Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-08


now intently watching everything with an
assumption of languor.
Col he said. thrustng his second wife for
ward where she dropped to the cushions in the
fore center of the room and with henna tinted
fngertips pucked at the hem of her en-
broidered wrappings. The Berber girl looked
from one to the other. and then with moaning
gasp clutched both hands together. and held
them out toward him. stepping slowly forward.
He thrust her from him violently that
she whirled. slipped. and fell on the glazed
pavement She lifted herself to her knees with
her chin uplifted. her hands still clasped. and
looked wildly into his eyes. He stood with
folded arms and frowned down on her. She
groveled. crept. and crawled forward clasping
his ankles with her arms and begging him to
tell her what she had done. pleading for some
forgotten word of love, and sobbing her dis
tress to the tortured holowness of his heart !;
but he stood unmoved for what seemed an
age. while the bride who had never been in his
arms sat on the cushions and smiled at the
plteous figure on the squares of tile.
HE unfoded his arms and with unleashed
tongue coldly accused her of unfaithful-
ness. telling her of what he had found and Of
his latest discovery. his hand swooping in
gesture toward the wall. where the ladder still
rested with the bundle of twisted rope at its
feet. AS he spoke she lifted herself this dauRh-
ter of many sheiks. until she was on her knees.
She stood upon her feet. facing him with eyes
of indignation and helplessness hearing charge
alter charge Of which she knew nothing and
tor which. in her innocence. she could offer no
defense. The house of dreams, the carded
world of happiness and love- was crumbling
into ruins beneath her barred feet, and the one
who had been tender and kind the insane
figure that stood before her. mad with jealousy.
hatred. and accusation Yet. being of the
Fileli. he was seemingly cold and determined.
Poor girl The light fading out. She
qu1vered as If scourged by cruel lasheS. She
attempted to deny; but he senced her with
motion so fercely contemptuous that it was
worse than blow.
"'You may CO. Ell Hasan said quite coldly.
You may live beneath the roof. because you
are not worth killing. You are a thing degraded.
and spared only because l hate to destroy the
shell Of what was; but from this day never let
me see you. hear Of you. know that you are
alive. You are as one disgraced, dead. and
forgottenl
She gave another appealing look at him;
but he had turned away and was standing be-
lore the grlnning woman on the cushions, who
pretended humility and surrender. She tot
tered down the white steps and out toward the
baby boy. who was now wide awake and laugh
inely splashng the water in his hands.
lei Hasan turned and saw her. No more!
he Numbered. Never again are you to touch
the child see him Leave him alone Get
you out to your quarters!
She paused for an instant as If Stupefied by
this last command. and then. with both hands
crossed above her breast. faced him. un-
fashionable despair in her look She took a
step forward paused. and then staggered
blindly up these steps and knelt before him.
She struggled to speak as if the voices of her
throat had been hating and dumb.
" Not that. she said. not that
Yes that' He was cold and impassive;
but had turned his back to the other woman.
who peered round the obscuring folds of his
burnoose to look at the stricken girl.
THE blood and heritage of chiefs may not
flow unanswered in any veins. 1t responds
to vital calls. 1t sweeps madly when aroused
and disregards the curb of sex. She ran past
him into the inner recesses of the house: while
he. thinking she had gone for some article of
apparel. waited and the other woman watched
She came back out and stood before him with
drawn. white agonized face. There was a
swirl of her garments. and she dropped at his
feet. She rolled writhinely over. down one
step. down another and then suggshly to the
bottom stair. where she lay face downward and
still. He stood above her. with folded arms
and without movement. waiting for her to rise
A bird awoke and gave shrill series of CHR
ripping sounds The boy still dabbled in the
fountain. sapping the water with his open
hands. Ell Hasan's arms unfolded. his hands
came half to his sides and stopped with dis
tended fingers and he leaned forward. The
wilderness of the step on which she lay was
Sullied with slow moving, erratiC line OF red.
HE forgot what he believed to be his wrongs
and remembered only that the crumped