Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-13

VI
CHAPTER WI
The Picture in the Frame
THERE is such thing as love at first sight
even IN these days; and IN Turkey, love, If
it comes at all, must at first sight What
other sort would wish in a land of latticed win
dows and yelled ladies' where a may not
touch the hand of woman unless he is married to
her? In the West the free mingling of men and
maids develops the ability to withstand the glance
from the eye In the East, when eyes do meet eyes,
they pierce quickly to the heart
Weir wasted box of good American cigars
the evening of the day. after he saw Rhasneh
He would light one, stride tenn estuously about
his sitting room, find that his cigar had gone out,
and throw it away.
1 want YOU to help mel" he kept repeating to
himself Help you! I'd kidnap the Sultan, if that
would do any good. She can't be the wife of one of
these-these-" he hestated for the proper oppro-
brious term for a nation that would keep pearl
like this girl with the violet eyes hidden from him.
.'She is only young girl; but then they marry
here at an ungodly age He did not stop to re-
fleet that her age seemed improper only for
matrimony with another.
How often had Weir ridiculed the idea that
world to a man, if circumstances prevented his
getting her. Now he did not even debate the propo-
sition. But how l find her." his thoughts
ran on why don't they society de-
cent principle here?" He had come to Turkey
especially to see its peculiar mode of life. Then
l could go to Madame Mavrocorthato's fiesta to-
night and be reasonably of meeting her.
The violet eyes and the lovely oval face of the
girl half hidden by the yashnak, rose before his
minds eye and another cigar ended its career.
ITO help you'll he repeated aloud, and groaned.
How could he help her? Ridiculous as it was he
had sent word to Captain Bascombe, of his yacht
the Bluebird, to keep UP steam on her and to have
everything ready to slip anchor and dash out into
the Mediterranean at a moments notice But what
was the use of steam yacht capable of twenty-six
knots hour without the prize to race for?
Of sudden Weir Sprang to his feet 1t had
flashed across his mind that Turkish some
times the entertainments of foreigners par
ticulary of Greeks, although their participation
fha,,1N cd Qrl1nN only
the echo of the festivities 1t just possible that
the girl he sought would be at Madame Mavrocor-
thatos garden party. At any rate it was possible
chance, and he could see no other.
1t was glorious moonlight night, and on the
banks and on the waters of the Bosporus thousands
of all nationalities dsportlng themselves This
full moon perhaps the last of the when
it would be warm enough for this outdoor diversion,
and few were losing the opportunity The boatmen
Turkish women, with the curious license that is
permitted them, calling invitingly and pro-
negatively to- such passersby as they fancled-a
license that if presumed upon by those they adj
dressed would have meant little less than death for
the
Weir of stature to invite admiration,
and in the many times he spoken to he listened
for the voice that he felt he should recognize al
though he had never heard it. But he reached the
villa of the MavrocorthatoS unconvinced by any
voice that had reached his
1t a splendid fiesta that Weir found at
the Greek villa, the last of the season at Therapa
The moon and Chinese lanterns produced that effect
of beauty transcendng reality which has much to
do with the popularity of nocturnal festivities the
world And brilliant polyglot society dis
ported itself among the shrubbery of the lawn
shrubbery which contained its patches of shadow,
necessary to complete enjoyment as the general
briiance.
Madame Mavrocorthato one of the most charming
hostesses in Therapia, perceived the American
soon as he entered and greeted him with more than
ordinary warmth of courtesy The two had become
very good friends in the short time that he had been
in Turkey. Like MANY others of those that dream