The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-12-28
HE DREAMED 1T.

VentureY SAID IOm perchtng himself upon
the counting house desk.
"Your oriental adventure" asked Ned,
amazed.
"Well, it's worth hearing" said Tom,
"if 1t did happen to me- 1t was when
was in Damascus, n mere attache of
grave diplomatic party, boy OF 20, who
might as well have been left at home, ]
suppose
81 had bought cigar cases and smoking
caps and tobacco bags and all sorts of
things" said Tom. 81 had slippers and
scarfs for my mother, and / was buying a
pipe of oriental style, with long stem,
and a water bottle for the smoke to pass
through, when a great puffy bag of black
silk which cnveloped q lady paused near
me and squatted down before the shop of
a young jewel merchant for the purpose of
examining his bracelets.
"Only the eyes of the figure were visible,
but they were blacker and more beautiful
than those of any heroine of the Arabian
Nights Entertainments, and they lit on
me once. twice, three times and sent SEN
sation through my heart to which it was
happily as yet a stranger.
Behind the figure stood q less carefully
yelled person of an old female servant.
That it was young beauty thus hid I'M
der the silken balloon had no doubt.
"The jewel merchant was busy with his
wares. No one but the old woman saw the
beauty make little sign with her ex-
quisite hand, but she did it. The sign
seemed to say, Wait | waited.
"What l waited for L hardly knew. MY
repertory of gesture is not large. No Eng
lishman's Is. | nodded u Yes. 1t sufficed
"As she went away, guarded by her old
att nf cl,n rff,n tod h.,
"'Wait, it said again.
"Therc was IL coffee house close at hand
open to the street like all the other shops.
There l squatted on cushion and slipped
and smoked
II saw a figure PASS pause, make sign
to me.
ut was the old woman, the servant.of
my mysterious beauty. | flung Il coin to
the story teller and followed her.
'She went on for Il long while until l
began to think she would never speak to
me, but at last she paused under the shad-
ow of the blank plaster walls of house in
a quiet part of the city, and suddenly let
ting down a long wisp of gray hair took
from it a letter. little crooked thing
written on bright paper aud drenched with
perfume.
al n little English know it began
My mother she English. l wait for you
Come.
Where shall go.' asked of the old
woman.
"ShU beckoned. Again followed. We
walked on, she going before, following,
until she paused before white plastered
wall, in which was narrow door I'm
locking this. she motioned me to enter
and, almost treading on my heels in her
locked it,
81 found myself in the most beautiful
garden Imagination can depict. Beyond it
was rose arbor. Obeying the old wom-
ans motions, L entered the door of this
fragrant retreat.
"On the Instant two beautiful arms were
cast about my neck, and voice like that
of the nightingale softly breathed these
words
"'Oh, how long have waited for you,
joy of my soulp
1T was the girl whom l had seen at the
bazaar. | knew her eyes and her hands at
once, and knew that had met my fate
/ loved her on the instant as well as she
seemed to love me- ;"
Bother" said Dick.
81 can't make you understand that de-
licous emotion,'' said Tom, signing.
"There we sat together, talking like lovers
who had been parted for years. She slip
ped ring upon my finger gave her one
from mine. vowed to bear her away to
the land where lovers were not the slaves
they were there, and she promised to meet
me at the little garden gate at midnight
"Going it fast, " said Dick.
Suddenly, as we sat there, the old
woman rushed into the arbOr. She whis-
pered word to my beautiful ladylove,
who wrung her hands in terror
ely for your lifel she said IF Allah
spares my life, will meet you at the gates
at midnight. If not, adieu until we meet
in paradise.
"At midnight sat upon the stone bench
again, clad in a coarse oriental dress, but
with pistol hidden beneath it. l had re-
solved to die rather than to allow her to be
torn from me.
81 waited The moon arose, round and
yellow, in the sky. A strange bird uttered
shrill cry. A dog barked. heard steps
within the garden and shrank back into
the shadow. They were not the steps of
women.
las listened the gate opened, and four
black slaves, bearing burden, emerged
thereform. AS the moonlight fell upon
them | saw that they held the sides of a
great sack
"They marched away toward the river.
AS watched thom dreading knew not
what, the old woman, with her hair di-
sheveled, rushed out of the garden, and
wringing her hands pointed after them.
What has happened? / shrieked.
"She threw into my hands little note.
/ tore it open and read these words
"Adieu The caliph has discovered all. l
was his wife. The fate of an unfaithful wife
i'll this land is to be sowed up in bag of limo
and cast into the river. Adieu forever.
"NAIDA.
"With a shrek, 1 rushed after the re
treating slaves and-awOke "
"Ehy" said Dick. "Awoke?"
Eyes, said Tom. "That was when l
was down with bad fever three years ago,
and Sam had been showing me Turkish
pipe, and my black haired cousin Belle
had read me to sleep with the Howadii In
Syria, and out of these things my adyen-
ture in Dana with thn hnnuti fu1 maid