Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-11-01
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
In the Dreamy East.

it's worth hearing. IT was when 1 was
I'm Damascus. / was buyingla pipe or
oriental style, when, a great 'puffy bag
OF black silk which, enveloped n lady
paused near me Observation-Disclosures be-
fore the shop of a young Jewel mer-
chant for the purpnse of(examining
his bracelets.
"only the eyes of the Figure were
visible. but they werehbIacker and more
beautiful than those of any heroine of
the Arabian Nights Entertainments
and they lit on me once. 'twice, three
times and sent a sensation through my
heart to which it was happly'as yet Il
stranger.
Behind the figure stoOdia less care
fully yelled person of an old female
servant. That il was "A young beauty
thus hid underline silkenf 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 exquisite hand, but she did ii. The
sign seemed to say, Wait l waited.
What l waited for l hardly knew.
Ny repertOry ofigesture is not large.
nodded Yes 1t Sutficed.
LAS she went Eaway. guarded by her
old attendant. size repeated the motion.
Watt it saidAagain.
There was cofTeehouse close at
hand. open TO the street like all the
other shops. There l squatted on Il
cushion and slipped and smoked.
II saw n fgureIpass. pause, make Il
sign to me.
1T was the old woman. the servant
OF my mysteriouSI beauty. l flung II
coin to the story fteller and followed
her
''She went on foria long while until
began TO think she would never speak
to me, hut At last sine paused under the
shadow of the blank plaster walls of Il
house in II quiet part of the city, and
suddenly letting down a long wisp of
/ gray hair took from il Il letter. a little
crooked thing. written on bright paper
and drenched with perfume-
IL little English know ii began.
/ MY mother she English. l wait for
you. Come
old woman.
she beckoued. Again l followed.
! We walked OH. she going before, l fol
! lowing. until she paused before II white
plastered wall. in which was Il narrow
door. Unlocking this. she motioned me
to enter. and. almost trcadnig on my
( heels in her haste. instantly slipped la
after me and relockcd il.
Il found myself In the most beautiful
garden Imagination can depict. Be
yOnd it was Il rose arbOr. ObeyinS the
old woman's motions, 1 entered the
} L. -
ION the instant two beautiful arms
were east about my neck. and u voice
like that of the nightingale softly
breathed these words:
"'Oh. how long l have waited for
you. joy OF my soulr
1T was the girl whom l had seen at
the bazaar. l knew her eyes and her
hands at once. and | knew that l had
met my fate. / loved her on the instant
as we'll as she seemed To love me-
Bother" said Dick.
Il cant make you understand that
delicious emotion" said Tom. signing.
There we sat together. talking like
lovers who had been parted for years.
She slipped Il ring upon my finger. l
gave her one from mine. l vowed to
bear her away to the land where lovers
were not the slaves they were there,
and she promised Ia meet me 9t the
little garden gate at midnight"
Going it fast" said Dick.
Suddenly, as we sat there, the old
woman rushed into the arbor. She
whispered word To my beautiful lady
love, who wrung her hands in terror.
Fly for your slife" she said. IF
Allah spares my life. 1 will meet you at
the gates ut midnight. IL 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 resolved TO die rather than to
allow her to be torn from me.
II waited. The moon arose, round
and yellow, in the sky. a strange bird
uttered shrill cry. A dog barked. l
heard steps within the garden and
shrank back into the shadow. They
were not the steps of women.
"As L listened the gate opened, and
four black slaves, bearing a burden,
emerged therefrom. As the moonlight
fell upon them l saw that they held
the sides OF great sack.
They marched away toward the
river. As 1 watched them, dreading |
knew not what, the old woman, with
her hair disheveled, rushed out of the
garden. and wringing her hands point
ell after them.
What has happened: l shrieked
''She threw into my hands little
note. l tore it open and read these
words:
"Adieu! The ealiph has discovered all. was
hi' wife. The fate of an unisithful wife in this
land is 10 be sewed Up in bag Of lime and cast
into the river. Adieu forever. MAZDA.
with shrek, / rushed after the re-
treating slaves and-awoke"
''Eh:" said Dick. "Awoke?"
YES said Tom. THAT was when /
was down with bad fever three years