Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-10
The First Secretary


py, which had come hmping home by himself
from the druggist s-yes, she would sell Hope
| too, dearest of her possessions. But she could
| not do much alone. She needed the help of
grown person. And so naturally her thought
went out to Weir.
Xeny recovered rapidly, and, the first day
that she was able to 60 out, asked permission
to go to the Hotel de Londres to see the
American. Madame Mavrocorthato was feel
ing very indulgent to Xeny, a ID readily gave
her permission. So, escorted by Miss Kitty,
and accompanied by the puppy, she started out.
At the hotel she was told that Weir had
gone away nearly week before, saying he
would not be back in several days. Disap-
pointed, Xeny walked toward home In front
of the Galatd .Serai there was commotion,
caused by some twenty or thirty fighting dogs,
into which Hope darted, nothing daunted by
previous experiences Much as Xeny liked to
rebel from constituted authority and plunge
into fights herself, she did not approve of it
for her dog; and after him she rushed, grabbed
him up, and staggered down side street away
from the fight.
"Xeny, Xenyl' called the voice of Weir.
She looked up, and finally made out that the
sound came from one of the tiny grated win
dows of the city prison opposite. As soon as
she was sure whence the voice came Xeny did
not look second time. She lived in land
where children learn some things from the air
they breathe. She chung to her dog, and ran
as fast as her weak little legs would carry
ucI IOWdIu anu 1ntO n6I mOLl-
er's dressing room and told her what she
had seen.
Madame Mavrocorthato slipped a dress on
hurriedly, and went to the headquarters of the
women's society which minstered to the sick
in the prisons. She obtained the card of per-
mission which would open the prisons to her.
and, with basket of things to distribute
drove to the Galdtd Serdf.
Prom cell to cell she passed, giving out
tobacco and fruit, till she came to where Weir
was. He was still at the window, enduring the
dying pangs of hope that had been born in
him when he had seen Xeny.
You cannot go in there, hanum," the jailor
said to Madame Mavrocorthato. THAT is a
desperate villain, a Frank, mailman
indeed" madame exclaimed. How did
he come here?"
"The officers brought him here six days |
ago, the worse luck What for?" He shrugged |
his shoulders: reasons for imprisonment he |
did not try to fathom. THE morning after |
he came, he struck down Arif, as he brought |
him his food, and nearly escaped, though a |
dozen of us were beating him with slaves, and |
he fighting with only his naked hands. The |
next day he tried to attack me; but he had not |
recovered from the beating we gave him, and |
was not quick enough. / slammed the gate |
him between the bars-and once day." he |
added with grin. 1t is not well that such |
Frank should have his natural strength"
Let me talk to him in his own language"
madame persisted. 1t may be that his mad |
ness has been driven out of him by your treat |
ment."
She approached the bars, and said, in tone
of benevolent condescension, as suiting the part
she was playing, Stephen Weir give no sign
that you know me-"
The words came to Weir like voice from
heaven. He stood perfectly STILL till he could
trust his manner not to betray him. Then he
turned, and to the keepers surprise came quite
humbly toward the charitable woman making
her rounds of the prison.
Madame poked some tobacco through the
bars to him, and continued, with the same
manner in which she had spoked before, What
ever | tell you to do now, obey without ques-
ton; and answer me as if you were pleading
to be released from prison"
Of all the surprises that had come to madame |
that day, the greatest came with Weir's first |
words. And the tone in which he uttered |
them might well have been those of prisoner |
pleading for his life:
Tell me, madame, where is Rhasneh, |
daughter of Takshan Pasha?" |
For an instant madame thought that the |
American was, as the turnkey had said, insane. |
Yet what better fitted in with his present pre- |
dicament than what his words suggested? |
And if this was indeed So she must act quickly |
to save Weir from the vengeance of Rhasneh's |
father.
Madame Mavrocorthato addressed herself |
again to the turnkey, with an exquisite defer
ence of manner that completely won his heart:
That miserable foreigner is here by mistake |
He will Only cause YOU ANNOYANCE Let him |