The Huttig news., 1909-04-10
From Beggar to
 Spy The Story of Persian Maid

Begging is popular profession in Persia Persians learn it young. aaG one progress through the narrow streets of Tabriz is everlas tingly in. commoded by the psrsis.en. demands of infant orportunists For some al occasional nickel and much hard Ian guage are sufficient for others neither largesse ncr abuse will suffice With a third class it is possible to contract for peace. A 2-kran piece t14 pence) paid regularly once month will satis fy the demands upon your charity. In this latter class was Dowlati. Now, I think that little Dowlati, while being the dirtiest, was certainly the prettest child have seen. She may have been eight or nine. Perhaps even, she was ten; but in spite of the grIme which incrusted her she was perfect of face and form Imagine a small graceful figure inadequately shroudeG in a fad ed blue cloth-a cloth that was skirt, vest and head cover in one and that was so tattered and patched that the fullness of velvet skin, white as a Saxon's. showed through it every where.
 Imagine, peeping through this shift, little oval face of perfect symmetry; cheeks like ripe peaches; pair of black, lustrous eyes. shaded with inch black lashes; tangle of matted hair : sweet, red mouth-and you see Dow lati the beggar maid, with whom compounded for a silver two-kran piece month. But my contract did not obliterate the child. 1 saw her daily l While she honestly refrained from pestering me, yet she looked at me so wistfully and piled the silent graces of her sex so subtly, that 1, being as tonished at the natural coquetry of one so young and untamed. often fell a victim to her silent pleading.
 Then for a week I missed Dowlati I All her compeers were there in the small bazar, but there was no Bowla i i Could she have fallen victim to some stray bullet during the street fighting :? Had her guardians, if she had any, l perceived her beauty and budding womanhood, and hastily withdrawn her from the public gaze, to languish behind the thick veil that standardizes a woman's virtue in Persia? None could tell me. What was one beggar maid more or less in the streets of Tabriz?
 On Sunday the third instailment of her contract payment was due. As left my gate, there in the sun. lean ing against the bright buff wall, stood Dowlati. The same smiling, unveiled ill-clad, modest Dowalti. Where had she been? Dowlati was adventurous Her trade suffered from everproduc- tion in the town. She had begged out new claim" by the small tent town that had sprung up about the royalist camp outside 2. sid. TabF4 fSi Shf haa n51 con tract She took the rough struck coin. beamed on me and disappeared Poor little atom, l was never to- see Der smile again.
 Hassan Ali shrugged his shoulders. There is no knowing what will hap, pen to her out in the Shah's camp This is Persia, and Karadagh horse. itOA iCSPCCl iOl CftH CnlufGu or ten der age. But what does one beggar maid more or less matter, It is from their ranks that we recruit all that you in the west call infamous. She is not too young; this is Persia. Yes!7
 They have caught a spy. Yes,' Hassan Ali sat down in his chair with all that awkwardness which people accustomed to sit on their heels usual ly exhibit in European surroundings
 What will they do to hm?"
 Spies do not live long at these times. It was one of these beggars Yes She was carrying messages regu larly between the royalists under pro lection in the Russian consu ate ano Mujtehids in Devachi Yesir
 Poor thing." I unused and gave the matter no further thought until the evening. Then I happened to pass the Maragha gate. A crowd was col lected and two Americans with cam eras had climbed an adjacent wall ano were trying to make the nest of the failing light My gulam, sturdy fel low, pushed lane for me that I might pass the gate. What grewsome sight met my eyes Suspended, head down ward, from the coping of the arch was naked female figure. A strip of old blue cloth passed about the legs but rendered the attempt at decency in decent l will not harrow your feel ings further. AS 1 gazed uron the distorted features 1 realized that Dow lati's contract with me had been ter minated. Never again should I see this beautiful child shrinking shyly against the mud wall that faced my gate. spy! So young and so beau tiful. and, let us hope so innocent But this is, Persia. What does beg gar girl more or less matterl
 Pronunciation of Caesar, Cicero.