Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-07-24

Kettle looked about him with open In.
tercst and thoughts In verse about this
eastern town came to him with pleas
ant readiness
The royal residence was the large
building cncinctured with gardens
which they had seen from the sea. and
they entered with little formality.
There was no trouble either about OBJ
taining an audience. Armed guards to
the number Of some 20 men were post.
ed round the walls, and at the farther
end. apparently belonging to the civil
population. were some dozen other men
squatted on the door. In the center Of
the room was q naked wretch in
chains. but sentence was hurriedly pro-
nounced on him. and be was hustled
away as the two Englishmen entered,
and they found themselves face TO face
with the only woman In the room. the
supreme ruler Of this savage south
Arabian coast town.
She was seated on . raised divan,
propped by cushions, and In front OF
her was huge water pipe at which
she occasionally took medltatiye pull.
She was dressed quite in oriental fash
Ion. In trousers. zouave jacket, sash
and all the rest Of II. but she was un-
mistnkably English In features. though
strongly suggestive Of the Boadicea.
She was large. heavily boned woman,
| II, ts,lt a..ah nd ho
dandled across her knees that very un-
feminine scepter. an English cavalry.
man's sword. But the eye neglected
these details and was irresistibly
drawn by the strongness Of her face.
Even Kettle was almost awed by IL
But Captain Owen Kettle was not q
man who could be- kept In awe for long.
He took OF his helmet. marched brisk
ly up toward the divan and bowed.
"Good afternoon. your ladyship." he
said II trust see you well I'm Cap
tain Kettle. master Of that steamboat
now lying lp your roads. and this Is
Mr. wenlock. a passenger Of mine, who
heard that you were English and has
come to put you In the way Of some
property at home"
The lady sat more upright. II am
English" she said. u was called in
the giaour faith Teresa Anderson"
THAT'S the name" said Kettle. "Mr.
wenlock's come TO take you away to
step Into nice thing at home"
II am emir here. Am ] asked to be
emir IN your country
"why. no." said Kettle. THAT jobs
filled already. and We aren't thinking
Of making Q change. Our present emir
In England (who. by the way. Is lady
like YOURSELF seems to suit rs very
well"
II do not understand" said the won.
an. II have not spoke yopr language
since was child. Speak what you say
again"
I'll leave Il TO Mr.. Wenlock. your
majesty. II you've no objections, as he's
the party mostly interested. ! see you
don't mind smoke" he added and lit O
fresh cheroot.
Now, II was clear from the attitude
Of the guards and the civilians present
that Kettle was jostling heavily on
court etiquette. and at frst the lady
emir was very clearly inclined TO re-
sent II and had sharp orders for his
repression ready upon her lips. But
she evidently changed her mind. In
the meanwhile Mr.. Wenlock was stat
ing his case with small forensic elo-
quence. The sight Of Miss Teresa An.
derson In the flesh awed him. The
woman before him. whose actual age
was 2S. looked so and even for des-
perate man like himself was Impossi
BILE as a wife In England. He felt
daunted before her already.
| But the lady emIr looked on Wen
lock In very different way from that
In which she had regarded Kettle. Mr..
wenlock possessed. as indeed he had
himself pointed out on the Parnkeet.
a fine outward presence. and. In fact
anywhere he could have been remark.
ed on as a personable man. The lady
emIr had not remained unmarried all
these years through sheer distaste for
matrimony. She had been cciibate
through an unconquerable pride Of
blood. Here. now. stood before her
q male Of her own race. handsome.
outstanding and obviously impressed
by her power and majesty He would
not rule her. He would not even at.
tempt a mastery. She would still be
emIr-and a wife. The chance had
never occurred to her before: might
never occur again. She was quick to
make her decision.
Ruling potentates are not as other
folk with their love affairs. and the
lady emlr Of Dunkhot unconsciously
| fell In with the rule Of her caste. The
English speech. long disused. came to
her unhandIly. but the purport Of what
she said was plain. She made procla-
nation that the Engllshman Wenlock
should there and then become her hus.
band. and let slaves fetch the moIlah
to unite them before the sun had drop
ped below another bar Of the windows
She did not ask her future husbands
wishes or his permission She simply
stated her sovereign will and looked
that Il should be carried out forthwith.
For long enough Wenlock stood
wordless In front Of the divan. far
more like criminal than prospective
bridegroom. The lady. with the tube
Of the water pipe between her lips.
pufYed smoke and made no further
speech. But at last Wenlock. as though
wrenchlng himself into wakefulness
out Of some horrid dream. turned wild
" to Kettle and In torrent Of words
implored for rescue.
The little sailor heard him quite IN
moved. You asked my help" he
said. I'm a certain matter, and I've
given II. and things have turned out
Just as I've guessed they would. You
maundered about your dear Teresa on
my steamboat till was nearly sick.
and. by James. you've got her now.
and no error about II"
Now the lady emIr was not listening
to all this TRADE by any means un-
moved Although she did not under
stand one word In ten Of what was be
ing spoken. she gathered the gist Of II
She threw away the snaky stem Of wa
ter pipe and gripped both hands on the
troopers sword till the muscles stood
out In high relief.
"Do you say" she demanded. you
unwilling marry mer"
"Yes," said Wenlock. with suIlen en-