The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1904-04-08
The PRINCESS AID The A:
* JEWEL DOCTOR. * :

-, LroNoEA nALLowrII-

y -. fticfSDNrG society there may
i be met az the present time a GER
tain Russian princess. Who is noted
for her beauty. Tor an urly defect
she has lost the foreinger of her lei.
hand and for her extraordinary at
tachment % the cify OF Tunis. where
she has spent al least three months
cl each year since ltaa-tho year in
which she suffered the accident tina,
deprived her ot finger What thai
accident was. and why She is SO pas
sionatcly attached 10 Tunis nobody
IN Russia seems 10 know, not even her
dOting husband. who bows to all her
caprices. But two persons could ex-
plain the matter-a Tunisian guide
named Abdul. and a mysterious indi-
vidual who follows humble calling
in the little Rue Ben-Ziad. close TO the
Tunis bazaars This latter is the
princess personal attendant during
her yearly visit TO Tunis lie accom-
panies her everywhere may be seen
in the hall Of her hotel when she is at
home on the box OF her carriage when
she drives out, close behind her when
she is walking. He Is her shadow in
Africa. Only when she goes back TO
Russia does he return 10 his profess
sion in the Rue Ben-Ziad
This is the exact history of the ac-
cidpnt which befel the princess in
1890 In the spring of that year she
arrived one night az Tunis She had
not long been married to an honorable
man whom she adored She was rich.
pretty and popular Yet her life was
clouded by great fear that sometimes
made the darkness Of night almost in
tolcrahle 10 her She dreaded lest the
darkness Of blindness should come
upon her Both her mother. now dead.
and her grandfather had labored under
this defect They had been born with
sight and had become totally blind ere
they reached the age % 80 Princess
Danischef as we mas call her i0r The
purpose of this story shuddcrel when
she thought cf their fate and thar il
might bee hers Certain books that She
read. certain conversations on the SUBJ
jcct Of heredify that She heard n ST.
Petersburg society fed her terror Oc-
caslonaily. TOO when She stood under
3 strong light She fc.t d slight pain In
her ewes She never spoke of her fear.
but she fell into condition of nervous
exhaustion that alarmed her husband
and her physician The latter recon-
mended foreign travel as a tonic The
former. who was detained in the cap
ifal by political affairs reluctantly
agreed 70 q separation from bis wife
And thus 10 came about that late one
night of spring the princess and her
companion the elderly countess lie
Rosnkon. arrived ia Tuuis al the close
OF tour in Algeria ana pm mp al the
Hotel Royal
The ba2aars Of Tunis are among tho
best Thar exist in the world oi hn1aars.
aud. on the morning after her arrival.
the princess was anxious 10 explore
them NTH her companion BIZ. Nine
de Rosuitoff was fauguol by her jour
noy from Constantine She le ed the
princess to so without her desiring
earnestly ID he Ten in her bedroom
with a cup az veal tea and a French
novel The princess therefore. orr
dered a guide and set forth ID the
bazaars
Tho guides name was Abdul Tie
was e taleatiye yoln eastern and as
he turned with The princess into he
network Of tiny alleys that spreads
from the Bab-el-bahar 80 the hazanrs
he poured foril food of intorma-
tion about the maryeis uf his native
city. The princess listened idly That
morning She was cruelty preoccupicd
As She stepped out OF the hotel into
the bright sunshine she had felt
sharp pain in her eyes. and now.
though She held over her head a large
green parasOl. the pain continued She
looked al the light and thought Of The
darkness that might be coming upon
her. and the chatter OF Abdul sounded
yague In her cars Presently however.
she was forced 20 attend 70 him. for
he asked her direct question
To-day they sell Jewels by auction
near the Mosauce Djama-ez-Zitouna.'
he said Would the gracious princess
like 10 see The marke Of the jewels
The princess nut her hand to her
eycs and assented in low voice ABB
dul turned out % the sunshine into a
narrow alley covered with a wooden
roof. At 4 little distance grave
man was noting down something in a
book. But the princess scarcely OBJ
served the progress OF the jewel auc-
ton Her attention had been attracted
by an extraordinary figure that stood
near her This was an immensely tall
Arab. dressed in diney brown robe.
ana wearing upon his shaver head.
which narrowed almost TO a point AZ
the back. a red fez with a large black
tassel. His claw-like hands were COW
cred with rings and his bony wrists
with bracelets But the attention OF
the princess was riveted by his eyes.
They were small and bright and
squin,ed horribly. so horribly that u
was impossible 20 tell 81 what he was
looking. These eyes gave 70 his face
an expression 81 diahOlic and ruthless
vigilance and cunning tie seemed Al
the same time 10 be seeing cNerAthirs
and 10 be gazing definitely al nothing