The daily tribune., 1909-05-01
From Beggar to
Spy
The Story Of Persian M.id.
The Story Of a Pc

,
streets of Tabriz is everlastingly in
commoded by the persisten. demands
of infant opportunists. For some an
occasional nickel and much hard Ian.
guage are sufficient; for others neither
largesse nor abuse will suffice. With
third class It is possible TO contract
for peace. A 2-kran piece "a pence)
paid regularly once month will salts
fly the demands upon your charity. In
this latter class was Dowlati. Now.
think that little Dowlati, while being
the dirtiest, was certainly the protest
child have seen. She may have been
eight or nine. Perhaps even, she was
ten; but in spite OF the CRIME which
incrusted her she was perfect of face
and form. Imagine a small graceful
figure inadequately shrouded In 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
Saxon's, showed through 1t every
where.
Imagine, peeping through this shift.
little oval face of perfect symmetry;
checks like ripe peaches; a pair OF
black, lustrous eyes shaded with inch
black lashes; tangle of matted hair;
u sweet, red mouth--and you see Dow,
latl, the beggar maid, with whom
compounded for silver two-kran piece
month. But my contract did not
obliterate the child. | saw her daily.
While she honestly rofrained from
Fostering me, yet she looked at me so
wistfully and piled the silent graces of
her sex so subtly, that |. being as
tonlshed at the natural coquetry of
one SO young and untamed. often fell
victim to her silent pleading
Then for week | missed Dowlati
All her compeers were there In the
small bazaar, but there was no Dowlati
Could she have fallen victim to some
stray bullet during the street fighting?
Had her guardians, If she had any,
perceived her beauty and budding
womanhood, and hastily withdrawn
her from the public gaze, TO languish
behind the thick veil that standardizes
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 INSTRUMENT of
her contract payment was due AS
left my gate. there In the sun, lean
ing against the bright buff wall, stood
Dowlad. The same smiling, unveiled,
illclad, modest Dowalti. Where had
she been? Dowlatl was adventurous.
Her trade suffered from overproduc-
ton in the town. She had "pegged out
new claim" by the small tent town
that had sprung up about the royalist
camp outside Tabriz. She had just
come in that | might fulfill my con
tract. She took the rough struck coin,
beamed on me and disappeared. Poor
little atom, l was never to see her
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 Karadugh horse.
men respect not even children OF ten
der age. But what does one beggar
maid more or less matter! 1t is from
their ranks that we recruit all that you
in the west call Infamous She is not
too young; this is Persia Yes!"
They have caught 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. 1t was one of these beggars
Yes! She was carrying messages regu
larly between the royallsts under pro
lection In the Russian consulate and
Mujtehids In Devachi. Yes."
Poor thing!" 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 and
were trying to make the most OF the
falling light. My GUAM, n sturdy fel.
low, pushed lane for me that 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. ! will not harrow your feel
ings further AS | gazed uron the
distorted features realized that Dow
lati's contract with me had been ter
minated. Never again should ! see
this beautiful child shrinking shyly
against the mud wall that faced my
gate. spy! So young and 30 beau
tiful, and, let us hope, so innocent
But this is Persia. What does a beg
gar girl more or less matter!