The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-10-21

Hci eAlrehe ulrectness, Stlil less bad
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 II she had been muffied in a
yashmak and ferajeh, on the deck Of
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 time. DE
cause you are king, but l could give
you one of the fine rubies l have left.
| and you would look at it sometimes
and rejoice because you had found
Baraka good husband"
Logotheti laughed low. She amused
him exceedingly. and there were mo-
ments when he felt a new charm he
nad never known before.
why do you laugh?" Baraka asked
a little disturbed. Il would give YOU
a 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
mad looked, they bought good one,
but not better than the one | would
give you, and Spiro heard them say
to each other in their own language
that 1t was for their king, for Spiro
understands all tongues. Then do
you think that their king would not
nave 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"
I do not mock you," Logotheti an
swered, with perfect gravity. T
laugh at my own thoughts. l said in
my heart: If Baraka asks me for a
husband, what will she say If | an
swer Behold, am the man, if you
are satisfied! This was my thought"
She was appeased at once, for she
saw nothing extraordinary in his sug.
gestion. She looked at him quietly
and smiled, for she saw her chance.
1T is emptiness" she said. 81 will
nave man who has no other wife"
Precisely" Logotheti answered.
smiling. Il never had one"
Now you are indeed hooking mel"
sne said, bending her sharp-drawn
eyebrows
No. 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 it
is very strange. II it be so, and If all
things should happen as we said.
which Allah avert, and if you desired
me for your wife, i would marry Won
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
Tor he beat every one, every day. and
l should have gone back to INV fa.
ther's house. Truly" she added in
thoughtful tone, you would make a
desirable husband for Baraka Rut
the man ! seek must marry me if I
find him alive, for l 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 IL he must die. II is
his portion, and mine also, though II
ts q 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 dinper and in the evening,
they talked pleasantly. She told him
taxes of her own land, and of her
childhood, with legends of the Altai,
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. no
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
magic straits not many miles ahead,
in an opalescent haze that sent I'D a
vapor of pure gold to the pale blue
enamel of the sky. He had been just
where he was now more than once be-
fore, and few sights of nature had
ever given him keener delight. On
the left, the beautiful outline OF the
Calabrian hills descended softly into
the still sea, on the right the noun
tains OF Sicily reared their lofty
crests; and far above them all. twice
as high as the highest, and nobler in
form than the greatest, Etna tow
cred to the very sky. and a vast cloud
of smoke rose from the summit that
streamed westward as far as the eye
could reach
Let her go half speed. captain"