The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-12-02
silent, expecting Logotheti to say

Tic COuCluOluk ScuJSuCC, IOE fASldIlC
match-makers and peace-makers are
generally paid on some such basis,
and the slim Tartar girl had proved
long ago that she was a 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
who suited her, she had told him so,
and had given him the secret of great
wealth. and in return she expected
him to marry her. if she found him
alive. But If not, she would imme-
diately take steps to obtain another to
fill his place and be her husband, and
she was willing to pay high price to
any one who could find one for her.
Logotheti had half expected some
such thing. but was not prepared for
her extreme directness; still less had
he thought of becoming the matri-
monial agent who was to find a match
worthy of her hand and fortune. She
was 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 a
yashmak and ferajeh, on the deck Of
a Bosphorus ferry boat.
He said nothing in answer, and sat
thinking the matter over.
Il could not offer to pay you five
per cent" she said after a time, be
cause you are king, but l could give
you one of the fine rubies 1 have left,
and you would look at it sometimes
and rejoice because you had found
Baraka a good husband"
Logotheti laughed low She amused
, him exceedingly, and there were mo-
ments when he felt a new. charm he
had never known before
why do you laugh?" Baraka asked,
little disturbed. Il would give you
good ruby. A king may receive a
good ruby as gift and not despise
it. Why do you laugh at me? There
| came two German merchants to me in
Paris to see my rubies, and when they
had looked, they bought a good one.
but not better than the one 1 would
give you, and Spiro heard them say
to each other in their own language
that it was for their king, for Spiro
understands all tongues. Then do
you think that their king would not
have been glad if had given him the
ruby as a gift? You cannot mock
Baraka. Baraka knows what rubies
are worth, and has some still"
Il do not mock you" Logotheti an
swered, with perfect gravity. 81
laugh at my own thoughts. l said in
my heart: If Baraka asks me for a
husband, what will she say if l an.
swer. Behold, am the man, if you
are satisfied This was my thought. -
She was appeased at once, for she
sawsnothing extraordinary in his sug
gestion. She looked at him quietly
and smiled, for she saw her chance.
1T is emptiness" she said. 81 will
have a man who has no other wife"
Precisely" Logotheti answered,
smiling. 81 never had one"
Now you are indeed mocking me,"
she said, bending her sharp-drawn
eyebrows.
mo. Every one knows it who
knows me. In Europe, men do not
always marry very young 1t is not a
fixed custom"
Il have heard so" Baraka an.
swered, her anger subsiding, but il
Is very strange. If it be so, and if all
things should happen as we said
which Allah avert, and if you desired
me for your wife, l would marry you
without doubt. You are a great man
and rich, and you are good to look at
as Saad was. Also you are kind, but
Saad would probably have beaten me-
for he beat every one, every day, and
l should have gone back to my ia.
theirs house. Truly" she added, in a
thoughtful tone, you would make a
desirable husband for Baraka. But
the man l seek must marry me If ]
find him alive, for 1 gave him the
riches of the earth and he gave me
nothing and departed, leaving me to
die. l have told you, and you under.
stand. Therefore let us not jest about
these things any more What will
be. will be, and if he must die. it is
his portion, and mine also, though II
is a pity"
Thereupon the noble little features
became very grave, and she leaned
back in her chair and folded her hands
in her lap. looking out at the violet
light on the distant volcano. After
that, at dinner and in the evening
they talked pleasantly. She told him
tales of her own land, and of hel
childhood, with legends of the Atai
Of genii and enchanted princesses;
and he, in return, told her about the
great world in which he lived; but
of the two, she talked the more, nc
doubt because he was not speaking
his own language, Yet there was a
bond Of sympathy between them more
natural and instructive than any that
had ever drawn him and Margaret to
gether.
When the sun was up the next
morning and Logotheti came on deck
to drink his coffee alone, he saw the