The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-09-10
sultanas Mahpeiker and Tarkhan.

Euitanas Mahpeiker and TarkhaR.
grandmother and mother OF the infant
Sultan Mahomet. The feud was main
tanied with the utmost bitterness. and
each Of the principals attracted to
herself faction of rashas. The Turk
ish treasury. always the prey Of Court
officials. was soon emptied by the host
OF thieves who saw In this division
an opportunity to enrich themselves;
and poverty and disaffection prevailed
In the land. Demands for money
from my province became larger and
more frequent. until at last they could
no longer be met In n vigorous re-
monstrance to Sultana Mahpeiker and
her advisers. ! reviewed my conduct
during the whole term of my pashalic.
insisting upon the impossibility OF In
creasing the tribute from Trebizond.
and requesting permission to resign
my Office. My report did not reach
Constantinople until few days after
the death Of Mahpeiker who had been
assassinated by partisan Of Tarkhan.
About the time this intelligence was
brought to me- my son. charming boy
Of fifteen. the delight and hope Of my
life, succumbed to malaria. aud ] de"
termined to return to England.
The corrupt cabal then ruling at
Constantinople would. was sure. op-
pose my departure from Trebizond. for
a like reason and probably by similar
means that Signor Battista's depar-
ture from Copstantinople was opposed
in 1922. OF this had no doubt, and /
ordered my conduct accordingly. escap-
ing in q Muscovite merchant ship to
Taganrog, when Travelled slowly,
and with no incident worth the telling.
to London. arriving in the latter city
on Christmas eve in the year 1851.
bringing with me a goodly store OF
Turkish money and jewels. and the
ten chests Of sequins just as they were
nine years before. and as they remain
even to this day.
December 81 am disposed TO think
there are very few men who can look
back upon a long life with unmixed
satisfaction. but hope the larger
number Of men are more happily cir
cunstanced In this respect than the
old man who pens this record. There
remains but little for me to tell. and
l am weary of writing about myself.
At Holdenhprst ] found my brother
Mathew alive and happy in the com.
panionship of his wife and sons and
daughters. as. thank God, he Is to-
day. And now twenty years have
passed since l returned to England,
all Of which Except q brief and fruit
less visit which ! made to Venice In
1900 to discover the heirs Of Signor
Pietro Simona) have been passed In
this quiet English village where was
born. The alchemical Investigations
with which have occupied my leisure
have failed to yield the results had
hoped for. and my only wish now ID
that my life (Which by many signs
l know 10 now surely tending to Its
close) may be prolonged sufficiently
to allow me to found hospital for the
poor Of ST. Edmund's Bury with the
Venetian sequins which for safety
have lain so many years immured In
the Abbott's Cell beneath this house.
Is 1t too much to pray for. that my
Maker shall regard the charitable act
l contemplate as some slight atone.
ment for my bitterly repented renun-
citation Of the faith Of my fathers and
Of the riotous excesses Of my youth and
middle age? Truly do l now well
perceive that Lust is fame which
RACES fiercely and expires. while Love
endures forever and IL clothed with
immortal youth.
ROGER TRUEMAN.
To be continued.