The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-09-09

ence OF her bearing changed TO passion
ate anger, Her silver set feet clashed as
they touched the floor, and she rose.
first to a sitting posture, fnaiiy to
stand before the culprlt the very per-
sonlficatlon of righteous wrath.
"Sol thou hast taken gold This 10
why thou canst rufile with the best at
Gulabans-base-bor paryenu who
takes to the life of wickedness-as she
hath done, bringing disgrace "a the
screened house where thy mother dwelt
In decency. But thou dwelest there no
longer-thou eatest no bread OF mine
l viii choose my pupils from another
brood"
"Nayl sister it's not proved" stam-
mered zufkar,
Not proved?" she went on still more
passionately; may, tits not proved to
thy nelghbors, maybe; but TO me. Mine
eyes have seeR-I know the tFlelS-and
out thou goest / will have no such do
inHs in my house, and so / warned her
months ago. But there! what need for
railing? Live on her gold, and thou
whist; 1t shall not chink beside mine"
She sank back upon the silk coverlet
again, and with bitter laugh began TO
rustic the tinsel fan once more. And
Zulfkar, after unavailing protests,sl skunk
down the dark stairs, and so along the
streets TO certain house over the la-
uor sellers shop, about which noisy
crowd gathered all day long.
And that night screams and blows
came from the second story. and I'M
availlng curses on the mischief-maker,
But IL the latter heard them she gave
,tfr 10 ha unnrnNYDH uiuitnrG drink
ing sherbet In the cool upper story, with
the windows set to the stars.
1t was Zulfkar beating his Wife, OF
course, because she was so handsome
primarily; secondly, because she had
been foolish enough to be found out;
thirdly, because Burfani would keep her
word.
And she did. The supplies stopped
from that day. Within week the Sec
ond story lay empty, while Laglgan wept
tears of pain and spite in miserable lit
tie lodging In the very heart of the city.
1t IL difficult even to hint at the impotent
rage the woman felt toward her sister
in-law. Even Zulfkar's blows were for
gotten in the one mad longing to re-
venge herself upon the pink and saffron
dalntiness which would not spare
llOlIl u lhll tdblN' iOl 81 w Afah
igan's coarse, passionate nature the
matter presented Itself, bringing with 1t
fierce delight at the projections of her
own lover. He had deserted her for the
time, II Is true, but that was the way OF
lavers when husbands were angry; by
and by he would come back and there
would be peace, since Zulfkar must have
gold
So ran her calculations, but she reck-
oned without certain fierce intolerance
which the latter shared with her sister;
also on the somewhat premature empty
ing of his pockets. But luck was not all
against him. And so. when q few days
after the fitting from the second story,
she, being sick to death OF dullness,
thought the time had come for self-as-
serton, she found herself mistaken, Zulf-
kar. still full OF Dutch courage, fell upon
her again and beat her most unmerei-
fully, finishing up with an intimidatory
slash at her nose 1t was not much, not
half so serious as the beating, but the
very thought OF possible Disagreement
drove her mad, and the madness drove
her to corner where she could plan re-
venge while Zulfkar slept heavlly-fop
he was more than half drunk. And this,
too, was the fault of the saffron and rose
devil In the upper story, who had her
amusements and SpIed upon other
womens ways. And this meant days
more ere she, Lagigan, would be present.
able, even II she did not carry the mark
to her grave, and all because that she
devil was jealous-jealous Of her lover.
Oh, for revenge. And why not? The
door was Unmatched since Zulfkar had
forgotten II In his rage: the streets were
deserted. Even the broad path down
the river would be asleep, the green light
gone from above, only the red lamp
swinging over the outer door, sending
glow fire The thought leapt
to her brain like a fame itself. Why
not? 2ulfkar had purposely kept-all
unbeknown to the she devil--a second
key to that empty second floor, and he
was in drunken sleep. If she stole 1t, 10
she took the bottle of parafiin, If she set
fire to the wooden partition separating
the stairs, II she broke the red lamp and
pretended that was It.
She did not stop to think. She had be-
gun the task almost before she had
thought out the details, fumbllng In
Zulfkar's pockets as he lay. And there
were two bottles OF paratnn In the cor
ner; that was because he had brought
one home and the market woman an
other by mistake. SO much the better.
so much the bigger blaze. Then out into
the street, not forgetting box of safety
matches, strange companions to such
task She knew her way we'll having
wandered free enough as child before
the lot was drawn, the die cast which
sent her Ia suckle babes. Yet being a
woman beset by a thousand supersttlous
4 ~ krH ,Ia,
found herself face to face with the thin
wooden partition surrounding the steep
stairs leading upward. How many times
had she not listened to fet ascending
those unseen stairs and heard the tInkle
Of laughter as the unseen door above
opened.
Well. II would blaze finally and cut off
ut once all means of escape. A devlllsh
plan. indeed. and the leaplng flames ere
she left them to their task showed the
face Of n devil incarnate.
And so to wait for few minutes he
fore the whole world must know that the
saffron and rose daIntlness was doomed
No more lapghter-nO more lovers-thnt
would be for her, Laglgan, not for the
other with her cold sneers.
A licking tongue Of flame showed for
nm instant and made her pray heaven
none might see Il TOO soon Then n
crackle, pun OF smoke. Next cry Of
Nre; but, thank heaven, only from the
broad path. And what good were the
running feet, what good were the shouts
of the crowd In which her shroudod fig
urc passed unnotlced unless the upper
story had wlnEs-for the stairs must be
ne-hopelcssly gone by this time.
More than the stairs, for with one sud
MUST BI