The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-04-28

my; but this tiger seemed to be fasci-
mated by the wonderful effulgence that
lblazed in front Of him.
Some notion Of this must have passed
through the Shah's mind, for he switch
led off the light behind the jewels. AS
if some hypnotic influence had been
removed from him, the tiger turned
round again to look for his human prey.
While the beast had been gazing at the
blaze of light, the woman had an i'm
pulse of courage and sought refuge
iagain in flight. She sped down the cor
ridor with all the lightness of foot an
Eastern woman possesses.
But a tiger IAN cover more ground
in one spring than a woman can in ten
steps, run she never SO fast. Here the
trace was to the swift, the unequal bat
tie to the strong.
AS n came nearer and nearer her
long veil incommoded her and by a
daft and desperate twist or two she
managed to free herself of it's encum-
berlng trammels. The filmy folds float
ed on the air a moment, and as the tiger
Icame bounding on the veil caught on
the brute's head and in his jaws that
gasped all red and foaming. For a mo-
ment the beast vas entangled and be-
Wildered. But he soon tore through the
thln gauze. Brief az was the interrupt
ton, it had given the woman's grace.
She had got to the door by which she
had entered. She clutched at the bars.
but the door moved not. 1t was double
Locked. The keeper had acted we'll on
his masters instructions.
She gazed wildly around her. but es-
lcape there was none.
l caught sight OF the Shah's face. 1t
was livid with horror.
| grasped his arm. He was in such
evident agony that my mind was divert
led from the horrible sight in front of
me and l gasped, Whats the matter?''
"Zuleika. Zuleika. my WIFE" he
screamed. pointing at the desperate
woman.
Some echo of his cry must have reach
ed the wretched victim for she sprang
at the great glass window on the safe
side of which we stood. unable to move
Inland or foot to save her.
As she sprang, the tiger was upon
her. The force of the brute's leap
crushed her against the window. smash
ed it in. and tiger and woman rolled at
our feet.
The Shah absolutely bereft and alto
gether without control over himself.
leaped at the ravening beast and tore
lat mis- neck with his hands as if to
wrench the brute away from the form
of the beloved wife, the queen ef the
harem.
l drew my revolver-I always carried
lone. for it is not wise. to go unarmed in
Persia-even in the Shah's palace-and.
thinking little of the small use 1t would
be, fired at the monstrous cat.
1t turned on me with gaping jaws. I
fired once, twice, into it's open throat.
For one moment 1 felt my heart stand
absolutely still-and in that moment I
lived a century. First all the deeds OF
my life came before me one by one:
then l thought what a funny thing it
was l should be killed by a tiger; and.
then, L had a single CLEAN of sorrow
that my life should be thus ended while
1 was in my prime.
But my moment was up. Ny shots
had teld.
a great gsh Of hot blood blinded me.
II felt some huge force strike me. i
hlS" L Was IdIIllS luen : knew
nothing.
! When 1 recovered my senses 1 was
lying in my own bedroom at the Brit
fish Embassy.
On a tray on a little table at my side
Hay a small package and a note.
The letter was from the Shah. It
was brief but touching. His Majesty
requested me to accept what was en-
lclosed in the package, and said that he
would regard it as the greatest favor
man had ever done him If 1 would make
arrangement to leave Teheran and Per-
STA as soon as possible. He could not.
he said, bring himself to meet me. to
Hook in the face of the man who had
seen him murder his wife. He hoped l
would n some good excuse for leaving
the country; my friendship for him
would surely lead me to try to find one
and if friendship was not enough, let
me remember the horrible tragedy we
mad gone through together.
Needless to say, 1 was as glad to
leave Persia as he was to be rid of me.
1t was long before I could get rid
Iof the haunting memory of thai awful
might; every night for months 1 dreamt
1.-THE hole CHASTITY business owe and over
lin ali its dreadful details. Now, thank
goodness, I can sleep in peace.
The package? 1t was the Black Pearl
Of Persia.