Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-31


| unlimited supply of rose leaf preserve.
As for Logotheti, though he was not
Mussulman and not even an Asiatic. she felt
| herself safe with him, and trusted him as she
would certainly not have trusted Van Torp. or
any other European she had CHANGED to meet
| in the course of selling precious stones. He
| was more like one of her own people than the
| Greeks and Armenians of Constantnople. or
| even the Georgians of the Caucasus.
She was not wrong in that. either Logo
| theft was beginning to wonder what he should
do with her. and vaguely surprised to
| find that he did not like the idea of parting
| from her at all; but beyond that he had no
| more thought of harrning her than if she had
been Contided to his care and keeping by his
own mother.
THE Greek sat beside her for hours under
the awnings. talking or not, as Baraka chose,
| and always reading when she was silent,
| though he often looked up to see if she wanted
| anything. He told her when they left Naples
| that he would show her beautiful islands and
other sights, and the great fire mountains OF
| the South Etna and Strombo which she had
heard of on her voyage to Marseilles but had
not seen because the steamer had passed them
at night. ~
| pies. if it was the portion of kralnsky to be
gathered to his fathers before you saw him,
| what would you dor
| Baraka now turned not only her eyes to
him but her face. why do you ask me this?
Is it because he is dead, and you are afraid
to tell me?"
| "He was alive this morning" Logotheti
answered. and he is strong man. But the
strong die sometimes suddenly, by accident
if not of fever"
1T is emptiness" said Baraka still looking
at him. He will not die before see him
Allah forbid But if such thing happened.
would you wish to go back to your own people?
Or would you learn to speak the Frank and
live in Europe
i lob,
AVERT" Baraka answered calmly think
should ask you to find me husband
| All" Logotheti could not repress the lit
tie exclamation of surprise.
| Yes. 1t is shame for woman not to be
married. Am l an evil sight or poor. that
should 60 down to the grave childless? Or is
there any reproach upon mee Therefore. l
should ask you for husband because have
no other friend but only you among the Fer
ingees. But if you would not. should go to
Constantinople again. and to the Persian mer-
chants house, and / should say to his wife.
/ Get me a husband for am not cripple. nor
a monster, nor IS there any reproach upon
me- Moreover, should say to the merchant
| wife, Behold, | have great wealth. and will
| have rich husband, and one who is young
and pleasing to me, and who Will not take
another wife; and if you bring me such man,
for whatsoever his riches may be l will pay
| you five per cent.
| Having made this remarkable statement of
| her intentions. Baraka silent, expecting
| Logotheti to say something. What struck
him was not the concluding sentence; for
Asiatic match makers and peace makers are
generally paid some such basis, and the
| slim Tartar girl had proved long ago that she
was woman of business. What impressed
Logotheti much more was what seemed the
cool cynicism of her point of view. 1t was
evidently not romantic passion for kralinsky
that had brought her from beyond Turkestan
to London and Paris. Her view had been
simpler and more practical She had seen
| the man that suited her, had told him SO, and
had given him the secret of great wealth. and
in return expected him to marry her. If she
| found him alive. But if not she would imme-
dately take steps to obtain another to fill his
place and be her husband. and she was willing
to pay high price to anyone that could find
| him for her
7 OGOTHETI had half expected some such
- thing; but was not prepared for her ex-
IRENE drectness; still less had he thought of
becoming the matrimonial agent that to
| find match worthy of her hand and fortune.
She sitting beside him in a little ready
made French dress, open at the throat. and
only a bit of veil twisted round her hair, as
any European woman might wear it. Possibly
| it was her dress that made what she said sound
strangely in his ears. though it would have
struck him as natural enough if she had been
muff1ed in yashmak and ieraieh on the deck
| of Bosporus ferryboat He said nothing in
answer. and sat thinking the matter over.