Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-12-06
A HAREM COQUETTE.


had returned home at once the depart
ment would never have believed that was
a man of any depth. l 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
Franco, accompanied by Mehmcd-A Aga, his
officer of ordnance Mehmod-Aga had the
rank of general, or rather, that of sortip,
to use the Persian term.
Remembered him well-a young man of
about 80 a gentlcmanly fellow, something
Of swell, who dined with me several
times in Paris. You can appreciate my joy
in meeting him again away off there. In
a week the aga and were inseparahle.
One morning l was dreamily riding
through the city, giving myself up for the
| hundredth time to the feeling that l was
in fairyland. Imagine immense avenues
bordered on the right and on the left with
arcadcs and shaded by gigantic plane trees
at whose feet are streams of running wa
ter. l was nearing the kiosk of TcheChel-
Sutoun, when l saw Mt the street corner a
woman in litter. AS u 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
covers the face. Oddly enough, the wom-
an whom l 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, l again met the lit
ter This time ] was not alone. Mehmed-
Aga was walking with me. At the first
glance l recognized the yelled lady and
especially rem 9mbered those extraordinary
eyes. As before, she looked back, but this
time the action was more pronounced. I
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
33 enormous arches, and spans that capri
cious stream, the Zend-Dchroud. The
bridge is somewhat Of IA popular resort for
evening prOmenades, and so l hCsitated
about following my unknown openly for
fear Of compromising her. But there was
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 made no comments
little while ago, but instead of keeping
that handkerchief pressed tendcrly against
your heart you must throw it into the
fire."
"You wish me to do sop
81 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 1 am responsible for you to the
French legation. You are astonishing peo-
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."
"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 ORR
entail. He would kill you like dog"
and Nissa?"
Formerly" said the aga, "unfaithful
wives used to be sewed up in sacks and
thrown into the river. But we are civilized
now. Once a 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 dined with him, and in the even
ing he called in musicians who played for
us eastern melodies. But 1 was preoccu-
pied. Constantly before my eyes that
graceful figure was bending out of the lit
uer, anu q uJUle manu- was ufOpplHBb ndnu-
kerchief. A persistent voice was singing
in my ear, like the refrain of ballad:
"Nissa! Nissal" Naturally, suffered all
that night from nightmare. 1 dreamed
that some one had given me an immense
cat, named Astoulla, which was trying to
tear my face. 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-
Jible looking old woman suddenly entered
from the lower door.
care you bravey" 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. 1t is
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
attempt to find out where 1 am leading
you"
promised. The day, you see, had
passed over my fears, the effects of the