The San Francisco call., 1908-03-29

never did. and when he had made
up his mind he sent for one Of
Arethusa's maids
"Yulia.' he asked, what do you call
your mistress?"
We call her Kokona," she answered
hesitatingly. "Is not that the Greek
word for young lady. your magnin-
.ceDce7"
Yes" said Zeno, that is the Greek
word for young lady. But Arethusa is
only a slave as you are Why do you
give her a title? What makes you think
she is a lady?"
She is different kind Of slave. She
cost much gold. Besides. IL we did not
call her Kokona she would perhaps
pull our hair or scratch our faces. Who
knows? We are only ignorant little
maids, but so much the big negress at
the slave prison taught US"
she taught you manners, did she?"
zeno smiled at the idea
~She made US cry very often, but it
was the better for u.s." answered the
maid. with philosophy beyond her
years I'VE have fetched a good price.
: and we have a good master. and we
are together. all because we waited
cleverly on the Kokona one night and
one morning"
>'One night2" asked Zeno in surprise
she was only brought to the slave
prison yesterday evening. magnif-
cence."
AT what time."
1t was the third hour of darkness.
for the black woman sent the others to
bed as soon as she was brought"
Zeno thought over this information
FOR a moment.
Tell her" said he. that I shall sup
with her this evening. That is all"
Yuiia. who had kept her hands re-
spectfully before her, made a little
obeisance. turned quickly and ran
away. leaving the master of the house
to his meditations. She found Zoe still
sitting by the window, and the dainty
dishes which Lucilla had received on
chiseled bronze tray and had placed
beside her were untasted.
The master bids me say that he will
sup with you tonight, Kokona," said
Julia.
Zoe made slight movement, but
. controlled herself and said nothing,
though the color rose to her face, and
she turned quite away from the maids
lest they should see IT. They stood
still a long time. waiting her pleasure.
The hours passed and nothing hap
+fv,o
from her upper window that Zeno
came out of the house and went down
the marble steps to a beautiful skiff
that was waiting there. AS he stepped
in she drew far back from the window
lest he should look up and see that she
had been watching him. She heard his
voice as he gave an order to the two
watermen; their oars fell with gentle
plash, and when she looked again they
were pulling the boat away upstream,
toward the palace of Blachernae and
the Sweet Waters.
The maids. having eaten of the most
delicious food they had ever tasted till
they could eat no more, had curled
themselves up together on q carpet not
far from their mistress and were fast
asleep The shadow OF the house
heightened till X slanted out to the
right beyond the marble steps upon the
placid water. and the bright sunlight
that fell on Pera and Galata began TO
turn golden: so. when gold has been
melted to white heat a. the crucible. 1T
begins 20 cool, grows tawny, and Is
shot with streaks of red.
AS the day waned in a purple haze
and the air grew colder. the two maids
awoke together. rubbed their eyes and
fgct
not even noticed them, but just then
the even FLASHING OF oars was heard
again, and she saw the skiR coming
back. but without Zeno. She looked
again to be sure that 1t was the same
boat and q ray of hope flashed In her
thoughts like summer lightning. Per-
haps he had changed his mind, and
would not come-not tonight.
The maids reminded her of his mes
sage and she let them dress her again
for the evening. They arranged her
hair and twined strings of pearls in IT,
which they had found in a sandaIwood
box on the dressing table. They took
clothes from the wardrobes, fine linen.
wrought with wonderful needlework
and pale silks and velvet of faintest
blue embroidered with silver threads.
and when they had done their best they
held two FURNISHED metal mirrors be-
fore her and behind her, that she might
admire herself They had lighted MANY
lamps that We're all prepared, for II was
now dark out Of doors, and they had
spent two hours in arraying Zoe And
she smiled and patted their cheeks ana
called them clever girls. for she was
sure that zeno had changed his mind.
He would not come to her tonight.
But even as she repeated the words
to herself he came softly through the
warm lamplight and stood before her.
and her heart stopped beating.
For the first time since she had taken
the final step she felt the whole extent
and meaning Of what she had done.
she was really slave. and she was
alone with her master.
CHAPTER VII