The morning times., 1895-12-25
Almost Immediately / heard a light rust
ling upon the carpet. turned.

ing upon the carpet. L turned.
| 1t was at Nissa. / was transformed with
| astonshment. She could not have been more
than seventeen or eighteen. Her thick, dark
| hair fell upon perfectly formed neck and
| shoulders, aud her face, slightly amber in
| color, had the changing lights of mother-of-
| pearl. But / was especially struck by the
| strange contrast between the exceeding
whiteness OF her teeth and the backness OF
| her eyes. The eyelashes. the tips of the lids,
and her lips were painted. She smiled as
she gazed at me with her still and burning
eyes. Thought of the Aga's words aud said
| to myself that ttiis woman could not be
easily frightened. However, she took my
hand and made me sit upon the divan.
MY husband has started for TeheraB,"
| she said, aud smiled.
Then she struck little gong with n cop
per rod, and coffee was brought in. She
began TO Talk rapidly, telling me that her
life was very dreary and that she had been
interested in me at first sight was begin
ming TO lose my bead, when heard a noise
in the adjoining room. In an instant she
sprang up and steed erect and trembling.
Her welcome and her sudden fear had fol-
lowed each other SO rapidly that had no
time to anaiyze my feelings. She ran TO the
wall, took down n slender little dagger, and
half concealed IL in her sleeve, She turned
TO ME and, with an emphatic gesture, said.
"Waiu'' Then she vanished behind the
heavy hangings.
A vague fear stole over me. / recalled
the Aga's warnings. Possibly l had been
iniprudent. Suddenly again heard a noise
in the next room; there were sounds of
voices, then short struggle; ut last silence
At once the drapery was pushed aside and
Nissa reappeared. She was very pale-as
pale as the pearls about her neck.
She half leaned against the wall, looking
like a white statue against the background
.Il..xr
and in her smile revealing teeth as sharp
as those of a young wolf. She took a few
steps into the room. Her knife and hands
Were red.
Great God, What has happened" ex-
claimed.
Nothing" she replied.
She tossed the dagger into a corner and,
with perfect calmness, said:
at was my husband. He would have
killed us. l preferred to anticipate him.
Come, help me throw his body into the
water"
II remained motionlcss gazing at her In
astoniShment. Then she fixed her eyes upon
me, with an expression OF complete con-
tempt, and, in tone that shall never for
get, said:
"Oh, these Frankish dogs, What ner-
vousness,'
She shrugged her shoulders and called a
maid, whom she commanded to open the
window. Then, as il they were doing the
most ordinary or acts, they lifted the body
and dropped il into the river. The adventure
was becoming too oriental for me. | con-
fess that l was seized with a wild terror.
Without waiting longer. ran a way like a
mailman. Where / went have no idea. In
ten minutes found myself i'm the city and
/ ran through the streets as if pursued by
legion of devils When / had reached my
apartments / fastened myself in with a
double lock, cursng Nissa and all the
houris of the orient.
What night did not sleep until morn
ing, and then my sleep was likelead. When
awoke the sun was high and streaming
into my chamber. / was completely un-
strung. What would happen? a man could
not disappear without the laws taking
cogniZance of the affair. Nissa had not
even made an attempt at conceaiSaent.
The servant had seen and aided her /
should be implicated, and at the very idea
OF being associated with a crime felt my
hair standing on end with horror.
All that day remained in the same con-
ditiou, keenly anxious, and not caring to go
out. The evening came and still formed
no resolution, and no news yet of Nissa
Had she been arrested? What had become
of her? l retired early, but could not sleep.
On the second day l could endure 1t no
longer, a1ddecided to see myfriend the Aga
announced, and then entered. The Aga was
reclining upon divan peacefully smoking
his chibouk.
''Ah, it is you, he said, when he sa W me.
Have you heard the news'''
''Thenews-the news? No, ,I-Ihaveheard
nothing"
You remember Astoulla, the rich mer-
chant, Nissa' S husband, whom told you
about"
II was all over. the crime was known.
muttercd an almost inaudible Yes"
"The poor DEVIL continued the Aga;
my dear friend, he has suddenly disap-
peared."
And the Aga looked at ME intently. I could
bear it no longer. l was about to confess
everything when he said:
HE was just setting out for Teheran.
And suddenly-vanished. Nothing has been
heard of him."
For the second time the Aga looked into
my face. There was a short silence Then,
putting out a long thread Of smoke, he
added calmly:
.'God is great"