The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-11-04

you are going to do"
You see!" cried Baraka, almost an
grily. "You do not understand. A
servant! Shall I tell my heart to my
handmade, and my secret thoughts to
hired man? 1 tell you. because you
are friend, though you have no un-
derstanding Of us. My father feeds
many fiocks, and has many bondmen
and bondwomen, whom he beats when
1t pleases him, and can put to death
II he likes. He also knows the mine
Of rubies, as his father did before
him, and when he desires gold he
takes one to Tashkent, or even to
Samarkand, a long journey, and sells
1t to the Russians. He is q great
man. If he would bring a camel bag
full of precious stones to Europe he
could be one of the greatest men in
the world. And you think that my
fathers daughter would open her
heart to one of her servants? I said
well that you do not understand"
Logothei looked quietly at the slim
young thing in a ready-made blue
serge frock, who said such things as a
Lady Clara We're de We're would
scarcely dare to say above her breath
in these democratic days; and he
watched the noble little features, and
the small white hands, that had come
down to her through generations of
chieftains, since the days when the
primeval shepherds of the world
counted the stars in the plains of
KAT
He himself, with his long Greek de-
scent, was an aristocrat to the mar.
row, and smiled at the claims of men
who traced their families back to the
Crusaders. With the help of a legend
or two and half a myth, he could al
most make himself far descendant of
the Tyndaridae. But what was that
compared with the pedigree of the lit.
tie thing in blue serge frock? Her
race went back to q time before
Hesiod, before Homer, to a date that
might be found in the annals of Egypt,
but nowhere else in all the dim tradi-
tions Of human history.
''No," he said, after q long pause.
81 begin to understand. You had not
told me that your father was q great
man. and that his sires before him
had joined hand to hand. from the
hand Of Adam himself"
This polite speech, delivered in his
best Tartar, though with sundry Turk
ish Examinations and accents, some
what Modified Baraka, and she pushed
her little head backwards and up
wards against the top of the deck
chair, as If she was drawing herself
up with pride. Also, not being used
to European skirts, she stuck out one
other, as she stretched herself, and
she indiscreetly showed a pale-yellow
silk ankle, round which she could
have easily made her thumb meet her
second finger. Logotheti glanced at it.
you will never understand" she
said, but her tone had relented, and
she made a concession. IF you will
take me to him, and if he will not be
my husband, will let Spiro kill him"
That might be better" LCgotheti
answered with extreme gravity, for he
was quite sure that Spiro would never
kill anybody. IF you will take an
oath which l shall dictate, and swear
to let Spiro do it, I will take you to
the man you seek"
What must be, must be-" Baraka
said in a tone of resignation. When
he is dead, Spiro can also kill me and
take the rubies and the money"
That would be a pity" observed
the Greek, thoughtfully.
why a pity? 1t will be my por
ton. / will not kill myself because
then I should go to hellfre, but Spiro
can do it very welt Why should l
still live, them"
Because you are young and beau
tiful and rich enough to be very hap
py. Do you never look at your face in
the mirror? The eyes of Baraka are
like the pools of paradise, when the
moon rose upon them the first time,
her waist is as slender as a young
willow sapling that bends to the
breath of a spring breeze, her mouth
is a dark rose from Gulistan-"
But Baraka interrupted him with
faint smile.
you speak emptiness" she said
quietly What is the oath, that 1
may swear it? Shall take Allah, and
the prophet, and the Angel Israfit to
witness that will keep my word?
Shall l prick my hand and let the
drops fall into your two hands that
you may drink them? What shall
do and say. I am ready"
you must swear an oath that my
fathers swore before there were Chris
dans or Mussulmen in the world
when the old gods were still great"
Speak I will repeat any words
you like. Is it very solemn oath?"
at is the most solemn that ever
was sworn, for it is the oath of the
I TIT M, H. n