nightmare were, little by little, fading
away. and I heard that persistent voice
still singing in my ear: 'Nissa! Nissa!''
The old woman evidently came from
her. | hurried Up to my room and got
a small revolver. Five minutes later we
x-.-. 80 ,,I. 80 II x-o ,ooI oHr,,J.