The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-24
A Gift of the Sultan.

4
| Mahryn, the great General, who had only
that week walked war against a colony
| of Armenians who would not pay their
taxes, and had seized enough of their
| wares and women to almost make good
| the debt There was der Garabedyn. his
favored diplomat, but just returned from
| Jerusalem. Hepard Sucznaahn, the high
official Of Turkey. was also there, and
but a few others who had been favored
for long
Now the feast was done and the guests
| had withdrawn from the low, inlaid Ia
bles and sat about their ruler on embroi-
| dered cushions, or half reclined on silken
couches, draped with fringe. They had
| lighted their nargiles, and the soft odor
| fioated through the apartment. The SUI
tan spoke:
ITO each of you, my chosen friends of
| Allah. will make a gift. You shall have
jewels, and each man shall pick slave
from some Of those just brought by
| Mahryn. Der Marranessi shall have first
! choice. You will take one Of my slaves
! to your harem, Jitka?"
with my eyebrows replied the honor
ed guest, bowling low.
At a sign from his Majesty, q slave,
| clad in the sacred green Of Turkey, drew
aside curtain and a group Of women
| entered. There were about fifty in num-
| Der, among them several Armenian girls
! but just come to the Royal palace. The
| long, dark hair OF the women was twined
with jewels and flowers, their gauzy dra-
| perry fell about them in clinging folds. On
/ their arms and ankles were many heavy
| bracelets, and each girl wore low, fat,
colored slippers, turned up at the toe.
| Choose thou, der Marrenessi," spoke
| the Sultan.
| OF all the women before him der Mar
| cf 1,,ff ba or fiT,oa in
| his life he felt his sluggish blood quick
en- with a fervor he had never known at
| sight Of woman. She was pale, with
the clear olive of dark skins, without the
| trace of huna. even on her hands or
nails. Her heavy hair fell in a curling
! mass to her waist, and she was moulded
! like a GreciasI statue. But 1t was her
| eyes that held Jitka charmed. Large and
dark they were filed with the fire Of
| youth, and a keenness that made him
think she read his soul. She had fixed
her eyes on his and held them trans
fixed, and each felt they had met an af-
finity. For an Armenian woman has a
soul and liberties that a Turkish woman
would feat to own.
1t was long before Jitka spoke. Then
he said
What is her name?" and pointed to
the woman.
"Bhima; she is a Christian Armenian y
answered the slave at the curtain.
The great men shrugged their lordly
shoulders.
Jitka bowed to the Sultan and said:
''Thou greatest of earthly rulers, choose
Bhima as my gift from thee"
When Jitka returned home he went to
the women's side of the palace and spoke
to the guard at the door. Has any one
gone by?"
"A new slave: the gift of the Sultan"
LET her he brought to me-" And he
crossed the walk to his own door. For
Turkish houses are built like an arch
over the street walk, with only the en-
frances for the first floor, one for men
and one for women. The latter door al
ways being guarded.
Bhima awaited him when he entered his
apartment, still clad in the feecy white
drapery. She stood quite still with her
cleaning eyes fixed upon him. Had she
been a Turkish woman she would have
fawned at his feet and he would have
patted her cheeks and caressed her as he
would his dog. But she was an educated
Armenian, accustomed to courtesy and a
certain mark of equality. Jitka almost
feared to offend her. He had never met
a woman of her class before, as he was
meeting her. She was his property, to
keep, to love. or to kill. Yet, there was
almost a reverence in his manner as he
approached. He held out his hand to
touch her. and let it fall to his side. He
pulled off his feraje and himself put it
up. Then he came toward her again.
it was a new experience for him, thus
far of woman. and almost involuntarily
he held out his arms and cried, "Bhima,
I love you
Like a fash the girl darted to him and
placed her head against his breast, as IL
seekingi protection, and her arms about
his neck. and Jitka der Marennessi, for
the first time, crushed in his embrace a
wOman-not his slave.
To an Armenian woman true love is as
sacred as her God, and Bhima loved with
q love both deep and simple. 1t was
new thing to Jitka, this equality with a
woman To speak of great things and
be understood; to converse whit her in
a foreign tongue; to even seek her advice
in matters Of state and then act on
it when given. 1t was all new, and,
therefore, interesting. To be loved with
such a devotion, and to have his wishes
known before spoken, and to have this
woman conform to the rules OF his house
hold was indeed delightful. Jitka remain
ed at home more than ever before, and
Bhima was always with him. But when
he was away her lot was a hard one,
for the three wives and the women Of the
harem wreaked their jealousy on her.
At length Jitka grew tired Of his love,
and Bhima could not understand He
brought a new woman TO the harem, and
this Malada had a soft, iistlessness Of
manner that was exasperating Then
Bhima knew that her love was cast aside.
At first she wept, and the women Knocked
her grief. Then she dressed herself in
gorgeous costume OF red and gold and
hung jewels about her. She tied her sash
with long ends and wound a turban about
her head. Going 10 Jitkas apartment
she awaited his coming, and when he
came she threw herself in his arms and
sobbed out her sorrow. She caressed his
face with her soft fingers and smoOthed
back his hair. She kissed his head his
hands. his feet She knelt before him
and throwing back her head with parted
lips. she held his eyes transfxed. Jitka
was not proof against this woman. He
was weary OF her, yet he could not cast
her aside. So he c0nsoled her and took
her to MS heart. Then calling ais serv-
ant he ordered q feast for the women II
honor of Bhima's love. She stayed with
him until It was ready and placed on the
inlaid tables, then with a last kiss she
went away
Jitka was restless and could not be
calm. Once he called 10 Bhira 20 come
back. but she did net hear. He went 10
the doorway and watched the women eat
Bhima raised her glass o. wine and drank
to him, WITH educated freedom. And
the slave behind filed il from a separate
bottle. Again and again she drank The
otlor OF flowers and incense was heavy.
That NAV have been why she grew faint.
Iitka. in the solitude OF his rooms. !
heard a piercing scream. he arose ard
rushed toward the wones's room In the
corridor, dragging herself along and
gasping for breath. was Bnfna. with Wild /.
ewes and flaming cheeks