The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-03-23
RIFAT nUssEIN BEY.
ev An.te,. heurteaux.

SAAaSS AAAa YIN q 81
stack of papers piled up on his large
mahogany desk.
He did not feel like working and
stepped owe to the window. lit a cigar
ct and locke out into the courtyard.
where soldiers and zapthics walked
,olemuly up and down awaiting his or
ierS.
Rifat sighed as the memory OF the
cooked into from his modest office in
Aleppo came back. There We're no
roses here. he thought, though plenty
of thorns in his new position.
Ali. the old secretary. opened the
door. made a deep, respectful salaam
and handed his chief a card.
Let her come in" Rifat ordered
srufily.
With the %languid. slow movements
which become a man of his high dig
atty he arose to meet his visitor. But
suddenly his eyes sparkled. the color
shot up into hts cheeks Is he looked
lpon the most beautiful woman he had
ever seen.
She sank gracefully down In the low.
comfortable chair which he politely Of
tered her and seemed Very much at
ease. not the least perturbed or bash
full.
oh. these Frankish women" Hussein
Bey thought.
He looked at her intently as she sat
there smiling. and Inhaled with rapture
the odor of Peau d'Espagne which EN-
anate6 from her elegant dress. How
poor the rose garden at Aleppo seemed
now.
You wish to speak to me, nadame2'
he asked In faultless French.
1t vas a mere bagatelle. a most COM
monplace and embarrassing story she
had to tell, but she told It in the most
charming manner, which suggested to
him a promenade In the woods In
moonlight.
II wonder If dare" he asked him
self.
He thought Of his As years, his en-
bonpoint, his red whiskers. his little
near-sighted eyes, his bald head and
last of all-of his wife. Schefika Fannur.
who was still at Aleppo. and never sus-
pected the temptations which surround
ed lord and master at Stamboul. Il am
sure that this beautiful woman VIII
laugh at me-bu l do not care. l VIII
risk it anyway"
And he did.
An expression of disdatn in the beau
tiful face of his visitor. A few indlg-
nant words-but ten minutes later
Rifat Hussein Bey had her promise to
meet him the same evening at 0 IN the
garden of the Brasserie Romonti
Freres.
Not a bad Office after ALL" he said
to himself as she a left him with
q pressure of her hand. which prom
Used more than many words. II am
sure 1 shall like Stam5oul very much. :,
Once more he opened the window, put
he did not sigh for his rose garden any
longer. The cold fresh air from the
Y Bosporus, however, sobered MIN some
what and he began to regret his RASH
ness.
III it, he muttered. Il must be
more careful about this III who
may be nothing but the tool of my enc
mics who are jealous because of my
promotion
He took off his eyeglasses and poll
ished them carefully with his silk hand
kerchief.
ooh, the devil" no said. have not I
i all the detectives of Stamboul to find
= out for me who this woman is and
whether I run any risk by having any
thing to do with her"
He pressed q button on his desk and
gave orders to tell Mulasim Munir. Eff
fendi to look up the record of Mime
Madeline Cocotte, living at Rue Nene-
Tx, Is Pera, and report to him in per-
son before 8 o'clock the same after
noon.
Mulasim Ni%eutenant) Munir E1fendl
was famous for his abilities as g detec-
tive, but as he was poor and lacked the
necessary bakschish to convince his SUI
periors of his right to promotion he had
now for years in vain been waiting tc
be made a juesbascni tcaptain).
After luncheon Rifat Hussein Bey
came into his Office with q smiling face
The work seemed like play to him as
he went through the immense stack OF
mail and official reports. but he FIN
ished without finding any from Munil
Eftendi. He consoled himself. however
with the thought that 1t would arrive
In the 2 o'clock mail.
Two o'clock came. but no report
Three. 4 and S o'clock brought the same
disappointment.
Hussein Bey chewed his penholde,
into shreds in fury. A quarter past
he said to himself: II will not co.
Half past he said: she is too beau
tiful."
He rushed from the office. called {
cab and old the driver to drive as fas
as the horses would run to Brasserit
Bomonti Freres.
When Rifat Hussein E2ey came to hi!
office the next morning he found Mula.
sim Munir Effendi waiting for him. an
when he nae admitted him into hi!
private sanctum he found himself list
ening to the following official lepor
Nine. Madeline Cocotte is the wifi
OF an employe of the firm of Stefanide
& Gaitanopaulas and mother OF a 9lr
of 2 years. Yesterday evening at
O'Clock sharp Mime. Cocotte arrived a
the Brasserie Bomonti Freres, wher
she seemed to be waiting for somebody
Five minutes after 6 she was Joined b,
"a rather stout gentleman of about &C
b~aldheaded. with red whiskers an,
evidently near-sighted. dressed in blacl
Prince Albert coat n wearing the re-
ribbon of a Turkish order. with WHOM
she left the garden. Together they en-
tered cab No. 49, S6 n We're driven t
Pera Palace. where they engaged
private dining room ana partook Of
dinner. consisting of oysters, en- nat
urel. potage bisque. ragout a Ia Richie
lieu, poulard de la bresse. salade, au:
.truffes and ice, with n bottle Q
C~hambertine and two bottles OF Gil
quot. At half past II she left the res
taurant alone. The gentleman fe!lowe
ten minutes later, after having pal
the bill Of 80 francs"
During the reading of this report b
Munir Effendi in the most matter q
fact manner the chief OF police turne
very pale, and when IL was over h
turned to the Mulasim will. the words
II fully recognize ycu. unusual abil
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