The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-11-08
The Shadow of the Sphinx

language Of his childhood which he had
entirely forgotten"
The language OF his childhood?" I
echoed, as amazed as Jack himself.
why, man, do you suppose they talk
Bedouin. Arabic in Revere street. Con-
cord?'
NO he answered, but they talk it
in the FL Kanah oasis of the Bishareen
desert There's where you learned it
Jack and eyed him in speechless
establishment.
Say. professor began Penn feebly,
IF it's joke, why?-"
'Its gospel TRUTH" insisted Keyes.
Since you've come 5000 miles, Hugh
and Numbered upon most of the facts
through no fault of mine, II can't great
~ hurt your very particular Concord
relatives If I diSobey their standing or
der and tell you the rest. Penn said, back
there at your tent, that you had come
10 the East In search Of news Of your
par"ntage. He said you were looking
for me, to"
He was right" I assented. but
keyes stepped forward, between the
emir and the dark girl and myself With
solemn dignity belied by the lurking
smile in his eyes. he said:
Mr. Hugh Standish, permit me to
present you to your mothers brother,
his highness the Emir OF the FL Kan
abs. Also TO your cousin, his highneSs'
daughter. the Princess Ferfdah."
l sank back on the divan in sheer stu
pefactiOn. OF the past few hours' mira
Giles this was the crowning marvel. Feri-
dab stepped forward. with a nro,id I'M
mility, and stopped and kissed my hand.
WELCOMED" she said simply. ct IS
Allah who has sent you
4 think. professor" 1 muttered stu
pidly. 7 stu have Nile fever. and this
Is the acme Of delirium If il isn't, 1
am going mad. VIII you tell me. please.
which IL is?"
Reyes was all contritiOn.
What tactless old brute I ami he
growled, You're stisl weak and knock
ed about. And here I bring you news
that would bowl over a stronger man.
Wait for the rest Of it till you've had
time to"
NO, MOI I insisted, 7 want it now.
All of II. NV head VIII burst IL I'm left
TO wonder over this horrible muddle.
I'm Hugh Standish, Of Concord, Mass,
Harvard man and varsity football
| player. Yet you tell me that I'm an
| Arab. That +"
Not quite that. Hugh. Your father
was American. Your mother was a
princess of the Ell Kanahs. You are
| half American"
7 am all American I contradicted.
my patriotism blazing UP. my ances-
tors were Americans from the days OF
Miles Standish and
And your mothers ancestors were
| Bedouin MOBILES from the DAYS of the
Bible he supplemented. your mother
was the elder Of Emir BasraouTs two
sisters: hereditary princess Of"
Mtghtnt Il he better father" s-ug-
| gested Hope, noticing my continued ex-
| preston Of unbelief, Ito tell Mr.. Stand
| ish everything in it's order. It would
! simplify matters. perhaps"
You're right, Hope. as usual as
I bare outline When you are stronger
We can I'LL in the details at our leisure
! Your father and I were chums at Har
\ ward After graduation we made tn,
/ grand tour together Wandering off thu
/ beaten track. we fell in with the E
/ Kanah tribe on their own oasis Tn,
/; Wild, simple life charmed your father
! The Emir Basraoui-then a Young Eel
| low Of about twenty-five-toOk a fancl
| 10 him. The uDshOt Of IL was that
went on with our trip, and standisi
| STAYED
Stayed You mean?-"
| Il mean when 1 came back tive
| years later he was the husband of TIT
princess, and was Irving as an adopt
ed member Of the tribe. Incidentally
he was the proud father of rattle,
| pretty and precociOUs boy-yourself
] stay cd there for some months. -theI
came back TO America When next
saw Standish IL was five years latel
in Boston"
But my mOtherZ''
"A plague had swept the FL Kan,
ing. -'She had been among the firs
! victims. You had passed through
long Illness. and you had barely re
covered; forgetting everything yol
ever knew. Standish was heart
broken He went home to Concord
taking you along. Your Relatives
there are excellent people. Hugh, bu
may ! say they are a bit narrow
They were Mortified at your father
marriage and chose to regard Il as
blot on the family 'scutcheOn. It wa
nothing or the sort. Your mother wa
the gentlest, most gracious. mos
beautiful woman I have ever met. I
princess by nature as well as by rank
l sat helpless. nv head In nv hands
fragments Of memory into what I hat
Just heard. The beautiful, dark-eye'
mother whom 7 had so TeVered-
whose story I had resolved to learn
/ Well. I had learned it.
Not an italian princess. but Bedoui
emir's sister. And I. a loyal America
with the blood Of Miles Standish in m
blue veins-I was half Arab
So this was the end Of my long quest
Altogether. 1t was revelation that call
ed for much mental adjustment. II wa
Penn who aroused me.
/ Hugh he said, heartily. HIS bi
hand dropping with real affection on m
From what I hear, she was a nothe
to be proud Of. Your father took tn
/ wiSeSt and best course Besides, If yO
were an American before you heard thi.
you're an American still, and you al
ways will be"
yes" I echoed. duly. ct Away
shall be-
When reached this tent" resume
Keyes, Il found you stretched on tn
floor. with Hope and FeTidah standin
over you, Sheik Hafiz raving for you
blood. and a file Of guards uncertai
whether TO Kill you or not. 1 told tn
emir who you were. and he ordered tn
tent clear. II you're strong enough. e
up and salute him. He's your uncle
, you know, as well as your host and
prince Thus far, you haven't met HI
| Overtures very warmly
YEARLY 1 rose and advanced tOwar
BasraOuL. I was sick at heart to MOTTO
the natural ease wherewith 1 replied
kind TO his almost fatherly words
greeting. Then 1 moved on to Feridal
begging her forgiveness for having a
= lowed her 70 kiss my hand
at Is I who need forgiveness" sh
answered. 1T IS I who endangere
! your life. From my own tent saw 20
r arrive / could not see your 2aC
plainly. yet I could tell you were NJ
/ as other Feringee. and that you ha
! the bearing Of a true Bedouin. Whe