The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-12-14
LOg0tnsti spoke Win Deeoaaruw

! Yes" Baraka answered "SpsnA
money for me. that may be good -
see. Also, ! wish to have many seFV.
ants. Ny father has = hundred, per
haps a thousand. but now l have only
two, Guls and SDiro. The man seek
will think am poor, and that will b
a shame. While was searching fer
him, 1t was different; and besides, you
are teaching me how the rich FRANKIE
live In their world. 1t is not ike ours.
You know, for you are more like u.
though you are a king here"
She spoke slowly and laZiIy, paus-
ing between her phrases. and turning
her eyes to him now and then without,
moving her head; and her talk amused
him much more than that Of European
women. though 1t was so very simple.
like that of a gifted child brought
suddenly to new country, or to see
fairy pantomime.
Tell me" he said after a time, If
it were the portion OF Kralinsky to be
gathered to his fathers before you
saw him, what would you do?"
Baraks now turned not only her
eyes to him but her face
why do you ask me this? Is it be-
cause he is dead, and you are afraid
to tell me?"
He was alive this morning" Logo
theft answered. and he is a strong
man. But the strong die sometimes
suddenly, by accident if not Of 4
fever"
1T is emptiness" said Baraka, stiH
looking at him. HE will not die be-
fore see him"
Allah forbid But If such a thing
happened, should you wish to go back
to your own people? Or would you
learn to speak the Frank and live In
Europe?" :.
IF he were dead, which may Allah
avert" Baraka answered calmly, Il
think I would ask you to find me a
husband"
All" Logotheti could not repress
the little exclamaslaA of surprise.
Yes. It is a same for a woman
not to be married. Am I an evil sight,
OF poor, that I should go down to the
grave childless? Or is there any re-
proach upon me? Therefore l would
ask you for a husband, because 1
have no other friend but only you
among the Feringhis. But if you
would not, I would go to CONSTANT
nopIe again, and to the Persian mer-
chants house, and l would say to his
wife: Get me a husband, for l am
not q cripple, nor a monster, nor is
there any reproach upon me, and why
should 1 be childless?' Moreover I
would say to the merchants wife;
! Behold, ! have great wealth, and
will have a rich husband and one who
| is young and pleasing to me, and who
will not take another wife; and if you
bring me such a man. for whatsoever
his riches may be. l will pay you i've
per cent
Having made this remarkable state
! ment of her intentions, Baraka was
silent. expecting LOgotheti to say
something What struck him was not
the concluding sentence, for Asiatie
match-makeTs 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 LOgothetf
much more was what seemed the cool
| cynicism of her point of view. 1t was
| evidently not a 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
| I'LL 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 match
worthy Of her hand and fortune She
was sitting beside him in a little
!
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 mufled in a
yashmak and ferajeh, on the deck Of
a Bosphorus ferry boat
He said nothing in answer, and sat
| thinking the matter over.
q could not offer to pay you five
/ per cent" she said after a time, be
cause you are a king. but I could give
yoS one of the fine rubies 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 new charm he
| had never known before