The progress., 1904-05-21

with jewels"
"And what can he curey said thu
| princess, still looking at Safti, who
was now bargaining vociferously will
| a fat Arab for piece Of milk white
jade.
| "All things. l was sick Of fever
that comes with the summer. He gave
me stone crushed to q powder and
was VI ell. He saved from death one
Of the bey's sons, who was dying from
hijada. And then, too, he has stone
In ring which can preserve sight to
him who Is going blind"
The princess started violently.
Impossible" she cried.
ut is true" said Abdul. 1T is q
green stone-like that"
He pointed to an emerald which an
Arab was holding up to the light.
The princess put her hand to her
eyes. They still ached and her tenn
pies were throbbing furiously.
| II cannot stay here" she said. 1T
is too hot But-tell the jewel doctor
that wish to visit him. Where does
he live?"
I'm little street, Rue Ben-Ziad, in
a little house. But he is rich" Abdul
spread his arms abroad. When will
the gracious princess-?"
This afternoon. At-at four o'clock
you will take me-"
Abdul spoke to Safti, who turned,
squinted horribly at the princess, and
salaamed to her with curious and
contradictory dignity, turning his
fingers, covered with jewels, towards
the earth.
That afternoon at four, when the
venerable Nine. de Rosnikoff was still
drinking her weak tea and reading her
French novel, the princess and Abdul
stood before the low wooden door Of
the jewel doctors house. Abdul struck
upon it and the terrible physician ap-
peared in the dark aperture, looking
all ways with his deformed eyes, which
fascinated the princess. Having ascer-
tanned that he could speak little
broken French, like many OF the
Tunisian Arabs, she bade Abdul wait
outside and entered the hovel of the
jewel doctor, who shut close the door
behind her.
The room in which she found herself
was dark and scented. Faint light
from the street filtered in through an
aperture in the wall, across which was
partially drawn wooden shutter.
Round the room ran divan covered
with straw mating, and Safti now con-
Quoted the princess tremendously to
this and handed her cup of thick
coffee, which he took from brass tray
that was placed upon stand. As she
slipped the coffee and looked at the
pointed head and twisted gaze Of Safti
the princess heard some distant Arab
at a street corner singing monoto-
nously tuneless song, and the scent,
the darkness, the reiterated song, and
the tall, strange creature standing 81
lently before her gave to her, in their
combination, the atmosphere of a
dream. She found it difficult to speak,
to explain her errand.
At length she said: "You are doc
tor? You can cure the sick?"
Safti salaamed.
"With jewels? Is that possible?"
Jewels are the only medicine"
Safti replied, speaking with sudden
volubilfty. with the ruby l cure
madness, with the white jade the dis
ease of the hijada, and with the blood
stone hemorrhage. have made
man who was ill of fever wear a topaz,
and he arose from bed and walked
happily in the street"
"And with ai6ismerald," interrupted
the princess; "have you not preserved
sight with an emerald? They told me
So"
Safti's expression suddenly became
grim and suspicious.
who said that?" he asked, sharply.
abdul. Is it true? Can it be true?"
Her cheeks were flushed. She spoke
almost with violence, laying her hand
upon his arm. Safti seemed to stare
hard into the corners Of the little
ROOM Perhaps he. was really looking
at the princess. At length she said:
81 will give you any price you ask
for it."
"Ybu!" said Safti. But you-"
Suddenly he lifted his lean hands,
took the face of the princess between
them quite gently, and turned it to-
wards the small window. She had
begun to tremble. Holding her soft
cheeks with his brown fingers, Safti,
remained motionless for a long time,
during which it seemed to the princess
that he was looking away from her
at some distant object. She watched
his frightful and surreptitious eyes,
that never told the truth, she heard
the distant Arabs everlasting song.
and her dream became a nightmare
At last Safti dropped his hands and
said:
"It may be that some day you will |
need my emerald"
The princess felt as If at that mo-
ment a bullet entered her heart.
"Give 1t me-give it mel" she cried. |
81 am rich. l." /
II do not sell my medicines!" Safti |
answered.. HOSe WHO use tIeui iHuSt
live near me. here in Tunis. When |
they are healed they give back to me |
the jewel that has saved them. But |
you-you live far or"
With the swiftness of a woman the |
princess saw that persuasion would |
be useless. Safti's face looked hard |
as brown wood. She seemed to re-
cover her emotion and said quietly:
"At least you will let me see the |
Safti went to small bureau that |
stood at the back of the room, opened |
one of it's drawers with a key which |
he drew from beneath his dingy robe.
lifted small silver box carefully out.
to the princess and put the |
box INTO her hand.
open it," he said.
She obeyed, and took out a email |
and antique gold ring. in which was
set dull emerald. Safti drew ii gen. |