The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-12-02

MlonI9ht at the ONCE.
finding him if any message came. The
man found him three times, and
brought three telegrams; and each
time as he tore open the little folded
brown paper he felt more uncomfor-
table, but he was relieved to find each
time that the message was only
business one from London or Paris,
giving him the latest confidential news
about a government loan in which he
was largely interested. When he
reached the yacht he sent another
man to wait till midnight at the Office.
The diva was angry, he thought;
that was clear, and perhaps she had
some right to be. The tone of her
telegram had been peremptory in the
extreme, and now that he had an
swered 1t after delay of several
days, she refused to take any notice
of him. 1t was not possible that such
a parsonage as she was should have
left Bayreuth without leaving clear in
structions for sending on any tele-
grams that might come after she left.
At this time of year, as he knew, she
was beset with offers of engagements
to sing, and they had to be answered.
midnight there were 16 hours, ample
time for q retransmitted message to
reach her anywhere in Europe and to
be answered. Logotheti felt sensa-
tion of deep relief when the man came
aboard at a quarter-past midnight and
reported himself empty handed; but
he resolved to wait till the following
evening before definitely leaving
Naples for the ten days which must
elapse before Baraka could try on her
beautiful Feringhi clothes.
He told her anything ne liked, and
she believed him, or was Indifferent;
for the idea that she must be as we'll
dressed as any European woman
when she met the man she was seek
ing had appealed strongly to her, and
the sight of the pretty things at Nine.
Annals had made her ashamed of her
simple little ready-made serges and
blouses. Logotheti assured her that
Kralinsky was within easy reach, and
showed no inclination to travel far.
There was news of him in the tele-
grams received that day, the Greek
said. Spies were about him and were
watching him for her, and so far he
had shown no inclination to admire
any Feringhi beauty.
Baraka accepted all these inven-
tions without doubling their veracity.
In her eyes Logotheti was a great
man, something like king, and vast
ly more than Tartar chieftain. He
could send men to the ends of the
earth If he chose. Now that he was
sure Of where Kralinsky was, he could
NO doubt have him seized secretly and
brought to her, If she desired it earn
estly of him. But she did not wish
to see the man, free or prisoner, till
she had her beautiful new clothes.
Then he should look upon her, and
Judge whether he had done well to
despise her love, and to leave her to
be done to death by her own people
and her body left to the vulture that
had waited so long ON jutting point
Of rock over her head three years ago.
1t was a dreamy and sense-compell-
Ing life that she led on the yacht, sur
rounded with every luxury she had
ever heard of, and constantly waited
on by the only clever man she had
ever really talked with. excepting the
old Persian merchant in Stamboul.
The vision of the golden-bearded giant
who had left her to her fate after
treating her with stony indifference
was still before her, but the reality
was nearer in the shape of visible
"greatman." who could do anything
he chose. who caused her to be
treated like q queen. and who was un-
deniably handsome.
She wondered whether he had Q