Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24
CHAPTER XVII.
The Broken String of Pearls

charmed the man she was not going to marry.
Her voice was vibrant with the hope that soon
she would be charming the man whom she was
going to marry.
Tsatsar-ab- harlem sat stolid at the words.
More than one of the other slaves, however,
sighed. 1t had been an arduous day. Fahick,
replete with food, groaned like an overloaded
wagon. Yet all knew that when Hanum
Rhasneh wished to walk, they must take ex-
ercise.
1T is a lovely night for walk" Rhasneh
continued. 1t had been lowering the whole
day, as a matter of fact. 1--WE shall go long
we'll" She spoke not in justification, but
affably, gaily And | want everyone to wear
heavy veil, or the night air may give you
fever"
Weir, after leaving Xeny at the door of her
house, hurried to his rooms. He picked up
tightly rolled bundle, and thrust the Turkish
slippers he had been playing with that after
noon into his pocket.
Going out, he nodded to the clerk. II may
not be back tonight
He did not take the horse car or cab.
Through the unlighted streets he walked, that
| he might be unobserved to the boat station
at Galata There he hired two Armenian boat
men with working knowledge of French
| his own Turkish being an untrustworthy
| vehicle for exchanging ideas-and set out on
| the long row to Therapia He might have
taken boat from his yacht except that he
was dealing with suspicious nation and
would be less noticeable in a native kaiek. 1t
was so dark that he had no fear of being
recognized, unless he should pass directly
| beneath the rays of some lantern.
| He stopped at Yeni-keui, the landing this
side of Therapia, and not much farther from
Rhasneh's palace paid his boatmen weeks
| wages, and promised them thrice the amount
to await his return. Then he took up his
station at the place appointed in Rhasneh's
letter. the fifth cross road south from Takshan
Pasha's palace.
When the clouds willed it these cross roads
| were lighted by moon stars; tonight Weir
| was as well hidden he could wish. He took
| off his shoes and tossed them over the wall
against which he crouched. Their presence in
| the garden the other side might arouse
next morning; but he did not stop to consider
others. He put on the Turkish slippers he had
| brought with him, and rolled his trousers UP to
his knees. Other disguise than this he appar-
entity had not; for he did not unroll the
| package he had brought with him.
| Leadenly the time passed. He knew that
he was ahead of the hour set by Rhasneh-of
| that he had assured himself before leaving the
| kGzck-yet as he waited in the intense black
ness, in which time no more seemed measurable,
| he began to torture himself with the fear lest
his watch had been slow or Rhasneh and her
party had passed by sooner than she had
intended to. Surely, he thought-after the
long wait in the dark had given him feel
| ing almost OF Eght headedneSS-SureIy 1t was
too late for a party of Mussulman women to
| be abroad.
| At length, affair off, Weir heard singing-and
| singing sprang up in his heart as he heard it.
1t was the agreed signal; that is, if the refrain
of each verse was ben seUerim sana." Not
breathing, his mouth half open, his heart
almost ceasing to beat, he listened to catch the
| words. He was not quick at Turkish; but
yesl those were the words, and they meant
| Il love you'll" and as he made them out, the
night for him. too, was a lovely night for
| walk.
| The singers came nearer. a twnkling light
leading them. 1t was lantern in the hands of
slave. which threw vague beams upon the
mass of yelled women who followed.
"Sing, singh" Rhasneh urged feverishly.
Weir heard her voice. Could he have under
stood her words, his last doubt as to the
identity of the singers would have been re-
moved. He felt quite certain who they were,
| however, particularly when in passing he saw
that one Of the yelled figures Jagged behind the
others. He came out of the cross road noise
| lessly, in his slippers, and overlook her who
| was tagging behind. He touched her arm, and
the slave fell still farther back, till quite out
| of the power of the lanterns rays; then turned
and threw over his head black ferediS that